Filtering in QPR ProcessAnalyzer

Filters define a subset of cases, events, and objects in the model, e.g., certain region or time period. Filter consists of a list of filter rules, that are criteria defining which cases/events/objects are included and which are excluded from the resulting dataset. Filters are very powerful feature in QPR ProcessAnalyzer, because any filter can be applied to any analysis and chart.

Filter consists of one or several filter rules, which are applied in the defined order starting from the leftmost. The evaluation order matters in some rules, because the rule is evaluated to the eventlog that is the result of the previous rule evaluation. For example, if excluding event types, number of events in cases change, and thus subsequent filter rules may match do different cases.

Filter excludes a case/event/object, if there is a single filter rule that excludes the case/event/object (i.e., there is an AND type of logic between the filter rules). Filtering functionality is described in more detail in the concepts section.

Object counts indicator

The object counts indicator shows the object counts for the currently active model and filter. There is both shown the count in the entire model and the count in the filter. If not filter is selected, both counts are equal. Hovering the object counts gives more information by showing the exact counts.

Clicking the object counts indicator toggles between diffent counts as follows: case count, event count, variation count, event type count, and flows count. After the flows count, the case count appears again. Clicking the object counts indicator with the Ctrl key pressed will toggle the counts in the reverse direction.

For object-centric models, the object counts indicator isn't shown when a perspective hasn't been configured. This is because the objects count indicator is designed for case-centric eventlogs, so for object-centric models they only work through a perspective.

Saving filters

You can save the set of filter rules that are in the header, so that they can be retrieved easily. Filter are saved to the model that is currently open. Saving is done by hovering the mouse over the filter dropdown menu (without clicking) and choosing Save as new filter. There must be at least one filter rule available to be able to save the filter. This will prompt a pop-up window where you can name your filter.

You can also set the Privacy mode as follows:

• Private: Filter is available only for you, and other users cannot see the filter. All users are able to create private filters.
• Public: When a filter is published, it's available for all users of the model. The creator user and model administrators can change the public filter and unpublish it.
• Default Public: Filter is the default filter of the model (and it's also public). The default filter is selected automatically when the model is opened in the Process Discovery. Note that custom dashboards contain a specific filter, so usually the default filter doesn't matter in custom dashboards. Only one filter can be the default filter of the model, and when setting a filter as default, the previous default filter is changed to public.

It's also possible to define a description for the filter on the Description tab.

Turning off filter rules

It's possible to turn off (disable) individual filter rules in a filter. When a filter rule is turned off, it's not applied, i.e. it doesn't have any effect on the calculation. The turned off filter rule is still preserved as part of the filter, and it's thus easy to turn the filter rule on again. This way, filter rules can be toggled on and off without removing them.

Filter actions

There are several actions available for the stored filters, accessed by opening the filters list, hovering the mouse over a filter and clicking on the three dots. There are following actions available:

• Properties: Open filter properties dialog, where the filter name, privacy mode, description, and filter rules can be modified. Also the perspective for the object-centric filters can be modified.
• Duplicate: Create a copy of this filter. The copy is always initially a private filter regardless of the original filter's privacy mode.
• Delete: Delete the filter permanently.
• Replace: Replace the rules of this filter with the currently active filter rules in the dashboard header.
• Create model: Creates a new model containing cases and events that are in this filter. New model and cases/events datatables are created to the same project. This action is only available for Snowflake case-centric models.
• Export: Export the rules of this filter to a file (in JSON format).
• Import: Import filter rules from a JSON file and replace the rules of this filter.

You can also press the Export button in the bottom of the filters menu that will export the currently active filter rules to a JSON file (regardless whether any stored filter is selected or not). When pressing the Import in the bottom of the filters menu, the currently active filter rules are replaced with the rules imported from a file. This will not change any stored filter in the model.

Event type mapping for filter rules

For the Snowflake models, the following filter rule types have Event type mapping selection available:

• Cases Flowing Through
• First Event in Case
• Last Event in Case
• Variations

The Event type mapping determines which event attribute is used as the event type for the filter rule. The event type mapping also has the <model default> option available which uses the event type defined in the model settings dialog. Only textual event attributes can be used as the mapping (excluding the column used as the case ID).

For example, the organization unit performing the event can be used as the event type mapping, allowing the following kinds of filtering:

• Cases Flowing Through: Show cases where a specific organization unit is involved.
• First Event in Case: Show cases where the first event is performed by a specific organization unit.
• Last Event in Case: Show cases where the last event is performed by a specific organization unit.
• Variations: Show cases where the chain of organization units processing the case is according to a specific variation.

Filter rule types

For case-centric models

When creating a new filter the following filter rule types are available:

• Cases by Case Attribute: Select cases having specific case attribute values.
• Cases by Event Attribute: Select cases having one or several events with specific event attribute values.
• Cases with Specific Events: Select cases having one or several specific types of events.
• Cases Flowing Through: Select cases having specific flow (i.e., direct transition between specific types of events).
• First Event in Case: Select cases starting with specific event.
• Last Event in Case: Select cases ending to specific event.
• Case IDs: Select cases with specific case ID's.
• Variations: Select cases belonging the specific variations.
• Events by Attribute: Select events having specific events attribute values. This filter rule type is available in Snowflake.
• Events by Type: Select events having specific events types.

For object-centric model

When creating a new filter the following filter rule types are available:

• Objects by Case Attribute: Select objects having specific case attribute values.
• Objects by Event Attribute: Select objects having one or several events with specific event attribute values.
• Objects with Specific Events: Select objects having one or several specific types of events.
• Objects Flowing Through: Select objects having specific flow (i.e., direct transition between specific types of events).
• First Event in Object: Select objects starting with specific event.
• Last Event in Object: Select objects ending to specific event.
• Object IDs: Select objects with specific case ID's.

Filter rules can be created for the dashboard (i.e., applied to all charts in the dashboard) by clicking the blue plus button in the header, or to specific charts in the chart settings in the Filter tab. When running the root causes analysis, the root causes criteria is also selected similar to filter rules.