At Keyrus we are often called upon to migrate our client’s legacy QlikView dashboards to Qlik Sense. They may be looking to modernise their BI platform, or perhaps to take advantage of some of the new features of Qlik Sense. Having been through this process several times, here are some tips on how to make this process run smoothly and add value to your implementations.
Preparation
Before starting the migration process, it is useful to take a look at the current state of play, the as-is implementation.
Usage
Use the QlikView Governance Dashboard
The governance dashboard can help you to compile information on
who is using the existing application
how frequently they are using the application
the sheets they are using and actions they are performing
This can help you to work out what is most important in your app and prioritise your development efforts.
Data
Use the QlikView Document Analyzer
The QlikView Document Analyzer can help you to identify unused fields in your data model. Excluding them in your Qlik Sense implementation will result in a more efficient application.
Consider also whether you can restrict data records. If you have historical fact data, does it all need to be loaded? Might it be possible to load a limited time frame without impacting your users’ day to day analysis requirements?
Can you restrict dimension data, for example where no associated fact records exist? This can be easily achieved using either KEEP statements or EXISTS() conditions in the load script.
Analyse the load script
Ideally, we want an n-tier application model, with logical separation of extract, transform, and dashboard layers.
When looking at the dashboard load script we might want to look to see whether there is business logic being applied. If so, we may want to move this upstream into the transform layer.
Implementation
Reconcile frequently
By performing regular reconciliations, perhaps assisted by some predefined bookmarks, we can tackle any data load issues as they occur.
Rationalise expressions
Use Qlik Sense Master Items, or variables, to define your expressions and share them across visualisations. By doing so, when a change is required, you will only need to make it in a single place. Consider defining variables to define common set analysis expressions and promote their reuse.
Use external resources
Just as with QlikView, library scripts can be useful for sharing common functionality across applications. Typical examples where you might do this are calendar scripts and variable loaders. In some instances, entire load scripts can be stored outside the application and referred to using Include or Must_Include statements. An advantage of doing this is that scripts can be amended, deployed, or reused without having to redeploy the app itself.
Similarly, variables can be stored externally and loaded using a script. Again, this facilitates easy changing of variables without having to redeploy your application.
Final thought
A QlikView to Qlik Sense migration can be a great opportunity to simplify and enhance the performance of your dashboards.