Configure and generate the Descriptive Statistics narrative

First, you'll characterize the dimensions and measures you want to cover in your narrative. Next, you'll select the Descriptive Statistics app and choose the necessary parameters. Then you'll preview the narrative and decide how long you'd like it to be. Finally, you'll generate the narrative with the click of a button.

Note

Refer to the NLG Apps reference for more information on configuring each field of the wizard.

  1. In the Arria add-in, select NLG Apps.

    pbi-select-nlg-apps.png
    pbi-select-nlg-apps-open.png

     

    You can now select and configure an NLG app. You do this in three pages of the NLG App wizard.

    To move between these pages, click Next or Previous at the top of the wizard.

    pbi-next-prev.png

    Note

    On the Select an NLG App page, the next button will not appear until you select an app.

  2. On the Tell me about your data page, in the Profit and Sales fields, change the Entity type to Currency, and in the Unit field enter USD.

    pbi-sales-profit-currency-usd.png

  3. Scroll to the top of the wizard and click Next.

  4. On the Select an NLG App page, select the Descriptive Statistics app.

    pbi-select-descriptive-statistics.png

    Note

    If the data selection and configuration in Step 1 does not meet the requirements for an app, it will be grayed out and unavailable for selection in Step 2, as shown here for the Describe a Pie Chart app:

    pbi-nlg-apps-minimum-requirements.png

    For app-specific data requirements, see the relevant page in the NLG Apps Directory.

  5. Leave the Ranking field set to Let us decide.

  6. At the top of the wizard, click Next.

  7. On the 3. Select narrative length page, select Important things.

    You see a preview of the configured narrative.

    pbi-select-important-things.png

  8. Click Generate Text to see the full narrative.

    pbi-generate-text.png

    Note

    Since the Descriptive Statistics app is configured to use random variation in the narratives it generates, the text you see may differ slightly.

    For example, the following are two variations of the same sentence:

    Overall, Profit across all Segments is $12M.

    The overall Profit across all Segments is $12M.

    You may also notice minor differences in the narratives generated by the Descriptive Statistics, Time-Based Variance and Target-Based Variance apps if you have chosen the Private Cloud or Customer-Hosted deployment options rather than the default Public Cloud option.

  9. To reconfigure a narrative after it has been generated, click the Arria context menu ellipsis icon in the top right corner of the add-in and select NLG Apps.

    pbi-reconfigure-narrative.gif

  10. When you are completely happy with the narrative you have configured, you may wish to copy and paste it into another application such as PowerPoint, Word, or email.

    To copy a narrative, click the Arria Context menu ellipsis icon in the top right corner of the add-in and select Copy Narrative.

    pbi-copy-narrative-apps.gif

    Note

    Narratives can only be pasted into applications that support css styling, such as the Microsoft Office suite.

    To paste as plain text into applications that do not support css styling, first paste into Word, then copy and paste into the application.

 

In the next section, you'll reselect your data and configure the Describe a Pie Chart app.

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