Running Smart Discovery

You can run Smart Discovery to gain insights into how underlying variables influence your data in a specific context.

Context

You can launch Smart Discovery when you start a new story or open a story containing the dataset you want to explore. There are two areas in the Smart Discovery side panel - Topic and Advanced Settings.

Procedure

To launch a Smart Discovery:
- If you're creating a new story, from the side navigation choose (Stories) From a Smart Discovery. You can also create a new story from Files (My Files) (Create) Story.
- If you want to run Smart Discovery on a dataset in an existing story, from the side navigation choose Stories Recent Files, or Files (My Files), and select the relevant story. From Recent Files you can see the last 25 files you worked on. From (Files) you can see all your files.
  Once the story is loaded, change the mode to Edit. When the toolbar is collapsed, select Tools Smart Discovery. When the toolbar is expanded, select Tools (Smart Discovery).
Start configuring settings in the Smart Discovery side panel by selecting a Target. Target is a required setting.
- New model type: If your using a new model type with an account dimension, you're prompted to select the Target dimension or account from the +select a dimension or an account list under the Topic area.
- If you're using a Classic account model or a New model type without an account dimension, you're prompted to select the Target dimension or measure from the +select a dimension or a measure list under the Topic area.
Note

When you select a dimension as your target, the Select Target Group Members for <selected dimension> dialog is displayed with all the dimension members listed under Available Members. Select the members you want to use as part of the target group definition, and they're automatically added to the Selected Members column. It's not possible to add all members to the Selected Members column, as that leaves nothing for comparison during the analysis. You must have two groups - one representing the dimension members that belong to your selected target group, and one representing the dimension members that don't belong to your target group. Select OK to continue.

Your selection is then represented in the Smart Discovery side panel as your selected target group members. Smart Discovery analyzes the characteristics of your data selection, that differentiate the dimension members that belong to your selected target group from the dimension members that don't belong to your target group.
Select the Entity dimension or dimensions from the +select a dimension list under Topic. Entity is a required setting.
Select the Measure from the +select a measure list under Topic. Measure is a required setting.

The Measure settings appears only when your underlying model is a new model type with an account dimension.
Select Filters from the +add filters list under Topic. Filter is an optional setting.

Note
Smart Discovery can handle a finite data size; use filters to reduce the data size. Currently, you can't run a Smart Discovery on more than one million cells. By filtering the data first, you can reduce the number of cells included in your dataset. The number of cells is calculated by multiplying the number of measures by the number of records.
Specify Advanced Settings:
- Use the Included Columns section to specify which measures (for classic account models, or new model types without account dimensions), accounts (for new model types with account dimensions) and dimensions to include in the discovery. By default, all measures, accounts, and dimensions in the dataset are included in the discovery scope.
  - Select Measures to display the Set Measures to Include in Discovery dialog. Choose the measures you want to include.
    Note
    
    The option to select Measures appears only when your underlying model is a classic account model, or a new model type without account dimensions.
  - Select Accounts to display the Set Accounts to Include in Discovery dialog. Choose the accounts you want to include.
    Note
    
    The option to select Accounts appears only when your underlying model is a new model type with account dimensions.
  - Select Dimensions to display the Set Dimensions to Include in Discovery dialog. Choose the dimensions you want to include.
  - Select OK to submit your selections.
    The number of selected measures, accounts and dimensions is indicated as well as a listing of the selected items under Measures, Accounts, and Dimensions.
Select the Preview button to open the Smart Discovery Data Preview dialog, and get a brief summary of the data you’ve selected to explore.

For more information about the Smart Discovery Data Preview, please refer to the chapter called Smart Discovery Data Preview Dialog.
Select Run to launch Smart Discovery, when you're happy with the data you've selected to explore.
You can select Run straight away after defining your target, entity, measure, filters, and advanced settings. If you decide to select Preview first, you have another opportunity to choose Run from the Smart Discovery Data Preview dialog. Once Smart Discovery completes the data analysis, the available Smart Discovery results are displayed under separate pages:
- Overview
- Key Influencers
- Unexpected Values
- Simulation

Results

After you have finished analyzing the results from your discovery, you can:

Save the Smart Discovery results as a part of the new or existing story
Share the story with other users in your organization