Understand your impact analysis

This article will help you understand how the different modules of the Impact analysis chart work and how you should interpret the data it contains.

Template structure​

The impact template has the following six modules with unique configurations in the template:

• Measures module
• Events module
• Segmentation module
• Filters module
• Visualization module

Measures module​

The measures module contains a selector that lets you choose an impact measure to analyze based on the selected event pattern and actor segments.

Running an impact analysis helps you measure the following:

• Average event per actor – The average event count per retained actor.
• Frequency – Total count of matching events.
• Aggregate over property or metric – Custom aggregate for actors who did at least one of the events.
• Metric – A metric from the catalog or a custom block.

You can create bins and categorize results based on the measure you choose. This option is only available for Frequency and Aggregate over property or metric measures.

Analyzing data that centers around actors, such as users, accounts, tickets, and so on, is essential for impact analysis. The Of selector lets you select any dataset for actors. You can also use blocks in this section.

Events module​

Using the events module in the impact template, you can specify the preferred events and criteria for which you want to measure the impact. Analytics calculates impact information based on the events and outcomes defined here.

If you want to use a Timestamp instead of an Event, click the timestamp icon in this section.

You can also set the Event Occurrence in this section. You can specify whether you want to start the analysis before or after the event's first or last occurrence. You can choose from three options: for the first time in the time range, for the first time ever, or for the last time.

You can define Bounds, which is the time before and after the first occurrence of the outcomes defined in the previous step.

Analytics also lets you choose JSON columns in this module. When you click a JSON column, it expands to display all the available keys for that particular column. You can choose a key and click Apply. When this is done, the selected field's path is used as that column's display name.

Segmentation module​

The segmentation module in the impact template lets you choose a cohort of actors, such as users, or one or more attributes to include in the analysis. It has two sub-sections: Performed by and Grouped by, which let you add cohorts and attributes. You can create a cohort by choosing an existing cohort from the drop-down list or by using the + New Cohort option to create a behavioural cohort block in one click.

Filters module​

Use filters to narrow down data in a visualization. They make it easier for the user to answer exploratory questions, for example, if you want to see results for a specific region, you can define a region filter and see the narrowed-down data.

Analytics also lets you choose JSON columns in this module. When you click a JSON column, it expands to display all the available keys for that particular column. You can choose a key and click Apply. When this is done, the selected end key is chosen as the display name for that column.

Visualization module​

The impact template's visualization module lets you run and view the analysis in a chart. It also lets you edit the visualization, examine the underlying SQL query, and add the chart to a dashboard.

There are five important sections in this module.

• # and % – Switch between numbers and percentage values on your chart.
• Top 'n' segments – Choose the number of top segments you want to display in the visualization.
• Time range and time grain – Configure the time range and time grain for the analysis.
• Sampling – Configure sampling and responses for the analysis.
• Edit visualization (other actions) – Inspect a query, edit visualization, add an analysis to a dashboard, and download as CSV.

Switch between numbers and percentages

These options let you switch the values on the Y-axis from absolute values to percentages and vice versa in one click. This feature is particularly useful when dealing with multiple segments, as using absolute values lets you see a clearer breakdown of how many individuals are in each segment.

Top 'n' segments

To choose the number of top segments you want to display in your impact analysis, click the Show top drop-down list and enter the required number. You can also use the + and – symbols to enter your input. The total count of selected events defines the top attribute values. You can also set the number of top 'n' segments when you create beelines.

Time range and grain

• Time Range – The complete period during which events are considered for the analysis. Examples include the last 2 years or the time range between two specific dates.
• Time Grain – The granularity of analysis, such as daily (1 day), weekly (7 days), and so on.

You can set the time range using a drop-down list or choose from the quick options and iterate through different choices of time range and time grain without leaving the chart. It is also possible to set a lag by clicking Offset and setting the Ending.

Sampling section

In the visualization module, you can configure sampling modes for your exploration by clicking the lightning icon at the top of the exploration. The drop-down list displays two sampling modes: Enabled Faster Response or Enabled Higher Precision.

Edit visualization section

• Inspect Query – Lets you change the SQL and NetScript queries. The query inspector has SQL, Warehouse SQL, and NetScript tabs. You can make changes by clicking the Open as SQL Explore and Open as NetScript Explore in the respective sections.

  

• Add to Dashboard – Lets you add the exploration that you have created to a dashboard. You can choose from two options: Pick a dashboard or New Dashboard.

  

• Edit visualization – Contains the chart settings categorized under two sub-sections: Data and Style. You can configure the following for each:

  Data:

  • Automatic refresh for your chart
  • Chart type
  • X-axis and Y-axis configuration
  • Tooltip
  • Size configuration

  Style:

  • Enable the sorting option on the graph
  • Configure sorting rules and the limit

  

• Download As – Lets you download your analysis in CSV or EXCEL format. The column formatting is preserved for the downloaded files as well.