SPS works to continuously improve our products so that we can help our customers optimize their performance through data and insights. Comparing product performance by sales channel is critical for suppliers doing business in an omnichannel world. A new SPS defined & maintained location attribute has been added to all Performance Analytics (Supplier) customer environments to assist in comparing where the end-consumer made their purchase. This new information will be represented as the location attribute SPS_Location_Type.
SPS_Location_Type will be available for all Power Users in any ad-hoc (custom) reports as well as an available attribute in all Best Practice Dashboards.
✋🏻 Dashboard & Alert Users will only have access to SPS_Location_Type by replacing an available attribute in any data grid.
Topics covered in this article (click to navigate):
Available Location Type Values
The most common activity and values for SPS_Location_Type are:
Internet - Activity from e-commerce and digital marketplaces
Store - Activity from physical locations (Brick & Mortar)
Some retailers provide additional location types relevant to their suppliers. These are defined by the retailer and may include:
Closed (closed store)
Converted Store
Corporate Location
Distribution Center
Furniture Division
Invalid Store Number
Miscellaneous
Other
Pool Stock
Return to Vendor
Temporary Store Number
Warehouse
📄 Accessing in Custom Reports
To access SPS_Location_Type from a new ad-hoc (custom) report:
On the Performance Analytics homepage, select either the Create button or Create Report tile icon.
After selecting the report style and making any pre-prompt selections you will be brought to the Design Mode. In the lower left-hand corner, select the All Objects folder to access all available attributes and metrics.
The new location type can be accessed with all other location attributes from the Report Objects side panel in the Location subfolder of the Performance Analytics Attributes folder.
Double click on the attribute to populate into the report or click and drag into the position you wish to place the attribute.
Continue to add all desired report objects and click on the Run Report icon (Outlined in red) in the toolbar when finished to view your report.
The new location attribute will populate and can be formatted as needed with all other report objects. When complete, save the report from the File drop-down menu by selecting Save or Save As.
✏️ For additional help and training on report creation, see our Training Resources below.
📊 Accessing in Best Practice Dashboards
SPS_Location_Type will not be prepopulated into any default data grid or visualization in the available Best Practice Dashboards. The attribute can be leveraged within any Best Practice Dashboard by adding or replacing it as a new attribute, adding as a visualization, or as a drill-down filter.
To add SPS_Location_Type as an attribute to any available data grid:
✋🏻This is a function only available to Power Users.
From the View drop-down menu select the Datasets Panel to expose the available attributes and metrics for the dashboard.
Locate the SPS_Location_Type attribute from the Datasets panel to drag and drop into the intended grid and position.
When all changes are complete, save a copy of the dashboard from the File drop-down menu by selecting Save or Save As.
To replace a default attribute with SPS_Location_Type in a data grid:
💡This feature is available to All users.
Locate the attribute intended to be replaced by SPS_Location_Type and right-click on the header for the attribute category. From the pop-up menu, select SPS_Location_Type from the list within the Replace With.
To add SPS_Location_Type as a drop-down filter in a dashboard:
✋🏻This is a function only available to Power Users.
Click on the green button (shown below) at the top of a dashboard to create a new filter.
From the View drop-down menu select the Datasets Panel to expose the available attributes and metrics for the dashboard.
Locate SPS_Location_Type from the Datasets panel and drag it into the filter box where it says, "Drag objects here".
Select the grids within the dashboard tab for the filter to target by clicking on the button Select Target and then click the header for all grids and visualizations for the filter to drill down.
To change the filter display style, click on the menu button of the filter and choose the desired option in the Display Style menu.
The filter can be dragged and placed in any desired position within the dashboard tab. Be sure to save any changes as a copy of the dashboard under the File drop-down menu with Save or Save As.
✏️ For additional help and training on building dashboards, see our Training Resources below.
🎓Additional Resources
For additional help on leveraging the new location attribute SPS_Location_Type, the following resources are available to all SPS Analytics users.
Training Center
All SPS Analytics customers have access to the Training Center library. Click on the Graduation Cap icon in the upper right-hand corner from your Analytics portal homepage to access your account.
Within the Recorded Webinars section of the Performance Analytics - Supplier course there are two sets of webinar recordings that will provide additional information on building and customizing reports & dashboards in Performance Analytics.
Report Building Recorded Webinar Parts 1 & 2
Dashboard Building Recorded Webinar Parts 1 & 2
Live Webinars with SPS Trainers
The Training & Education team at SPS Commerce hosts free webinars every week to all SPS Analytics customers! There are two levels of webinars offered for both Collaboration Analytics and Performance Analytics (An introductory 100 level and a more advanced 200 level).
For assistance on report creation and leveraging the new location attribute, register for the session, SPS Performance Analytics 200 - Report Building, from your Analytics homepage Training section (Outlined in red below).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this new SPS Location Type?
This is an SPS defined and maintained attribute that helps you understand where your end-consumer purchased your product, often through the internet or store channel.
Will my Best Practice Dashboards have the SPS Location Type attribute?
SPS_Location_Type will be available to all Best Practice Dashboards, but will not be included in any data grid or visualization by default. To learn how to include the new location attribute into your Best Practice Dashboards, refer to the resources in this article by clicking here.
Why?
SPS works to continuously improve our product to help you increase sales and optimize your business performance through data and insights.
How is this data available?
SPS gathers location data from retailers and labels it with a consistent location description to help you analyze your sales and inventory data by channel.
Who do I contact if the location type doesn’t align with my definitions?
Please contact your SPS account representative or our Analytics Support team:
✉️ AnalyticsSupport@spscommerce.com
SPS Analytics Support
If you have any additional questions regarding the new location type or any Analytics questions, please reach out to our Analytics Support team at the contact information below:
☎️ 888-739-3232, option 2