analytics-generation

Analytics Dashboard and Visualization Generation

Overview

This skill covers generating analytics dashboards, Performance Analytics (PA) indicators, data collectors, widgets, and standard reports from natural language descriptions:

• Creating PA indicators to track key metrics over time
• Configuring data collectors to gather and store metric snapshots
• Building dashboard layouts with widgets and visualizations
• Generating standard reports with charts, lists, and pivot tables
• Mapping natural language metric descriptions to ServiceNow PA configuration
• Combining PA and reporting for comprehensive analytics solutions

When to use: When stakeholders request new dashboards, KPI tracking, trend analysis, or when translating business reporting requirements into ServiceNow analytics configuration.

Prerequisites

• Roles: pa_admin, report_admin, or admin
• Access: pa_dashboards, pa_widgets, pa_indicators, pa_data_collectors, sys_report tables
• Knowledge: Performance Analytics concepts, ServiceNow reporting framework, data aggregation methods
• Plugins: Performance Analytics (com.snc.pa) must be activated for PA features
• Related Skills: Complete reporting/query-generation for advanced query construction

Procedure

Step 1: Understand the Analytics Data Model

pa_dashboards (Dashboard)
├── pa_tabs (Dashboard Tabs)
│   └── pa_widgets (Widget Instances)
│       └── pa_widget_indicators (Widget-Indicator Links)
├── pa_indicators (Indicators/KPIs)
│   ├── pa_indicator_source (Indicator Sources)
│   └── pa_data_collectors (Data Collectors)
│       └── pa_job_logs (Collection Logs)
└── sys_report (Standard Reports)

Key Tables:

Table	Purpose
pa_dashboards	Dashboard container definitions
pa_widgets	Widget instances placed on dashboards
pa_indicators	KPI/metric definitions with formulas
pa_data_collectors	Scheduled jobs that collect indicator data
sys_report	Standard ServiceNow reports (charts, lists, pivot tables)

Step 2: Create a PA Indicator

Indicators define WHAT to measure.

Create a count-based indicator:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_indicators
  data:
    name: "Open Critical Incidents"
    description: "Count of open incidents with priority 1 (Critical)"
    type: 1
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    table: "incident"
    conditions: "active=true^priority=1"
    frequency: "daily"
    direction: "minimize"
    unit: "incidents"
    precision: 0
    active: true

REST Alternative:

curl -u "$SN_USER:$SN_PASS" \
  "$SN_INSTANCE/api/now/table/pa_indicators" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{
    "name": "Open Critical Incidents",
    "description": "Count of open incidents with priority 1",
    "type": 1,
    "aggregate": "COUNT",
    "table": "incident",
    "conditions": "active=true^priority=1",
    "frequency": "daily",
    "active": true
  }'

Create an average-based indicator:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_indicators
  data:
    name: "Average Incident Resolution Time"
    description: "Average time in hours from opening to resolution"
    type: 1
    aggregate: "AVG"
    table: "incident"
    field: "business_duration"
    conditions: "state=6^resolved_atISNOTEMPTY"
    frequency: "daily"
    direction: "minimize"
    unit: "hours"
    precision: 1
    active: true

Create a percentage indicator:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_indicators
  data:
    name: "SLA Compliance Rate"
    description: "Percentage of incidents resolved within SLA"
    type: 2
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    table: "incident"
    conditions: "state=6"
    numerator_conditions: "state=6^made_sla=true"
    frequency: "daily"
    direction: "maximize"
    unit: "%"
    precision: 1
    active: true

Step 3: Create Data Collectors

Data collectors define WHEN and HOW to gather indicator data.

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_data_collectors
  data:
    indicator: [indicator_sys_id]
    name: "Daily Open Critical Incidents Collector"
    active: true
    run_as: "system"
    collection_frequency: "daily"
    is_scheduled: true

REST Alternative:

curl -u "$SN_USER:$SN_PASS" \
  "$SN_INSTANCE/api/now/table/pa_data_collectors" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{
    "indicator": "[indicator_sys_id]",
    "name": "Daily Open Critical Incidents Collector",
    "active": true,
    "collection_frequency": "daily",
    "is_scheduled": true
  }'

Step 4: Create a Dashboard

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_dashboards
  data:
    name: "IT Service Management Overview"
    description: "Executive dashboard for ITSM key performance indicators"
    active: true
    published: true
    owner: [user_sys_id]

