Analytics is a highly customizable sales data analysis tool.
Just like the Statistics tool, the Analytics tool offers you an indicative view of your sales. Indeed, some resellers do not provide us with daily sales data. In addition, the sales volume may vary depending on certain factors such as refunds.
Analytics consists of 3 main elements: the Graph area, the Parameters panel. and the Results list.
The Graph area
The Graph area provides a graphical overview of your sales data, based on the values selected in the Parameters panel.
The heading of the Graph area indicates the unit of measurement and the grouping selected. The period, or time scale, currently applied is displayed as a sub-heading, followed by the button that displays the Parameters panel.
By default, Analytics displays a graph representing:
the number of units sold
grouped by publication
for the current year
in chronological series
in daily intervals
The Parameters panel
The Parameters panel is where you customize Analytics, selecting from a variety of predefined settings. There you can specify the type of graph you want, the data you wish to include, or its source.
Accessing the Parameters panel
Click on the Analytics tab
Click on the pencil icon below the graph heading
Applying your selections
Once you have completed your selections, click the Apply button at the bottom of the Parameters panel. The panel then disappears and a refreshed view of the graph is displayed.
If you want to keep the Parameters panel displayed while viewing the graph, you can pin it by clicking on the pushpin button at the top right.
Parameters panel section
Display
Analytics offers 4 display modes (or types of graphs) for your sales data:
Time series (total): displays the curve of the selected unit of measurement over the desired period
Example: Total monthly sales for the last year, for all booksellers
Time series (total): displays the curve of the selected unit of measurement according to the desired period and grouping
Example: Total monthly sales for the last year, by bookseller
Histogram: displays the decreasing distribution of values for the selected unit of measurement
Example: Number of unique titles sold per month by each publisher in the last year
Pie chart: displays areas representing sales data according to the selected grouping and period
Example: Number of copies sold to various audiences in the last year
Hover the mouse pointer over each point or area on the graph to display a tooltip with the specific values represented.
Unit of measurement
Analytics offers a range of predefined units of measurement that serve as the basis for the graph:
Sales (units): number of copies sold
Sales amount before tax: total amount of copy sales, before tax
Average sale amount: average value of sales
Refunds (units): number of copies refunded
Sales amount: total amount of copies sales, including tax
Number of unique titles sold: total number of titles (not copies) sold
Interval
You can distribute the graph data according to the following time intervals:
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Yearly
A monthly interval is especially suitable to viewing your sales over a full year.
Grouping
Analytics allows you to group sales data, both in the graph and in the Results list, using some 20 predefined groupings.
Here are some examples of what a combination of units of measure and groupings allow you to examine:
the number of copies sold by country
the amount of sales by bookseller
the number of copies reimbursed by publication
the number of unique titles by publisher
the average selling price by audience
the amount of sales before tax by category
etc.
Selecting the number of copies sold by publication is a good way to see your best sellers.
To determine the category of your publications, the platform uses the main category that has been documented in your metadata. This is why it is important, when adding categories to a publication (in the Metadata > Classification section), to always designate one as the main category, which will also be used primarily by the booksellers.
Period
The period is the time scale used by the graph, and represents the period (start date and end date) during which the sales took place. Analytics offers several predefined periods, as well as the option of customizing your own.
You can further refine the applied period by selecting a range of the graph (clicking and dragging with the mouse). Analytics then refreshes the view according to the selected period.
Data source
Analytics allows you to select the data source best suited to your business practices.
Financial data: sales data found in the financial reports filed manually in the platform
Statistical data: sales data compiled daily by the platform
Filters
The Filters section displays, in the form of labels, the criteria applied to the dataset used by the graph.
You can add a filter criterion, or a combination of criteria, to the current graph from the Results list. Simply click on any item in the list.
For example, if you want to know what are the most popular literary genres on leslibraires.ca, group your sales by bookstore, and click on leslibraires.ca in the Results list. Then select the Category as a grouping, and you will get a list of all the literary genres, in descending order, for leslibraires.ca. You can combine as many groupings as you like.
To remove an applied filter:
Click on the pencil icon under the graph heading to display the Parameters panel
Under the Filters section, click on the "X" to the left of the desired criteria
Click on the Apply button
Sales type
This option allows you to use sample sales as a data source, for testing or troubleshooting purposes.
Test sales are sample or dummy sales, having no impact on billing. They are only declared through the API, and used in exceptional situations - for example during platform integration.
The Results list
The list of results, below the Graph area, displays a detailed view of the same data, in decreasing order of quantity (unit of measurement), according to the selected grouping. This list can therefore consist of titles, publishers, categories, etc.
You can filter the graph data by clicking on any item in this list. Each criterion added in this way is displayed under the Filters section of the Parameters panel.
Exporting your data
You can export in Excel format the results displayed by Analytics, to view and manipulate them as needed.
Simply click on the Export button at the top right of the Graph area. The platform generates and downloads an XLSX file containing a detailed version of the Result list.
