Working with Project Bubble Charts

Bubble charts can give you powerful insights into your projects by allowing you to show projects in a 2 dimensional chart, with each project represented by a bubble. Bubble chart provides extensive parameter options.

You can use various parameters for the X axis and the Y axis. Both axes allow for choosing from a set of discrete properties of projects or from a set of values that can vary with time as the project proceeds. Discrete properties include: classification field, alignment mode, programs, process area, division, strategies, custom field of type list, or finance aggregate, etc. The time-varying status/values include: % completion, risk, finances, etc.

The following is a list of all available parameter options:

Organization – Division
Organization – Business Unit
Organization – Location
Organization – Region
Classification – Functional Area
Classification – Process Area
Classification – Project Source
Programs
Risk
Plan Effort
Actual Effort
% Completion
Project Status
Number of Open Issues
Number of Closed Issues
Number of Open Activities
Number of Closed Activities
Project Duration
Initial Planned Duration
Current Planned Duration
Actual Duration
Current Stage
Project End Date
Initial Planned Project Start Date
Initial Planned Project End Date
Current Planned Project Start Date
Current Planned Project End Date
Actual Project Start Date
Actual Project End Date
Strategies
Scorecards
Processes
Program
Finance Aggregate
Project Tracking Details
Project Type
Roadmap
Project Manager

You can swap the X and Y axes for a visual rearrangement of the bubbles. You can choose fixed size or have it based on effort, team members (including and excluding TBD), or finance aggregate values. The bubble color can also be fixed or be based on completion status, risk or schedule.

Like the other dashboards, you can mouse over the bubbles for more information and click on the chart to drill down. When you maximize the component you can view the dashboard component legends like the bubble color, and size.

If Finance Aggregate values are chosen as the parameter for the axes or for the bubble size, then additional dependent filters are shown to determine which finance values will be used for the chart.

Creating a Project Bubble Chart

To create a project bubble chart, do the following:

Navigate to the Manage Dashboard screen by selecting Go To > Dashboards > Manage from the Top Navigation bar. If you are already viewing a dashboard, click on the Manage icon.
In the Tree pane, click on the name of your dashboard.
In the List pane, click on the Edit button. The Edit Dashboards page is displayed.
Note: Make sure that all your pop-up blockers are inactive.
From the Category pull-down menu, select Projects. From the Subcategory pull-down menu select General.
Select the Project Bubble Chart dashboard components from the gallery and drag it into the layout grid.
Click the Save Layout button to save your dashboard layout.

Selecting the Filter and Display Options

From the Manage Dashboards screen, select the Project Bubble Chart component from the List tab.
Select the Filters tab from the Details pane and click on the Edit button.
Choose an Initiative for the dashboard.
From the Dashboard section, select the number of projects to show.
Check the Inline box associated with each filter parameter if you want to be able to edit these parameters using the Inline Filters screen.
From the drop-down list select a parameter for the X axis and the Y-axis. If you selected Finance Aggregate for X or Y axis, then you will see options to select a finance category, finance window, finance dataset, and specify a snapshot for plan.
Select the bubble size. You can choose fixed or have it be based on effort, or team members (including or excluding TBDs).
You can select if the bubble color should be fixed, based on completion status, risk, or schedule.
Click on the Select Color link to choose a color. If you selected the bubble color to be determined by the Completion Status, then enter a percentage for the bubble colors.
Click the Save button to save your changes.
From the Details pane, select the General Display Options tab and click on the Edit button. Make the changes and click the Save button to save your changes.
From the Details pane, select the Chart Display Options tab and click on the Edit button. Select if you want to enable bubble shadow, and choose the color, X offset, Y Offset and the width of the bubble shadow.
Click the Save button to save your changes.

Swapping X-Axis and Y-Axis

To swap the X-axis and Y-axis parameters, click the Inline Filters button on the top banner of the Project Bubble Chart dashboard. From the Inline Filters screen, check the Swap X and Y Axis checkbox to swap the axis parameters. Click Apply to refresh the dashboard, or click Save to save the changes.

Working with Project Bubble Charts

Selecting the Filter and Display Options

See Also