REST Alternative:

curl -u "$SN_USER:$SN_PASS" \
  "$SN_INSTANCE/api/now/table/pa_dashboards" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{
    "name": "IT Service Management Overview",
    "description": "Executive dashboard for ITSM KPIs",
    "active": true,
    "published": true
  }'

Step 5: Add Widgets to Dashboard

PA Indicator Widget Types:

Type	Value	Use Case
Scorecard	scorecard	Single KPI with trend
Time Series	time_series	Metric over time (line chart)
Breakdown	breakdown	Metric split by dimension
Dial	dial	Gauge-style single metric
Single Score	single_score	Large number display
List	list	Tabular data
Pivot Table	pivot	Cross-tabulation

Create a scorecard widget:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  data:
    dashboard: [dashboard_sys_id]
    indicator: [indicator_sys_id]
    visualization: "scorecard"
    name: "Critical Incidents Scorecard"
    row: 0
    column: 0
    width: 6
    height: 4
    active: true

Create a time series widget:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  data:
    dashboard: [dashboard_sys_id]
    indicator: [indicator_sys_id]
    visualization: "time_series"
    name: "Incident Volume Trend"
    row: 0
    column: 6
    width: 6
    height: 4
    active: true
    time_series_period: "last_12_months"

Create a breakdown widget:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  data:
    dashboard: [dashboard_sys_id]
    indicator: [indicator_sys_id]
    visualization: "breakdown"
    name: "Incidents by Priority"
    breakdown: [breakdown_sys_id]
    row: 4
    column: 0
    width: 6
    height: 4
    active: true
    chart_type: "bar"

Step 6: Create Standard Reports

For simpler reporting needs without PA overhead, use sys_report.

Create a bar chart report:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_report
  data:
    title: "Incidents by Category"
    table: "incident"
    type: "bar"
    field: "category"
    filter: "active=true"
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    group: "category"
    is_published: true
    active: true
    chart_size: "large"

REST Alternative:

curl -u "$SN_USER:$SN_PASS" \
  "$SN_INSTANCE/api/now/table/sys_report" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{
    "title": "Incidents by Category",
    "table": "incident",
    "type": "bar",
    "field": "category",
    "filter": "active=true",
    "aggregate": "COUNT",
    "is_published": true
  }'

Create a trend report:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_report
  data:
    title: "Weekly Incident Volume"
    table: "incident"
    type: "line"
    field: "sys_created_on"
    filter: "sys_created_on>=javascript:gs.daysAgo(90)"
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    trend_field: "sys_created_on"
    interval: "week"
    is_published: true
    active: true

Create a pivot table report:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_report
  data:
    title: "Incidents: Priority vs State"
    table: "incident"
    type: "pivot"
    field: "priority"
    stack: "state"
    filter: "sys_created_on>=javascript:gs.daysAgo(30)"
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    is_published: true
    active: true

Step 7: Create PA Breakdowns

Breakdowns define dimensions for slicing indicator data.

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_breakdowns
  query: table=incident^active=true
  fields: sys_id,name,field,table
  limit: 50

If a needed breakdown does not exist:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_breakdowns
  data:
    name: "Incident Priority Breakdown"
    table: "incident"
    field: "priority"
    active: true

Step 8: Validate and Test

Verify indicator configuration:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_indicators
  query: sys_id=[indicator_sys_id]
  fields: sys_id,name,aggregate,table,conditions,frequency,active

Verify dashboard widgets:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  query: dashboard=[dashboard_sys_id]
  fields: sys_id,name,visualization,indicator,row,column,width,height,active
  limit: 50

Check data collector status:

MCP Approach:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_data_collectors
  query: indicator=[indicator_sys_id]
  fields: sys_id,name,active,is_scheduled,last_collection_time

Tool Usage

Action	MCP Tool	REST Endpoint
Create indicator	SN-Create-Record	POST /api/now/table/pa_indicators
Create data collector	SN-Create-Record	POST /api/now/table/pa_data_collectors
Create dashboard	SN-Create-Record	POST /api/now/table/pa_dashboards
Add widget	SN-Create-Record	POST /api/now/table/pa_widgets
Create report	SN-Create-Record	POST /api/now/table/sys_report
Query indicators	SN-Query-Table	GET /api/now/table/pa_indicators
Query dashboards	SN-Query-Table	GET /api/now/table/pa_dashboards
Update widget	SN-Update-Record	PATCH /api/now/table/pa_widgets/{sys_id}

