Conference Data Plus a New UI in Ready Reports – A Q&A on MTM 8.2 with Product Manager Eric Matson

MTM 8.2 represents a considerable update to the Metrics That Matter (MTM) offering, with a substantial focus on facilitating reporting related to the Conference module.

Most notably, this version will bring the kind of easy access to Conference data that is now present in Dashboards and Data Explorer to MTM’s Ready Reports. In addition, this release will deliver a new and improved UI for Ready Reports, as well as improvements in Dashboard sharing and much more.

What’s new in MTM 8.2?

In this Q&A, MTM Product Manager Eric Matson will guide us through the new aspects of MTM 8.2 and the improved functionality and ease-of-use it delivers for users, including:

• Newly available Conference data in Ready Reports
• New Ready Report UI
• New Conference Performance Report
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) Distribution in Key Metrics Report
• Near real-time data refresh in all Ready Reports

Q. Can you take us through these enhancements, Eric?

Eric: Certainly, as this is a big release! We’re excited to announce that the focus of MTM 8.2 will largely be on Conference reporting in Ready Reports. So what does that mean in practice?

Well, just as was recently carried out with the inclusion of Conference data in Dashboards and Data Explorer (MTM 8.0), this means that clients who utilize the Conferences module will be able to use the existing Ready Report library to monitor their Conference performance, alongside their existing class performance data. This will offer a more useful and unified option for users regardless of how the learning was conducted.

Q. So how would this impact a user in a practical sense – for example if they wished to run a report?

Eric: Essentially, this means if utilize Conferences and you run, for example, an Executive Summary Report, or if you have one scheduled, it will include all three event types by default. Users can optionally filter by Event Type to ensure the right information is going to the right audiences, just like in Dashboards and Data Explorer.

Q. Keeping the focus on these changes to the Ready Reports, what else is being added with this version update?

Eric: To better accommodate these changes and additional information, several new options are now available when working with Ready Reports, such as fields specific to Conferences in the Data Extract Report – which extends this new access to Conference data to MTM’s export capabilities.

A new Ready Report is also available – the ‘Conference Performance Report’, which reports on both overall conference and individual session performance. Our goal with this was to make it easier to compare the individual sessions, while also making a more complete analysis. This is really the report for you if you’re interested in an entire conference’s performance, including question category and question level breakdown.

For even better visibility, with MTM 8.2, users will be able to view the distribution of Promoters, Passives, and Detractors, compared to the benchmark, when running the Key Metrics report.

Finally, we’ve improved the refresh speed for the Report Card and Key Metrics Report in MTM 8.2.0, meaning near real-time availability of data across the complete Reporting Suite.

Q. These are considerable improvements, but will there be any change visible to users who do not use the Conference module?

Eric: Yes, one of the most evident will be that the ‘Class’ definition in Ready Reports has now been changed to “Event”, in order to better reflect the access to all kinds of learning events that is now supported, including classes, conferences, and sessions. It should be pointed out that this is now the case for all MTM users, not just those with the Conference module.

Q. How Has the Ready Report User Interface (UI) been updated to accommodate these changes?

Eric: All Ready Reports are getting a new UI, with a major focus in this new presentation being on improved usability.  I would characterize the new look and feel as both more modern looking and delivering improved accessibility. This is a a taste of the future, as we proceed towards standardizing the MTM reporting experience.  

The UI will feature new advisory information, that indicates potential uses to clients when viewing report options. This will better indicate next steps and useful ways these reports can be applied. It’s important to note that things may look different, but all the same data will be there – things will simply be more dynamic in their presentation.

Q. Are there any other client-requested changes in MTM 8.2 that will improve the overall MTM experience?

Eric: Other new features include expanding the who has the ability to access Dashboard Templates and share their own dashboards. Additional user types have expressed interest in especially sharing dashboards, and we’re happy to be able to facilitate that with this latest release. This opens access to all reporting users and can optionally be granted to instructors at the request of their Admins.

Q: Can you provide a couple of highlights around the MTM 8.1.3 working experience?

Eric: There were lots of highlights related to the 8.2 working experience, including that first time we saw the new Ready Report UI generate in QA. However, one of the most exciting parts was completing our Reach Goal for the release – the inclusion of Net Promoter Distribution in the Key Metrics Report. From UX who concepted a brand new visual to DevOps who were able to implement it in just a few sprints, it thrilling to be able to deliver additional user value beyond what we had planned.

 I’d like to send my appreciation to everyone who helped with this release for their hard work and achievement delivering 8.2.0, but in particular I would like to thank:

• UX Design – Arnaud Friedel
• Product Management: Lisa Carrano
• MTM DevOps – Akshaya Prathivathi, Abdul Rahman, Balaji Kothandapani, Barath Ramakrishnan, Dinesh Nagamuthu , Jai Surya Senthilkumar, Kesavan Rajendran, Manjunathan Ramanathan, Nithya Sabapathy, Neelakantan Narayanan, Pugal Selvaraj, Ravishankar Rajappa, Raphael Gera, Satheesh Ramani, Sriram Gunasingh, Swetha Manickavasagam, Thangadurai Subramani
• Community Engagement & Learning Center – Erika Cost, Gwen Tracy

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About Eric

Eric Matson is lead product manager, MTM at Explorance. An experienced agile product owner, he has a passion for technology, transportation, and urbanism, primarily where these intersect to make our lives easier. Based in Chicago, he has been an Explorer for over two years, leading feature development and retirement related to Metrics that Matters (MTM).