Recommendations to visualize data lineages

[Ucubia]

Hi,

New to PBi and already can see it has some significant visualizations.

I am looking for recommendations or examples to visualize "chain of custody" data, so that a user select product(s) then references other elements within the chain (supplier, address etc) in separate visuals, potential scrolling?

Have lots of data so visualizing the chain is likely to make things easier.

Thanks in advance.

Ian

 

[macfuller]

Can you be more specific? What links the members of a chain together: product ID, shipment date, factory origin, ...? If you're tracking (say) a particular lot of pharmaceutical products, would you want to see each provider name with dates of handoffs? Do you want to differentiate between producers, forwarders, carriers? Modes of transport (air, sea, road, rail, ...)? Time and cost per mile by mode? Average dwell time for a particular provider? Are you verifying temperature control at each handoff and need to see if it went outside your control limits? In-transit or historical analysis?

Once those elements are clear you can look at some of the map/route visualization objects if you want simple lines between geographic points.

If you don't need anything geographic then pivot tables may be good enough for analysis. Compare ocean carrier transit times across shipments, carriers, or seasons. If you have a lot of data then you may just want to see anomalies vs. whatever baselines you set - e.g. Maersk usually takes 3 weeks from Kuala Lumpur to Long Beach but shipment Z42 took 4.5 weeks.

 

[Ucubia]

Can you be more specific? What links the members of a chain together: product ID, shipment date, factory origin, ...? If you're tracking (say) a particular lot of pharmaceutical products, would you want to see each provider name with dates of handoffs? Do you want to differentiate between producers, forwarders, carriers? Modes of transport (air, sea, road, rail, ...)? Time and cost per mile by mode? Average dwell time for a particular provider? Are you verifying temperature control at each handoff and need to see if it went outside your control limits? In-transit or historical analysis?

Once those elements are clear you can look at some of the map/route visualization objects if you want simple lines between geographic points.

If you don't need anything geographic then pivot tables may be good enough for analysis. Compare ocean carrier transit times across shipments, carriers, or seasons. If you have a lot of data then you may just want to see anomalies vs. whatever baselines you set - e.g. Maersk usually takes 3 weeks from Kuala Lumpur to Long Beach but shipment Z42 took 4.5 weeks.

Hi Mac,

Thank you for the reply, the data I am using has many different facets and previously have used Pivot tables to deliver the information, but customer struggles to build the Pivots as those interested are management. Therefore having some form visual would be more favourable.

Happy to build PBi but just wondering if there is anything readily available as an example template or something of that ilk - ideally like to build for form of interactive PBi for the customer, which will in the background be building Pivots etc.

Geographic visuals are not really a requirement at this stage. I have seen some folk building PBi and displaying tracking information, but mine is simply identifying the items associated within the chain and over time may add other elements.

Hopefully simple, in my head it would be something like a hierarchical tree?

Thanks

 

[macfuller]

Do you have examples of how to identify the items with their respective chain? By origin/source, transit time, etc? Certainly execs should have to build their own pivot tables, but they whether a pivot table or visual they should be able to use slicers or timelines to select their particular filter.

 

[Ucubia]

Do you have examples of how to identify the items with their respective chain? By origin/source, transit time, etc? Certainly execs should have to build their own pivot tables, but they whether a pivot table or visual they should be able to use slicers or timelines to select their particular filter.

The common identifier appears to be a serial number, no surprises. The construct of the serial number determines the individual product and the associated elements that make up with product itself.

Then each product will have a configuration that determines the operating requirements including installation platform, software release, build date etc.

Serial number will be used to track the chain to distribution, reseller customer.

All standard elements that can be built within Power Pivot, albeit PBI looks to be a more visual option for management reports and operational management.

Hierarchical or lineage “type” representation of volumes, build & update dates etc would be ideal. I have found references online and most likely a baseline asset management would serve purpose. Star approach was the baseline for Power Pivot

If there are any known templates I would be interested to know as hoping it will save time.