You can use PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer to create, edit, and deploy dashboards in your organization. When you create your dashboard elements, you can include one or more filters in your dashboard pages, and link those filters to scorecards and reports.

Below is an example of a PerformancePoint dashboard that contains filters.

• Learn more about filters

• Verify that you have the necessary elements

• Link a filter to a report or a scorecard

• Link a filter to multiple reports and scorecards

• Link multiple filters to a report or scorecard

Learn more about filters

Filters are dashboard elements that you can create to restrict the types of data that you display in your dashboards. When you create filters, you can choose from several different types:

• Lists or expandable trees that appear as individual dashboard elements.
• Hidden queries or background items in reports or scorecards.
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) or other items in a scorecard that are used as filters for other reports in the dashboard.

When you want to link dashboard filters to reports or scorecards, you typically do so using filters that appear as individual dashboard elements. The following procedures use the term filter to mean these stand-alone elements, and not hidden queries or linked KPIs.

You can link filters to most types of reports and scorecards that you create in Dashboard Designer:

 Important   You cannot link more than one filter to some report types. For example, you cannot link more than one filter to a strategy map.

For more information about the various types of filters that you can create, see Filters in Dashboard Designer.

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Verify that you have the necessary elements

To link filters to scorecards and reports, you must have the following components in place:

• A dashboard that has been published to PerformancePoint Monitoring Server and that contains at least one scorecard or report.
• At least one filter in the dashboard. Each filter that you want to link must reference data that is similar to the data that the scorecards or reports use. For example, if the filter is a Geography filter that contains a list of countries/regions, then the scorecards or reports that you want to link to the filter must use data that includes those countries/regions.
• Read permissions in the data sources that enable dashboard consumers to view data. Depending on your security configuration, current users or application pool users might need additional permissions.

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Link a filter to a report or a scorecard

 Note   Before you begin, make sure that you have already created a dashboard that contains at least one scorecard or report, and a filter.

1. In Dashboard Designer, locate the Workspace Browser, and then click Dashboards. The center pane displays two tabs: Server and Workspace.
2. Use the tabs to locate the dashboard that you want to change, and then double-click it to open its workspace.
3. In the center pane, click the Editor tab.
4. In the Details pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Filters to expand the list of available filters. Drag the filter that you want to use to a dashboard zone.
   
   
   
   If you do not have any filters in the list, then you must create a dashboard filter and publish it to PerformancePoint Monitoring Server. For more information, see How do I create a dashboard filter?.
5. Click the down arrow next to the filter name in the dashboard zone, and then click Create Link.
   
   
   
   The Filter Link Editor dialog box opens.
   
   
6. Click the Link Items tab. The name of the filter that you just added to the dashboard should be listed in the Filter box. If it is not listed, use the Filter list to select it. Then, use the Linked dashboard item list to select the report or scorecard that you want to link to the filter.
7. Click the Link Options tab and locate the Dashboard item endpoint list. Use the list to select the dimension that you want to use. That is, specify where you want the results of the query to appear in the report.
   
   For example, suppose that you have a report that contains product categories and measures such as gross profit and gross profit margin. Suppose further that you want to link the report to a filter that contains a list of different geographical regions. If you select Product Categories in the Dashboard item endpoint list, then the product categories information in your report is replaced with the information about the geographical regions that are selected in the filter.
   
   After you specify the Dashboard item endpoint, click OK. The Filter Link Editor dialog box closes.
8. Click the Home tab, and then click Publish Item to save your dashboard to Monitoring Server.
   
   
   
   Your filter is now in your dashboard and is linked to a report or scorecard.

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Link a filter to multiple reports and scorecards

 Note   Before you begin, make sure that you have already created a dashboard that contains a combination of scorecards and reports, and at least one dashboard filter.

1. In Dashboard Designer, locate the Workspace Browser, and then click Dashboards. The center pane displays two tabs: Server and Workspace.
2. Use the tabs to locate the dashboard that you want to change, and then double-click it to open its workspace.
3. In the center pane, click the Editor tab.
4. In the Details pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Filters to expand the list of available filters. Drag the filter that you want to use to a dashboard zone.
   
