Define Analysis for a Column, Line, or Scatter Chart Widget

Use the Analysis page (accessed from within the Chart Series window) to define Analysis formulas (example: Forecasting/trend lines) for a Column, Line, or Scatter Chart Widget. Formulas include:

  • Trend Lines: A Trend Line is a straight line that connects two or more points on a chart to indicate a pattern. Use a Trend Line on your Column, Line, or Scatter Chart Widgets to analyze trends so that you can more accurately forecast and implement mitigation strategies. For example, use a Trend Line to display/predict a pattern for:
    • Number of Incidents that your Service Desk logs.
    • How long it takes to resolve P1 Incidents.
    • How many planned and unplanned changes affect your organization.

      You can also add an error range above and below the Trend Line.

    The following figures show a Chart Widget with a Trend Line, with and without a calculated error range.

    Chart Widget Trend LinesChart Widget Trend Lines Error Range

    Trend Lines are highly configurable, so you define:

    • Whether or not to display a Trend Line.
    • Whether or not to display an error range above and below a Trend Line.
    • Whether or not to display the Trend Line and error range in the Chart Widget legend.
    • Colors for the Trend Line, error range border, and error range background.

      The Chart Series window is accessed from within the Widget Manager when you create or edit a Chart Widget, and then add a Series.

Good to know:

  • Trend Lines are available only on Column, Line, and Scatter Charts.
  • Trend Lines can be added for one or more series in a chart.
  • Forecasting formulas (example: Trend Lines) are not available when individual values are plotted next to one another in a chart.
  • Formulas cannot apply to stacked series. Because the origin of the stacked points are not at the x-axis, stacked series points are not drawn at their actual Cartesian coordinates.

To define Analysis for a Column, Line, or Chart Widget:

  1. Create a Chart Widget.
  2. In the Chart Series window, click the Analysis page.
  3. Define the formula to use for analyzing the data in the Chart Widget. Currently, Forecasting (Trend Lines) is the only option.
  4. Define the analysis parameters:
    1. Regression Type: Select the type of regression for the Trend Line. Currently, only Linear is supported.
    2. Show Approximation Error: Select this check box to display an error range above and below the Trend Line.
    3. Show Approximation in Legend: Select this check box to display the Trend Line (labeled "Approx") in the Chart Widget legend.
    4. Show Error Range in Legend: Select this check box to display the error range (labeled "Error" in the Chart Widget legend).
  5. Define colors for Trend Lines and error ranges (Appearance area):
    1. Approximation Line Color: Select a color for the Trend Line.
    2. Error Range Border Color: Select a color for the border (top and bottom) of the error range.
    3. Error Range Background Color: Select a color for the background (area between the top and bottom border) of the error range.

  6. Select OK.