Relative Periods in Pivot Tables & reports

Support - Assistance technique
1

Dear All,

As I see in pivot tables and almost all reporting modules that if we need to use relative periods, the maximum months we can view backwards is 12 Months (relative to the reporting period).

I have a requirement that I need to show monthly data for more than 12 months backwards. For example, I need to dynamically show data starting at month X year Y up till the current reporting month. Is there a possibility that we can have an option like “Last X months” and specify the value of X.?

I think this is very important feature to have because it allows us to show relative data that spans more than 12 month of time in a single report.

At our organization, we have data based on projects spanning more than a year, so if we want to show an indicator history over the time of the project, we need to show the data from the start of the project up till current month.

Awaiting your feedback.

Thank you

Maheed.

2

Hi Maheed,

yes I think we can improve on this.

A minor note, if you want data dynamically starting at month x, then is a relative period option “last x months” what you need to keep it dynamic? Wouldn’t it rather be “months since x” ?

What if we simply made a new relative period “last 24 months”, would that be good enough?

best regards,

Lars

···

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Dear All,

As I see in pivot tables and almost all reporting modules that if we need to use relative periods, the maximum months we can view backwards is 12 Months (relative to the reporting period).

I have a requirement that I need to show monthly data for more than 12 months backwards. For example, I need to dynamically show data starting at month X year Y up till the current reporting month. Is there a possibility that we can have an option like “Last X months” and specify the value of X.?

I think this is very important feature to have because it allows us to show relative data that spans more than 12 month of time in a single report.

At our organization, we have data based on projects spanning more than a year, so if we want to show an indicator history over the time of the project, we need to show the data from the start of the project up till current month.

Awaiting your feedback.

Thank you

Maheed.

3

Hi - I like the flexibility of the original idea by Maheed - “last X months”. In the projects that I’m involved, I always get a request for last 6 months… perhaps weeks, months and quarters could have a drop down from 1 to 24… You may be save some space on the screen.

On the same topic, I recently wrote about the need for ‘This Week / Month/ Quarter’- we need an option to include the current period. After all, we already have ‘This Year’.

Last, beside ‘This Year’, there is also the need of YTD (year to date). This is useful for Data Elements that store target information, entered in advanced. They are used as denominators on indicators, and sometime we need to calculate up to the current week/month/ quarter. Example: I have target info for Jan-Dec. “YTD” should used the info up-to Aug; “This year” should continue using up to Dec.

In terms of scheduling, a drastic change like a drop down with values for the number of previous month/weeks/quarters that you may want to include, may have to wait until 2.17. But I will really appreciate if “This Month/Week/Quarter” makes it to the 2.16

Regards,

Rodolfo

···

Rodolfo Meliá

*Principal | *rmelia@knowming.com

Skype: rod.melia | +44 777 576 4090 | +1 708 872 7636

www.knowming.com

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 5:03 PM, Lars Helge Øverland larshelge@gmail.com wrote:

Hi Maheed,

yes I think we can improve on this.

A minor note, if you want data dynamically starting at month x, then is a relative period option “last x months” what you need to keep it dynamic? Wouldn’t it rather be “months since x” ?

What if we simply made a new relative period “last 24 months”, would that be good enough?

best regards,

Lars

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On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Dear All,

As I see in pivot tables and almost all reporting modules that if we need to use relative periods, the maximum months we can view backwards is 12 Months (relative to the reporting period).

I have a requirement that I need to show monthly data for more than 12 months backwards. For example, I need to dynamically show data starting at month X year Y up till the current reporting month. Is there a possibility that we can have an option like “Last X months” and specify the value of X.?

I think this is very important feature to have because it allows us to show relative data that spans more than 12 month of time in a single report.

At our organization, we have data based on projects spanning more than a year, so if we want to show an indicator history over the time of the project, we need to show the data from the start of the project up till current month.

Awaiting your feedback.

Thank you

Maheed.

4

Hello Lars,

1- I think “months since x” will be good and more clearer since we will specify the starting date (or month) as the variable and the report will show all data from that date up until the current month (or reporting period)

2- I don’t think “last 24 months” will be a perfect solution because there is still a probability that some projects will span more than 2 years.

So to keep it on the safe side, I think a more dynamic option will much better on the long run.

Please note that if this option can be applied to the “Quarterly” level, it will be good and usable since the only option we have for now is “last 4 quarters”. So an option like “quarters since X” will make more dynamic.

Thank you for your cooperation and for the hard work you and your team is doing.

I hope this issue can be implemented ASAP because it is really important for us.

Best Regards,

Maheed

···

Hi Maheed,

yes I think we can improve on this.

A minor note, if you want data dynamically starting at month x, then is a relative period option “last x months” what you need to keep it dynamic? Wouldn’t it rather be “months since x” ?

What if we simply made a new relative period “last 24 months”, would that be good enough?

best regards,

Lars

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Dear All,

As I see in pivot tables and almost all reporting modules that if we need to use relative periods, the maximum months we can view backwards is 12 Months (relative to the reporting period).

I have a requirement that I need to show monthly data for more than 12 months backwards. For example, I need to dynamically show data starting at month X year Y up till the current reporting month. Is there a possibility that we can have an option like “Last X months” and specify the value of X.?

I think this is very important feature to have because it allows us to show relative data that spans more than 12 month of time in a single report.

At our organization, we have data based on projects spanning more than a year, so if we want to show an indicator history over the time of the project, we need to show the data from the start of the project up till current month.