   
   
   If you do not have any filters in the list, then you must create a dashboard filter and publish it to Monitoring Server. For more information, see How do I create a dashboard filter?.
5. Select a report or scorecard in the dashboard. Click the down arrow next to its name in the dashboard zone, and then click Create Link.
   
   
   
   The Filter Link Editor dialog box opens.
   
   
6. In the Filter Link Editor dialog box, click the Link Items tab. The name of the report or scorecard that you selected should appear in the Linked dashboard item box. If the name does not appear, use the Linked dashboard item list to select it. Then, use the Filter list to select the filter that you want to link to the report or scorecard.
7. Click the Link Options tab and locate the Dashboard item endpoint list. Use the list to select the dimension that you want to use. That is, specify where you want the results of the query to appear in the report or scorecard.
   
   For example, suppose that you have a report that contains product categories and measures such as gross profit and gross profit margin. Suppose further that you want to link the report to a filter that contains a list of different geographical regions. If you select Product Categories in the Dashboard item endpoint list, then the product categories information in your report is replaced with the information about the geographical regions that are selected in the filter.
   
   After you specify the Dashboard item endpoint, click OK. The Filter Link Editor dialog box closes.
8. Repeat for each report or scorecard that you want to link to a filter.

    Tip   When you link a filter to multiple elements, make sure that you do not create circular or duplicate links between the elements. For example, if you link a scorecard to a filter, you cannot create another link from the scorecard to the same filter.

9. Click the Home tab, and then click Publish Item to save your dashboard to Monitoring Server.
   
   
   
   Your filter is now in your dashboard and is linked to multiple reports or scorecards.

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Link multiple filters to a report or scorecard

 Note   Before you begin, make sure that you have already created a dashboard that contains at least one scorecard or report, and two or more dashboard filters. You cannot link more than one filter to some report types. For example, you cannot link more than one filter to a strategy map.

1. In Dashboard Designer, locate the Workspace Browser, and then click Dashboards. The center pane displays two tabs: Server and Workspace.
2. Use the tabs to locate the dashboard that you want to change, and then double-click it to open its workspace.
3. In the center pane, click the Editor tab.
4. In the Details pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Filters to expand the list of available filters. Drag the filters that you want to use to one or more dashboard zones.
   
   
   
   If you do not have any filters in the list, then you must create your dashboard filters and publish them to Monitoring Server. For more information, see How do I create a dashboard filter?
5. Select a filter in the dashboard. Click the down arrow next to its name in the dashboard zone, and then click Create Link.
   
   
   
   The Filter Link Editor dialog box opens.
   
   
6. In the Filter Link Editor dialog box, click the Link Items tab. The name of the filter that you selected should be listed in the Filter box. If it is not listed, use the Filter list to select it. Then, use the Linked dashboard item list to select the report or scorecard that you want to link to the filter.
7. Click the Link Options tab and locate the Dashboard item endpoint list. Use the list to select the dimension that you want to use. That is, specify where you want the results of the query to appear in the report or scorecard.
   
   For example, suppose that you have a report that contains product categories and measures such as gross profit and gross profit margin. Suppose further that you want to link the report to a filter that contains a list of different geographical regions. If you select Product Categories in the Dashboard item endpoint list, then the product categories information in your report is replaced with the information about the geographical regions that are selected in the filter.
   
   After you specify the Dashboard item endpoint, click OK. The Filter Link Editor dialog box closes.
8. Repeat for each additional filter that you want to link to your report or scorecard.

    Tip   When you link a filter to multiple elements, make sure that you do not create circular or duplicate links between the elements. For example, if you link a scorecard to a filter, you cannot create another link from the scorecard to the same filter.

9. Click the Home tab, and then click Publish Item to save your dashboard to Monitoring Server.
   
   
   
   Your filters are now in your dashboard and are linked to your report or scorecard.