Overview
The Selected Cases by Category Over Time calculator shows how the distribution of cases across different categories changes over time periods. This calculator helps you track trends in case classifications and identify patterns in category distributions as cases progress through your process.
Common Uses
- Track how category distributions evolve over time
- Monitor changes in case classifications across different time periods
- Compare category trends across different time frames
- Identify seasonal patterns in case types
- Analyze shifts in workload distribution by category
Settings
Category Attribute: Select the attribute you want to use to categorize cases (e.g., Case Type, Priority, Status, Department).
Date Attribute: Select the date/time attribute that will represent the base for time period calculation (e.g., Case Start Date, Activity Time).
Activity Name: If you selected Activity Time as your Date Attribute, specify which activity's timestamp to use (e.g., first occurrence of "Submit Order").
Activity Selection Type: If using Activity Time, choose whether to use the first or last occurrence of the selected activity in each case.
Over Time Period: Select the time period granularity for analysis (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly).
Aggregate Function: Choose how to aggregate the data:
- Case count: Count the number of cases in each category
- Sum: Sum values from a selected attribute for cases in each category
Value Attribute: If using Sum as the aggregate function, select which numeric attribute to sum.
Example
Analyzing Invoice Status Distribution Over Time
Scenario: You want to track how invoice statuses (Approved, Pending, Rejected) change month by month to identify processing trends.
Settings:
- Category Attribute: Invoice Status
- Date Attribute: Invoice Received Date
- Over Time Period: Monthly
- Aggregate Function: Case count
Output:
The calculator displays a time-series visualization showing:
- Each category as a separate line or stacked area
- X-axis: Time periods (months)
- Y-axis: Case count or sum value
- Clear visual representation of category distribution changes
Insights: You might discover that "Pending" invoices spike at month-end, or that "Rejected" invoices increased after a policy change, helping you identify process improvement opportunities.
Output
The calculator provides visualization options including:
- Stacked area chart: Shows total volume and category proportions
- Line chart: Displays each category as a separate trend line
- Stacked bar chart: Compares category distributions across time periods
- Grid view: Tabular data for detailed analysis
This documentation is part of the mindzie Studio process mining platform.