Saved versions, charts and detail: presenting the same evidence clearly

Different audiences may need different presentations of the same report. An operational reviewer needs detail and exceptions; a manager may need a concise comparison. Good presentation changes emphasis while preserving the meaning of the underlying information.

A chart should answer a specific question. A trend shows change over time, while a ranking compares categories. A chart of a running balance grouped by unrelated transaction types may not answer a meaningful question at all.

DNA's saved report versions

DNA's viewer can save a customised version of a standard report. The version references its base report and stores presentation choices such as columns, labels, filters and sorting. Saving a new version creates a separate saved definition; saving changes updates the existing version when the user's access allows it.

A temporarily hidden column and a column removed from a saved version have different meanings. In the reviewed flow, removed version columns are excluded from the version's display and export configuration. Do not treat visual hiding alone as an access-control policy.

Understanding a chart's population

DNA's chart flow can combine the largest categories with an “Other” category so that smaller categories in that processed set remain represented. In the reviewed flat-report path, an earlier category limit can already have reduced the set; “Other” therefore does not guarantee inclusion of every category in the original report. “Other” is a grouping of remaining values, not a new customer or account. Its meaning should remain clear when the chart is discussed.

The chart and table must be interpreted with their loaded scope. A visually balanced chart does not establish that all server records were loaded, that a filter is correct or that every relevant transaction has been posted.

Inspecting detail

Grouped reports can include more detail rows than are initially loaded. The viewer includes a group-item loading operation for supported reports. A subtotal should not be interpreted as the sum of only the few lines currently visible when more detail exists.

Use charts to identify a pattern and detail to investigate it. If one customer dominates a sales ranking, examine the relevant transactions and period before concluding that the concentration is recurring or that the customer is profitable.