Best Practices

• Start with indicators: Define metrics before building dashboards; indicators are the foundation
• Use daily frequency for most KPIs: Daily collection balances granularity with performance
• Set direction on indicators: Specify "minimize" or "maximize" so trends show improvement correctly
• Design for the audience: Executive dashboards should have 4-6 widgets; operational dashboards can have more
• Use breakdowns for drill-down: Allow users to slice data by priority, category, group, or location
• Combine PA and standard reports: Use PA for trends and KPIs; use sys_report for ad-hoc lists and detail views
• Test data collection: Run a manual collection to verify indicator conditions return expected results
• Set thresholds and targets: Configure indicator thresholds to enable red/yellow/green visualization
• Avoid over-aggregation: Too many breakdowns on a single widget makes data hard to read
• Document indicator formulas: Use the description field to explain what each indicator measures and why

Troubleshooting

Indicator Shows No Data

Symptom: Indicator exists but displays zero or no data Causes:

1. Data collector not active or not yet run
2. Conditions filter returns no records
3. Indicator frequency mismatch with collection schedule Solution:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_data_collectors
  query: indicator=[indicator_sys_id]
  fields: sys_id,name,active,is_scheduled,last_collection_time

Then verify the condition query returns data:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: active=true^priority=1
  fields: sys_id
  limit: 1

Dashboard Not Visible

Symptom: Dashboard created but not appearing in navigation Causes:

1. Dashboard not published
2. User lacks pa_viewer or pa_admin role
3. Dashboard not active Solution:

Tool: SN-Update-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_dashboards
  sys_id: [dashboard_sys_id]
  data:
    published: true
    active: true

Report Filter Not Working

Symptom: Report shows all records instead of filtered set Cause: Filter encoded query syntax incorrect Solution: Validate the encoded query:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: [your_filter_query]
  fields: sys_id
  limit: 5

If results are unexpected, adjust the query.

Widget Overlapping on Dashboard

Symptom: Widgets overlap or display incorrectly Cause: Row/column/width/height values conflict Solution: Review all widget positions:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  query: dashboard=[dashboard_sys_id]
  fields: name,row,column,width,height
  limit: 20

Examples

Example 1: ITSM Executive Dashboard

# 1. Create indicators
Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_indicators
  data:
    name: "Open Incidents"
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    table: "incident"
    conditions: "active=true"
    frequency: "daily"
    active: true
# Result: indicator1_sys_id

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_indicators
  data:
    name: "MTTR (Hours)"
    aggregate: "AVG"
    table: "incident"
    field: "business_duration"
    conditions: "state=6^sys_created_on>=javascript:gs.daysAgo(30)"
    frequency: "daily"
    active: true
# Result: indicator2_sys_id

# 2. Create data collectors for each indicator
Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_data_collectors
  data:
    indicator: indicator1_sys_id
    name: "Open Incidents Daily"
    active: true
    is_scheduled: true

# 3. Create dashboard
Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_dashboards
  data:
    name: "ITSM Executive Dashboard"
    published: true
    active: true
# Result: dashboard_sys_id

# 4. Add widgets
Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  data:
    dashboard: dashboard_sys_id
    indicator: indicator1_sys_id
    visualization: "single_score"
    name: "Open Incidents"
    row: 0
    column: 0
    width: 3
    height: 3

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: pa_widgets
  data:
    dashboard: dashboard_sys_id
    indicator: indicator2_sys_id
    visualization: "time_series"
    name: "MTTR Trend"
    row: 0
    column: 3
    width: 9
    height: 6

Example 2: Quick Standard Report

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_report
  data:
    title: "Top 10 Incident Categories This Month"
    table: "incident"
    type: "bar"
    field: "category"
    filter: "sys_created_on>=javascript:gs.beginningOfThisMonth()"
    aggregate: "COUNT"
    orderby: "COUNT"
    order_direction: "desc"
    row_count: 10
    is_published: true

Related Skills

• reporting/query-generation - Generate complex queries for reports
• itsm/incident-lifecycle - Incident data model context
• development/scheduled-jobs - Configure scheduled data collection
• ea/business-app-insights - Application-level analytics