Core Workflows

Explore Before Analysis

Use Explore to clarify scope, source fit, and analysis intent before launching a deeper DashboardGenius answer.

4 min readUpdated Aug 6, 2026

Explore Before Analysis

Explore is a fast scoping mode for shaping a better question before running a full analysis.

Use it when you know the business problem, but you are not yet sure which source, grain, timeframe, metric, or product language DashboardGenius should use.

Explore, Quick answer, and Full analysis

Use Explore when:

  • the question is broad or still forming
  • you are not sure which connected source is best
  • a business term may map to several fields, products, customers, or reports
  • you want DashboardGenius to suggest a sharper full-analysis prompt
  • you need quick source awareness before spending time on a deep answer

Use Quick answer when:

  • the question is clear and focused
  • one connected source is likely enough
  • you want the fastest grounded lookup or summary
  • you are comfortable switching to Full analysis if broader checks are needed

Use Full analysis when:

  • the request needs multiple sources or deeper root-cause work
  • you need the strongest available checking and repair path
  • you are ready for charts, exports, sharing, or scheduled follow-up

Explore is not a lighter final-answer mode. It is an intake and scoping step that helps the full analysis start in the right place.

What Explore Produces

An Explore response can include:

  • likely source or source-family fit
  • quick findings about available context
  • clarification questions
  • suggested follow-up questions
  • an Analysis Brief
  • a generated prompt for the deeper Run Analysis step, which uses Full analysis

The Analysis Brief is the main handoff. It summarizes the intended goal, likely source, target grain, timeframe, filters, assumptions, and open caveats so the next analysis is more focused.

When Explore Helps Most

Explore is strongest for questions like:

  • "I want to understand why margin is down."
  • "Can we look at inventory risk for club-store orders?"
  • "Which source should I use for this weekly production review?"
  • "I want to analyze a product family, but I am not sure what it is called in the data."
  • "What is the best way to compare demand, schedule, and inventory for next week?"

These questions often need scope clarification before the final analysis can be trusted.

How to Use Explore

  1. Switch the chat mode to Explore.
  2. Describe the operating problem in plain language.
  3. Answer any clarification question if DashboardGenius asks one.
  4. Review the Analysis Brief when it appears.
  5. Click Run Analysis when the brief matches what you want.

The deeper analysis runs in the same conversation, so the scoping work stays attached to the final answer.

Good Explore Prompts

Useful Explore prompts sound like analyst intake:

  • "Explore the best way to analyze late orders by product family."
  • "Help me scope a question about production versus demand for next week's schedule."
  • "Which connected source should answer customer-margin questions?"
  • "I need to understand inventory risk, but I am not sure whether to start with orders, inventory, or schedule."

You do not need the perfect prompt. The point is to get to the right prompt faster.

What Not to Use Explore For

Use Quick answer or Full analysis directly instead of Explore when you already know the exact question:

  • "Show downtime by line yesterday."
  • "Trend reject rate by product family for the last 30 days."
  • "Create a bar chart of output by shift last week."

Start with Quick for a focused lookup. Choose Full when the request is cross-source, high-stakes, or needs a deeper review. Explore may still help if the scope or terminology is unclear.

Team Habits

Teams get the most value from Explore when they use it before expensive or ambiguous work:

  • new data source rollouts
  • first-time questions from a new user
  • cross-source workflows
  • product, customer, or SKU terminology questions
  • recurring meeting prompts that need to become standardized

Once a strong prompt emerges, save it as a team pattern, widget input, or scheduled-report question where appropriate.

Common Mistakes

Treating Explore as the final answer

Explore helps shape the question. Run Analysis when the team needs the actual operational answer.

Ignoring the Analysis Brief

Read the brief before launching. If the source, timeframe, or grain is wrong, correct it while still in Explore.

Asking a huge question with no business goal

Even in Explore, state the operating decision you are trying to support. "Help me scope next week's shortage risk review" is more useful than "look at inventory."

Next Guide

Continue with How to Ask Better Questions in DashboardGenius.