Using dates in Advanced Analytics

This article explains how to effectively use “Date” type data points in Advanced Analytics, helping you filter data by time periods or analyse trends over time.

For example:

Filter: View event attendance statistics for a specific quarter.
Visualize: Use dates in line or column charts to uncover trends.

When you drag a “Date” data point into the filter section, rows, or columns of the BI tool, all relevant data points will appear.

To get the most accurate insights, it’s essential to select the appropriate date dimension for your report (e.g. if reporting on 1-to-1s, use the date dimensions that are specific to 1-to-1s).

However, you can also draw correlations between two areas of the product to unlock deeper insights. By aligning date data points across different product areas, you can uncover trends and relationships that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Dates specific to certain tables (areas of the product):

1-to-1s:

1-to-1 created at: Timestamp when the one-to-one was created.
1-to-1 deadline: Deadline for the one-to-one.
Finalized at: Timestamp when the one-to-one was finalized.
Updated at: Timestamp when the one-to-one was last updated.

Tasks:

Assigned at: Timestamp (in UTC) for when the task was issued to the user.
Completed at: Timestamp (in UTC) for when the user completed the content, triggering the task to be marked as completed. If the task has not yet been completed, this will be null.

User

Current sign in at: Timestamp (UTC) of the user’s most recent log in.
Deactivated at: Timestamp (UTC) for when the user was deactivated.
Hire date: Hire date of the employee. Only set if this data is available from an HR system integration or similar.

Event sessions:

Ends at: Date/time (stored in UTC) for when the event session ends.

Enrollments:

Enrolled at: The date a user was enrolled in an event session.

Surveys:

Issued at: The precise time of issuance of the survey.

Survey attempts:

Started at: Returns the specific time that the survey attempt was started.

Objectives:

Objectives start date: The start date the objective has been set for.
Objectives end date: The end date the objective has been set for.

Dates shared across multiple areas of the product:

The below dates refer to multiple areas of the product.

Created at:

Users: Timestamp (UTC) when the user was originally created
Groups: Timestamp (UTC) for when the group was first created.
Groups - user relationship: Timestamp (UTC) for when the given user was added to the given group.
Teams: Timestamp (UTC) for when the team was first created.
Team user relationship: Timestamp (UTC) for when the given user was added to the given team.
Content: Timestamp (UTC) when the content was first created
Channels: Timestamp (UTC) for when the channel was first created.
Events: Timestamp (UTC) for when the event was first created.
Items: Timestamp (UTC) for when the item was first created.
Learnlists: Timestamp (UTC) for when the learnlist was first created.
Quizzes: Timestamp (UTC) for when the quiz was first created.
Surveys: Timestamp (UTC) for when the survey was first created.

Deadline:

Survey occurrence / attempt: The date that this survey occurrence is, or was due by
Survey attempt answer: The deadline for this particular survey attempt/occurrence.
Tasks: Deadline for when the tasked content must be completed by.

Expired at:

Quiz attempts: Timestamp indicating when the quiz attempt expired
Activities: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity was marked as expired. Learn Amp will expire, for example, the previous year’s activity when a user has a new recurring task issued to them.
Completions: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity was marked as expired. Learn Amp will expire, for example, the previous year’s activity when a user has a new recurring task issued to them.
Starts: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity was marked as expired. Learn Amp will expire, for example, the previous year’s activity when a user has a new recurring task issued to them.
Views: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity was marked as expired. Learn Amp will expire, for example, the previous year’s activity when a user has a new recurring task issued to them.
Tasks: Timestamp (in UTC) for when the task was marked as expired. When a recurring task is issued, any previous tasks in the series will be marked as expired.

Happened at:

Activities: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity occurred
Completions: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity occurred
Starts: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity occurred
Views: Timestamp (UTC) for when the activity occurred

Submitted at:

Quiz attempts: Timestamp indicating when the quiz attempt was submitted
Quiz attempt answer: Timestamp indicating when the answer was submitted
Survey attempt: The specific date and time that this attempt was submitted at. This will be null if the user is yet to submit the attempt.
Survey attempt answer: Returns the specific time that the answer and its parent attempt were submitted.

Starts at:

Sessions tracks: Timestamp (in UTC) for when this session started.
Events sessions: Date/time (stored in UTC) for when the event session begins

Best Practices

Choose the Right Dimension: Always select the most relevant date dimension for the data you’re analysing.
Use Filters Effectively: Apply filters to narrow your data to specific timeframes for better insights.
Understand Context: Review the definitions above to ensure you’re using dates that align with your reporting goals.

By correctly using “Date” type data points, you can create precise, insightful visualizations that align with your business needs.