Awaiting your feedback.

Thank you

Maheed.

5

Since you seem to need something urgently, 24 months (or even 36) would be really easy to implement - i.e. you could probably have it very quickly.

Agree with your ideal solution, though since it is is different from the current selections, it might take considerably more effort (Lars obviously knows best).

Just my 1.5 cents

Knut

···

On Mon, Sep 1, 2014 at 1:18 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Hello Lars,

1- I think “months since x” will be good and more clearer since we will specify the starting date (or month) as the variable and the report will show all data from that date up until the current month (or reporting period)

2- I don’t think “last 24 months” will be a perfect solution because there is still a probability that some projects will span more than 2 years.

So to keep it on the safe side, I think a more dynamic option will much better on the long run.

Please note that if this option can be applied to the “Quarterly” level, it will be good and usable since the only option we have for now is “last 4 quarters”. So an option like “quarters since X” will make more dynamic.

Thank you for your cooperation and for the hard work you and your team is doing.

I hope this issue can be implemented ASAP because it is really important for us.

Best Regards,

Maheed

From: Lars Helge Øverland [mailto:larshelge@gmail.com]

Sent: Friday, August 29, 2014 7:03 PM

To: Maheed Ramadan

Cc: dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net; dhis2-users; Morten Olav Hansen

Subject: Re: Relative Periods in Pivot Tables & reports

Hi Maheed,

yes I think we can improve on this.

A minor note, if you want data dynamically starting at month x, then is a relative period option “last x months” what you need to keep it dynamic? Wouldn’t it rather be “months since x” ?

What if we simply made a new relative period “last 24 months”, would that be good enough?

best regards,

Lars

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Dear All,

As I see in pivot tables and almost all reporting modules that if we need to use relative periods, the maximum months we can view backwards is 12 Months (relative to the reporting period).

I have a requirement that I need to show monthly data for more than 12 months backwards. For example, I need to dynamically show data starting at month X year Y up till the current reporting month. Is there a possibility that we can have an option like “Last X months” and specify the value of X.?

I think this is very important feature to have because it allows us to show relative data that spans more than 12 month of time in a single report.

At our organization, we have data based on projects spanning more than a year, so if we want to show an indicator history over the time of the project, we need to show the data from the start of the project up till current month.

Awaiting your feedback.

Thank you

Maheed.

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–
Knut Staring

Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo

+4791880522

http://dhis2.org

6

Hi Knut,

I appreciate your feedback on this.

I guess it will make no harm to implement the quick solution by adding the 24 & 36 months options.

Also, adding more fixed options will be good, like:

1- “last 8 quarters” & “last 16 quarters”.

2- “last 4 six-months” & “last 6 six-months”

For now this will be fair enough but I think the dynamic solution will make it more flexible.

Regards,

Maheed Ramadan

M&E Database Officer

Norwegian Refugee Council- Lebanon

Email: maheed.ramadan@nrc.no

Skype: mr_maheed

Mobile: 70-888037

Website : www.nrc.no

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···

Since you seem to need something urgently, 24 months (or even 36) would be really easy to implement - i.e. you could probably have it very quickly.

Agree with your ideal solution, though since it is is different from the current selections, it might take considerably more effort (Lars obviously knows best).

Just my 1.5 cents

Knut

On Mon, Sep 1, 2014 at 1:18 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Hello Lars,

1- I think “months since x” will be good and more clearer since we will specify the starting date (or month) as the variable and the report will show all data from that date up until the current month (or reporting period)

2- I don’t think “last 24 months” will be a perfect solution because there is still a probability that some projects will span more than 2 years.

So to keep it on the safe side, I think a more dynamic option will much better on the long run.

Please note that if this option can be applied to the “Quarterly” level, it will be good and usable since the only option we have for now is “last 4 quarters”. So an option like “quarters since X” will make more dynamic.

Thank you for your cooperation and for the hard work you and your team is doing.

I hope this issue can be implemented ASAP because it is really important for us.

Best Regards,

Maheed

From: Lars Helge Øverland [mailto:larshelge@gmail.com]

Sent: Friday, August 29, 2014 7:03 PM

To: Maheed Ramadan

Cc: dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net; dhis2-users; Morten Olav Hansen

Subject: Re: Relative Periods in Pivot Tables & reports

Hi Maheed,

yes I think we can improve on this.

A minor note, if you want data dynamically starting at month x, then is a relative period option “last x months” what you need to keep it dynamic? Wouldn’t it rather be “months since x” ?

What if we simply made a new relative period “last 24 months”, would that be good enough?

best regards,

Lars

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Maheed Ramadan maheed.ramadan@nrc.no wrote:

Dear All,

As I see in pivot tables and almost all reporting modules that if we need to use relative periods, the maximum months we can view backwards is 12 Months (relative to the reporting period).

I have a requirement that I need to show monthly data for more than 12 months backwards. For example, I need to dynamically show data starting at month X year Y up till the current reporting month. Is there a possibility that we can have an option like “Last X months” and specify the value of X.?

I think this is very important feature to have because it allows us to show relative data that spans more than 12 month of time in a single report.

At our organization, we have data based on projects spanning more than a year, so if we want to show an indicator history over the time of the project, we need to show the data from the start of the project up till current month.

Awaiting your feedback.

Thank you

Maheed.

Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs

Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net

Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs

More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

–

Knut Staring

Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo

+4791880522

http://dhis2.org