KPI's in Qlik Sense

In today's data-driven world, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are vital for tracking business performance and making informed decisions. Qlik Sense provides powerful tools to create and customize KPIs, helping businesses to visualize their metrics effectively. This blog will guide you through the process of creating and customizing KPIs using Qlik Sense, leveraging conditional colors and symbols to enhance your data visualization.

Creating a KPI in Qlik Sense

To create a KPI in Qlik Sense, follow these steps:

1. Open Your Qlik Sense App:

   • Open the desired Qlik Sense application where you want to create the KPI.

2. Add a New KPI Visualization:

   • In the Qlik Sense hub, click on the "Edit" mode of your sheet.

   • From the left-hand panel, drag and drop the KPI object onto your sheet.

3. Define Your Measure:

   • Click on "Add measure" and select the field you want to measure. For example, you can use Sum(Sales) to measure total sales.

4. Customize Your KPI:

   • In the properties panel, you can customize the appearance of your KPI. This includes changing the label, format, and more.

For a detailed step-by-step guide, refer to the official Qlik Sense documentation on creating a KPI.

Using Conditional Colors and Symbols

Conditional colors and symbols in Qlik Sense allow you to visually differentiate performance levels within your KPI. Here’s how you can set it up:

1. Access the Properties Panel:

   • Click on your KPI visualization to open the properties panel on the right side of the screen.

   • Select Appearance and expand the Color section.

2. Turn On Conditional Colors:

   • If not already done, turn off Library colors and turn on Conditional colors.

3. Add Limits:

   • Click Add limit to create a new limit. You can add multiple limits to represent different performance levels.

   • Specify a value for each limit or enter an expression using the expression editor.

4. Customize Colors and Symbols:

   • On the Value color bar, click the range area of the KPI you want to modify.

   • Under Colors, select a preset color or use a custom color. For instance:

     • Green with a check mark symbol for strong performance.

     • Yellow with a caution symbol when performance falls below expectations.

     • Red with an X symbol for low performance.

   • Toggle to Symbols to choose the symbol displayed when your KPI falls within the specified limit.

Example: Setting Up Conditional Formatting

Suppose you have a KPI measuring total sales. You want the KPI to display in different colors and symbols based on the performance:

• Green with a check mark: Sales > $50,000

• Yellow with a caution symbol: Sales between $25,000 and $50,000

• Red with an X symbol: Sales < $25,000

Here’s how to configure it:

1. Add Limits and Set Colors:

   • Limit 1: Value = 50000, Color = Green, Symbol = Check mark

   • Limit 2: Value = 25000, Color = Yellow, Symbol = Caution

   • Default: Color = Red, Symbol = X

2. Implementing Expressions:

   • Use expressions in the Add limit section to dynamically calculate values if needed, allowing for more flexibility and automation.

By utilizing these features, your KPIs will not only display critical data but also provide immediate visual feedback on performance levels. This enhances your ability to quickly interpret data and make informed decisions.

For more detailed instructions and additional customization options, visit the Qlik Sense help page.

Conclusion

KPIs are a cornerstone of effective business analytics, and Qlik Sense makes it easy to create and customize them. By using conditional colors and symbols, you can make your KPIs more intuitive and actionable, ensuring that key metrics are always clearly communicated. Start enhancing your data insights with Qlik Sense KPIs today!