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Reporting Characteristics
Define and manage quality dimensions used across all Data Trust reports.
Overview
Reporting Characteristics allows administrators to define and manage the quality dimensions used in Data Trust reporting. Quality dimensions are the categorical labels (such as Completeness, Conformity, Accuracy) applied when classifying data quality issues. Administrators can edit existing dimensions, delete unused ones, create new ones, and organise them into tabs to match their organisation's data quality framework.
Prerequisites
- You are logged in to Data Trust with an Admin Pro-User role.
- Admin Console access has been granted by your system administrator.
Navigating to Reporting Characteristics
Path: Data Trust › Admin Console › System Preferences › Reporting Characteristics
Figure 1: Admin Console — System Preferences landing page
Access the Admin Console and navigate to System Preferences to find the Reporting Characteristics tile among the available configuration options. The System Preferences page is accessible only to users with an Admin Pro-User role. Scroll through the tile grid if the Reporting Characteristics tile is not immediately visible on your screen.
Figure 2: Reporting Characteristics tile
Click the Reporting Characteristics tile to open the quality dimensions management screen where all platform-level data quality categories are defined. These dimensions are used across all Data Trust reporting modules to classify and measure data quality issues. Changes made here affect every report and dashboard that references quality dimension labels, so plan updates carefully.
Figure 3: Reporting Characteristics main page
The Reporting Characteristics main page lists all currently defined quality dimensions, grouped by tab categories for easier navigation. Each dimension row shows its name, short code, and description, with Edit and Delete action icons on the right. Use the Add button at the top of the page to create new dimensions, or click the + icon to add a new grouping tab.
Editing a Quality Dimension
- Locate the dimension you want to update and click its Edit button.
- Make the required changes and click Update.
Figure 4: Quality Dimensions Edit button
Each quality dimension row has an Edit button at the right side; click it to open the editing dialog for that specific dimension. The Edit button opens a pop-up pre-filled with the current dimension values, making it easy to make targeted updates. Editing a dimension name will update it in all existing reports that reference this dimension, so communicate the change to your reporting users.
Figure 5: Edit Characteristics pop-up
The Edit Characteristics pop-up shows the current name, short code, and description of the selected quality dimension. Update only the fields that require changes; all other fields will retain their existing values. Click Update to save the changes or Cancel to close the pop-up without applying any modifications.
Figure 6: Edit Characteristic — Update button
Click the Update button in the dialog to apply the changes to the quality dimension and save them to the platform. The Update button becomes active only after at least one field value has been modified from its original state. After clicking Update, the dialog closes and the Reporting Characteristics list refreshes to display the new values.
Figure 7: Characteristics updated successfully
A success message confirms the quality dimension has been updated and will appear with the new values in all Data Trust reports immediately. If any existing report filters or groupings are based on the old dimension name, users will need to update their filter selections to match the new name. Notify your reporting users of the change so they can update any saved report configurations that reference the edited dimension.
Deleting a Quality Dimension
- Click the Delete button on the dimension you want to remove.
Figure 8: Conformity Quality Dimension — Delete button
Click the Delete button on the dimension row to initiate the deletion process for that quality dimension. Before clicking Delete, verify that the dimension is not actively used in any running validations, reconciliations, or saved reports. Removing a dimension that is still in use will cause reporting gaps where that dimension was previously applied.
Figure 9: Delete characteristic confirmation pop-up
The deletion confirmation pop-up shows the dimension name and asks you to confirm the action to prevent accidental removal. Dimensions currently referenced by existing reports cannot be deleted until those references are cleared from the reporting configuration. Click Confirm to proceed with deletion or Cancel to return to the Reporting Characteristics list without making changes.
Figure 10: Characteristic deleted successfully
A success confirmation is displayed after the dimension is permanently removed from the platform. The dimension will no longer appear in any report filters, dimension dropdowns, or quality classification dialogs. This action cannot be undone — if the dimension is needed again in the future, it must be recreated manually with the Add function.
Adding a New Quality Dimension
- Click the Add button at the top of the Reporting Characteristics page.
Figure 11: Add button for new characteristic
The Add button at the top of the Reporting Characteristics page opens a dialog to define a new quality dimension that will be available across all reporting modules. New dimensions become selectable in Data Trust's data quality classification interfaces as soon as they are saved. Establish a naming convention before adding new dimensions to ensure consistency with your organisation's data quality framework.
Figure 12: Add Characteristic pop-up
The Add Characteristic pop-up requires you to enter a unique dimension name, a short code (used in exported reports), and an optional description. The short code should be brief — typically two to five characters — and must not duplicate any existing short code in the list. Click Save to create the dimension; it will appear immediately in the characteristics list under the currently selected tab.
Figure 13: Characteristic created successfully
A success message confirms that the new quality dimension has been created and is now available for use in all Data Trust reports and quality classification workflows. Switch to the appropriate tab on the Reporting Characteristics page to verify the new dimension appears in the correct grouping. If the dimension was created in the wrong tab, use the Edit function to reassign it or delete it and recreate it under the correct tab.
Managing Characteristic Tabs
Quality dimensions can be grouped into tabs to reflect different quality frameworks or reporting views.
- Click the + icon to add a new tab.
- Use the Edit and Delete icons on the tab to rename or remove it.
Figure 14: New tab plus icon
Click the + icon adjacent to the existing tabs on the Reporting Characteristics page to create a new grouping tab. Tabs are used to organise quality dimensions into logical categories that reflect your organisation's data quality framework. A new tab dialog will appear after clicking the + icon, prompting you to enter a name for the category.
Figure 15: New characteristic tab pop-up
Enter a descriptive name for the new tab in the dialog field provided; this name will appear as the tab label on the Reporting Characteristics page. Choose a name that clearly reflects the grouping purpose — for example, a data quality framework category name or a business domain. Click Create to confirm the tab name and add it to the tab bar.
Figure 16: Creating the new tab
After entering the tab name, click Create to save it; the new tab appears immediately on the Reporting Characteristics page and is ready to be populated with quality dimensions. Newly created tabs are empty by default — use the Add button to create dimensions assigned to this tab, or edit existing dimensions to reassign them. Tab order can be adjusted by dragging the tabs if your version of Data Trust supports reordering.
Figure 17: Reporting characteristic tab created successfully
A success toast confirms the new tab has been created and is now available on the Reporting Characteristics page for organising quality dimensions. Click the new tab to navigate to it and begin adding quality dimensions to this category. Any dimensions assigned to this tab will appear exclusively under it in reporting dropdowns and classification interfaces.
Figure 18: Edit and Delete icons on a characteristic tab
Each tab provides an Edit icon to rename it and a Delete icon to remove it, making it easy to reorganise the quality dimension taxonomy over time. Renaming a tab updates the label in all reporting interfaces immediately without affecting the dimensions it contains. Deleting a tab that still contains dimensions will prompt a warning — reassign or delete those dimensions first to proceed with tab removal.
Figure 19: Menu icon for additional tab actions
The menu icon on the Reporting Characteristics page provides additional bulk actions for managing the quality dimension list, such as bulk reordering or exporting the full dimension set. Use this menu when you need to perform actions that apply to multiple dimensions at once rather than editing them individually. Familiarise yourself with all available menu options before making bulk changes to avoid unintentional modifications to the quality taxonomy.