Summary

The Trends dashboard for a general ledger analysis allows you easily visualize patterns and correlations between particular income statements and balance sheet accounts over time, in order to identify whether certain patterns or deviations occur outside expectation. 

The Trends dashboard displays the following information:

1. Account trends graph
2. Ratio categories

Learn how to stack trends using this dashboard in MindBridge.

Go to the Trends tab

1. Select the logo in the MindBridge sidebar. 
   You will go to the Organizations page.
2. Select View in line with the desired organization. 
   You will go to the Engagements page.
3. Select View in line with the desired engagement. 
   You will go to that engagement's Data page.
4. Select View Analysis on the desired analysis.
5. Once within an analysis, select Trends at the top of the page. 
   You will go to the Trends tab.

Account trends graph

The accounts trend graph lets you compare monthly or periodic trends across multiple accounts or custom columns. Use the trends showing menu to select from the 3 views:

• Ending Balance*: The balance on the selection at the end of the period (calculated by adding the opening balance of each period with the period's cumulative activity. If no opening balance is supplied, the period will start from a balance of zero, and the ending balance will be calculated exclusively from the period's cumulative activity).
• Activity: The change-in-value on the selection throughout the period.
• Cumulative year-to-date activity: The cumulative change-in-value on the selection from the start of the year.

*The Ending Balance calculated above is only available if you have imported an opening balance file.

Compare account trends

1. Open the Account selection menu.
2. Use the checkboxes to select and deselect accounts.
   Selecting multiple accounts allows you to see a trended comparison.
   You can also use the chevrons to expand the account hierarchies. This will allow you to select accounts at a more granular level.
3. Apply your selection(s) to update the graph.
4. You can then choose to view the data by month, by quarter, or by period.

Apply filters

After selecting accounts, you can apply filters for a more granular view.

• If multiple values within the same filter menu are selected, they will be added together.
• If multiple values between different filters are selected, the selections will intersect. 

For example, if the Trend graph is displaying trends of "Revenue and Expenses" and you add a filter for "Region = Ottawa or Toronto", the graph updates to display how the selected accounts intersect with those regions.

Other trends

Additional pivots of this data are available for any additional categories specified in the data. For example, if Program has been specified as an available category, a Trend graph that looks at the account data through the lens of one or more Programs can be created.

The following refers specifically to the Program trends view but the same principles apply to the Fund ID trends, Fund Restriction trends, and Custom trends.

Select a trend

To select the type of trend, use the leftmost menu on the Trends dashboard to make your selection.

Change the view

The graph uses 3 views to display the data:

• Ending Balance*: The balance on the selection at the end of the period.
• Activity: The change-in-value on the selection throughout the period.
• Cumulative year-to-date activity: The cumulative change-in-value on the selection from the start of the year.

*The Ending Balance option is only available if you have imported an ending balance file.

To change the view, use the trends showing menu.

Select accounts

1. Open the Account selection menu.
2. Use the checkboxes to select and deselect accounts.
   Selecting multiple accounts* allows you to see a trended comparison.
   You can also use the chevrons to expand the account hierarchies. This will allow you to select accounts at a more granular level.
3. Apply your selection(s) to update the graph.

*If you select multiple accounts (for example, Direct Costs and Operating Expenses), the Program trend lines display the net of those accounts.

Apply a filter

Apply filters to see a more granular view of your data.

1. Open the filter menu you want to use.
2. Select the appropriate filter(s).
3. Apply the filter(s) to the graph.
   
   

Show adjustments

Use the Adjustments toggle to view or hide ratios with adjusted values.

Available trend views and filters

The views and filters available depend on the library you select, and whether or not custom filters were created during column mapping.

Anything else on your mind? Chat with us or submit a request for further assistance.