Matrix Report

Overview

A Matrix Report is a powerful way to visualise data in a grid format using two Fields. One Field groups the Records into columns and the other Rows. It allows users to quickly identify patterns, trends and gaps by cross-referencing the cell values.

Each cell in the matrix can display

A list of Records using a Field designated as the text to display on the line separated items in the cell.
A count of records that match the intersecting row and column values
An aggregated sum from a number field within those records (e.g. total hours, average cost or max risk score from all records that contribute to the cell value)

Matrix Reports also act as a great way to navigate to a subset of Records and when clickthrough is enabled this allows users to quickly drill down to the data that makes up the value of the cell.

As a use case we will look at a Holiday / Absence tracker App and the different Matrix configurations that can display insight into leave taken by Employees.

Adding/Editing a Matrix Report
Matrix Properties
Advanced Configuration
Row &Column Totals
Base Filter & Lenses
Report Visibility

Adding/Editing a Matrix Report

Access the Application that you would like to add a Matrix Report to in App Studio and then

Use the left pane menu to click on the Reports folder in App Studio
Then click on the Matrix Report Type from within the Reports folder.
To Add a new Matrix click on the + next to the Matrix sub folder or click on the Add button at the bottom of the screen.
To Edit a Matrix Report open the Matrix sub folder and then click on one of the existing Matrix Reports in the List

In our Holiday / Absence App, we click on the Reports Folder, then on the Matrix sub folder and select the Absence Matrix Report to see the current configuration which we can then edit

Matrix Properties

Once in the Add or Edit Matrix screen there are a number of configuration options to consider. We will now run through each one and explain how they impact on the appearance and functionality of the Report.

Title, Sub Title & Identifier

The Title is the primary reference to the Report and appears in the following locations:

The left pane navigation menu
The breadcrumb navigation at the top of the page

Ensure the title clearly identifies the report for easy user recognition.

The Sub Title appears as a banner at the top of the Report and allows for a short description or guidance text.
Use this space to define the report’s purpose, key metrics, or intended audience.

Note: Emojis can add visual clarity. For example, RAG Keys: 🔴🟠🟢. To insert emojis, press Windows + . on your keyboard.

The Identifier is a system ID for referencing a Report. This ID must be unique per Report and must contain only letters and numbers starting with a letter. It must also be a minimum of three characters.

Report Folder

Report Folders allow you to organise related reports together. Folders appear as collapsible sections in the left-hand menu. If a report is not assigned a folder, it will display above the folder sections.

Is Default

The default Report is the Report that the user will be directed to the first time that they open the App. A default Report is required in order to Publish the App.

Target Click-Through Report

This is where you can select a Report for the user to drill down into to display more information about the Records that meet the criteria for that Matrix cell.

It will apply the appropriate filters to the click through Report to only show the records relevant to the cell clicked. This can make an effective navigation tool for the App.

In the scenario where we are looking at the number of absences from Employees, clicking on a cell will take us through to the specified Report filtered down to only show the Business Team Unit and Month of the cell clicked.

X & Y Axis Fields

X-Axis Field: The values from the chosen field will make up the column headings for the matrix

Y-Axis Field: The values from the chosen field will make up the row headings for the matrix.

In our scenario we have selected Month as the X-Axis and Business Team Unit as the Y-Axis.

Cell Type & Details Field

Cell Type: There are two options for the information that is displayed in a matrix Report.

If Count is selected then the cells will contain the number of records that match the X and Y matrix Field values.

For the Use Case of displaying absence by business department by month, selecting count will give us the number of absences that occurred for each department for each month.

If FieldDetails is selected then a chosen value for each Record will display in a list for that cell.

In our scenario we may want to be able to see the individual absences that occurred with who the employee was and what dates they were absent included.

If Average / Sum / Min / Max then you can define a numeric Field to do the aggregation on across all Record that meet that cell criteria.

What is arguably more valuable in our use case is the total number of days absence for each department in each month. This value will give us insight into any risk of delivery capability or highlight if there is burnout in any given month. In the screenshot above we have used Sum on the number of days absence.

Note: Be sure to update your subtitle for the Report as it may not be obvious which Number Field has been chosen for the aggregation.

Details Field: This property is relevant if you have selected FieldDetails or an aggregation as the cell type for the matrix.

For FieldDetails, this is a simple Field type, typically text and the value for each Record will be displayed as a list Matrix cells.
For an aggregate cell type (Average / Sum / Min / Max) then a numeric Field is selected and this will be the Field that the aggregation is performed on across all Records that match the cell criteria.

Cell Background Colour Source

This dropdown will show all the RAG/RAGBB fields, these fields will decide the background of the cell. This can really bring a matrix to life and point out key failure points for you to click straight through to record. Note that this only works if all Records that are in each cell have a common RAG status.

Note: The colours for the matrix report is only available for offline apps. This can be enabled from the Configure Folder on the App in App Studio but will also require the User to be running the App in Offline Mode in their preferences as well.

Advanced Configuration

Row & Column Totals

At the end of the Rows and bottom of the columns, you can optionally configure Totals to show.

ColumnOnly - This will show totals for the X-Axis as values at the bottom of each column
None - No column or row totals will show
RowAndColumn - Totals will be shown at the end of each row and bottom of each column
RowOnly - This will show totals for the Y-Axis as values at the end of each row

Putting this in context of our Holiday / Absence App, we have selected RowOnly. The impact here is that it influences the way we read the Report. By only having Row totals, it focuses us on looking at the total absence by department. This can lessen our likeliness be side-tracked by seasonal absence (column totals) and focus more on how many absences have occurred per department across a longer span of time.

Base Filter & Lenses

If the report is to always show a subset of records, then the base filter can be used to apply a permanent filter to the report. This filter is always applied, and then user-defined filters and searches are defined on top when the report is being used

For more about configuring base filters click here
For more information about configuring Lenses click here

Report Visibility

Report visibility allows you to first define the scenarios under which a Report can be seen. It may be that you would like it to be hidden completely, only visible in a parent context, only visible in a child context or always visible.

Beyond this visibility can then additionally be restricted to members of particular Teams.

To see all the configurable scenarios for Report visibility click here

Articles in this section

Overview

Adding/Editing a Matrix Report