Check a report’s filters and totals
Understand which records a report includes and avoid misleading comparisons.
Check a report’s filters and totals
A filter changes the population behind a measure. Before comparing two results, check that they describe the same records and time basis.
Know what changed
A dashboard-list search only helps you find a dashboard. It does not necessarily filter the data inside it. A BI space selection changes context; a report filter changes the records used by the measure.
A date range also needs a field: due date, creation date and review-event time answer different questions.
Compare one change at a time
1. Note the report’s current scope: source, date field, range, other filters and the result you are starting from.
2. Decide which single filter you want to change. Before applying it through the report’s supported controls, predict which records should enter or leave.
3. Wait for the resulting report to settle, then compare the included records as well as the total. The same number can describe a different set of items.
4. Check the numerator and denominator separately. If a range excludes both one qualifying item and one non-qualifying item, the rate can change without any underlying work changing.
5. Restore the original settings when you need to return to the baseline. Confirm the applied controls and settled result; merely typing dates is not the same as applying them.
Investigate a surprising result
An unexpected zero may be correct for the selected period, or it may reflect the wrong scope, missing data or a report still loading. Check those possibilities before changing the source records.
Your result is a comparison you can explain: what changed, which records were affected and why the number moved. If the report cannot expose enough source detail to check that, ask the reporting owner for a supported way to reconcile it.
Do not assume that a Finance report’s date controls or rules also apply to BI Studio.
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