BillSands
by
Emerging Contributor

Business Analyst is all about combining data with maps. So why, in Business Analyst Online, is the data so hard to find, edit and manage?
Instead of the "Add data" button, there should be a "Manage data" button. This brings up a new window. In the new window there should be sections like Variables, Custom Variables and Add data.

  1. Variables - this should be where you manage your variables that have been added - adjusting the source data, usage accreditation, vintage, 
  2. Custom variables - This should be a proper custom variable manager, where you can categorise the custom variables, adjust, and add new custom variables
  3. Add data - just like you do at the moment - add/import new data sets

I just don't understand why a data centric software should make is SO difficult to get to the data variables and adjust them.

Comments
SusanZwillinger2
Emerging Contributor
‎03-13-2025 08:28 AM
‎03-13-2025 08:28 AM

Yes, it would be great if we could have a shortcut that would take us directly to the Data Browser instead of having to go through the Enrich Layer tool.

Something like this?

SusanZwillinger2_2-1741879211500.png

You can see that I can add the Enrich Layer tool as a shortcut when I customize the Ribbon, but the "Add Variables From Data Browser" is grayed out and not accessible from the ribbon.

If we open the Enrich Layer tool, then we can get to the Data Browser, but it is an extra click to here:

SusanZwillinger2_1-1741878837524.png

The Data Browser window already gives us the ability to load custom sdcx layers with custom variables that we have already created and we can already save our variable lists in this window.  If you haven't already used "Add To Favorites", "Add to Project", and "Add To New Projects" option from your Catalog Panel, these are great options to auto load your custom variable lists, geodatabases, folders, etc. This makes it easy to "re-use" your custom sdcx layers in multiple projects.

SusanZwillinger2_3-1741879549018.png

 

BillSands
Emerging Contributor
‎03-13-2025 10:37 AM
‎03-13-2025 10:37 AM

@SusanZwillinger2 it's interesting to see how it looks in Business Analyst, and that there is still this level of chaos with regard to organisation.

My post is specifically about Business Analyst Online, but apparently applies to Business Analyst too.

SusanZwillinger2
Emerging Contributor
‎03-13-2025 11:52 AM
‎03-13-2025 11:52 AM

Ah, yes, I skipped over the reference to BAO in your initial idea, but for sure, your idea applies to both.😊