Change analysis

With SpotIQ change analysis, you can compare any two data points in a visualization for change and identify key change drivers from the underlying attribute columns.

SpotIQ change analysis compares data points of simple or complex measures using these aggregates:

  • Sum

  • Count

  • Sum over sum, which generates a Liveboard that has 'what-if' percentage insights

  • Average, which generates a Liveboard that has 'what-if' percentage insights

  • Other functions which use a 'versus' analysis to show the absolute change grouped by different drill attributes

Basic change analysis in SpotIQ

Change analysis for chart visualizations

ThoughtSpot supports change analysis for area, line, column, bar, and line-column charts. To perform this analysis, follow these steps:

  1. On an area, line, column, bar, or line-column chart, hold down the command key (MacOS) or control key (Linux or Windows).

  2. Select the two columns or data points you plan to compare. Here, we are comparing the results for the San Francisco and Atlanta stores.

  3. Right-click to see the dropdown menu, and select SpotIQ analyze.

    Right-click and select SpotIQ Analyze

  4. The SpotIQ window modal appears. Make sure that you select Change analysis.

  5. Select Continue.

  6. Select the columns for SpotIQ to compare. By default, SpotIQ picks the most relevant columns, based on what it learned from your past activity.

  7. Optionally, customize the analysis parameters.

  8. Select Analyze.

Change analysis for KPI charts

To perform this analysis on a KPI chart, follow these steps:

  1. On a KPI chart, hold down the command key (MacOS) or control key (Linux or Windows).

  2. From the sparkline visualization, select the two data points you plan to compare.

  3. Right-click to see the dropdown menu, and select SpotIQ analyze.

  4. The SpotIQ window modal appears. Make sure that you select Change analysis.

  5. Select Continue.

  6. Select the columns for SpotIQ to compare. By default, SpotIQ picks the most relevant columns, based on what it learned from your past activity.

  7. Optionally, customize the analysis parameters.

  8. Select Analyze.

View results

Notice that ThoughtSpot saves the results of SpotIQ analysis for 24 hours.

To view the results of your analysis, follow these steps:

  1. On the top navigation bar, select SpotIQ.

  2. If you do not see your analysis, select Yours. This filters the list of analyses.

    Your analysis may be in progress. Wait until its Status changes to Done.

  3. Select your analysis.

  4. In the report, SpotIQ generates a Liveboard with insights that compare the two selected points, grouped by the columns you chose for analysis.

    SpotIQ Liveboard example
    Each colored section of a SpotIQ insight represents a statistically significant outlier among the values of your chosen columns.

  5. You can now examine each visualization of the analysis for details of comparison, give feedback on its usefulness, and so on.

    Image with a 1 next to the "Is this insight useful?" option

    1. Give feedback

    SpotIQ learns how to improve its analysis based on the information you provide. If you dislike a specific type of insight, SpotIQ pushes that type of insight to the bottom of any future SpotIQ analyses you run. The feedback you provide is specific to you and does not affect the SpotIQ experience of other users.

    2. Add to a Liveboard

    You can add the specific visualization to an existing Liveboard, or create a new Liveboard and add it there.

    3. Analysis details

    Get the name of the algorithm.

    4. More options

    You can run another round of SpotIQ analysis, download the data as a CSV file, edit this visualization, or edit a copy of the visualization.

Advanced change analysis in SpotIQ

ThoughtSpot ships with a number of comparative algorithms. Using the Advanced option of SpotIQ, you can adjust the parameters of the analysis, or choose a different comparative algorithm for your data.

After selecting the relevant analysis columns, click Customize parameters.

Under Select Algorithms, select the name of the algorithm. You may have several options available, or only a single one. In this example, the only valid option is Change Analysis.

Under Refine parameters for change, adjust the options. In this example, the algorithm parameters are Maximum Difference Elements, Max Fraction, Min Abs Change Ratio, and Min Change Ratio.

Comparative analysis advanced values

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