The Analytics module turns your saved reports into live dashboards. Instead of running a report each time you need a number, you build a dashboard once and it loads with current figures every time someone opens it.
Analytics is an Add-On Module - if you wish to see a demo and gain access to this feature, please contact [email protected]
What You Can Do
Build as many dashboards as you need, each with its own layout, color theme and default date range
Place three kinds of widget on them — a Single figure, a Chart, or a Pivot table
Change the date range once and every widget on the dashboard updates together
Assign different dashboards to different parts of Sharper, so the front desk, the accounting team and the point of sale each land on the figures that matter to them
Analytics Runs on Your Reports
Every widget is powered by a saved report. The report decides what data is available; the widget decides how it is displayed. So the useful sequence is always: build the report first, then build the widget on top of it.
Note: You do not need to switch on a report's Dashboard toggle to use it in a widget. Every saved report for the outlet is available to pick from. That toggle is a separate feature — it pins a report as a card on the Reports landing page, which is unrelated to Analytics.
One thing about the report does matter, though: a widget can only use the columns that were selected on the report. If a field is not in the report's Selected panel, it will not appear in the widget's field lists. If you cannot find the field you want, add it to the report and save.
What Has to Be in Place First
Analytics has a short chain of prerequisites. Working down it in order resolves nearly every "I can't see Analytics" or "my dashboard is blank" question:
Requirement | What Happens Without It |
Analytics is enabled for your company | Analytics does not appear in the sidebar at all, and the dashboard slots on the home, Accounting and POS screens show a plain graphic instead |
Your role includes Analytics access | The Analytics section is hidden from your navigation |
Your role includes dashboard management | You can view dashboards but cannot create, edit or assign them |
At least one dashboard exists | The Analyze screen has nothing to show, and the Settings dropdowns are empty |
A dashboard is assigned to the slot you are looking at | That screen shows the plain graphic rather than widgets |
Whether Analytics is switched on for your company is set up by your Sharper implementation team — it is not something you can turn on yourself. Everything after that (roles, dashboards, widgets, assignments) is yours to configure. Role access is granted under System Settings → Roles by your administrator.
Getting Started
Make sure the report you want to visualize exists and has the columns you need selected.
Go to Analytics → Dashboards and create a dashboard. See Analytics - Dashboards.
Open it and add widgets. See Analytics - Widgets.
Go to Analytics → Settings and assign the dashboard to the areas that should show it. See Analytics - Settings.
Selecting Analytics in the sidebar opens the Analyze screen, which shows whichever dashboard is assigned as the Analytics default and lets you switch between any of the others.
Where Dashboards Can Appear
Four areas of Sharper can display a dashboard, each assigned separately at Analytics → Settings: the home screen staff land on after signing in, the Analyze screen itself, the Point of Sale module, and the Accounting module. Marina, Campground, Booking and CRM have their own fixed screens and cannot show an Analytics dashboard.
For how those slots behave — and why one might show a graphic instead of your dashboard — see Analytics - Module Dashboards.