The purpose of this document is to guide users, especially Architects, Platform Owners and Executives, in utilizing the Executive view within the Quality Clouds platform. It explains how to monitor the quality of your platform including your best practices, org inventory and your team.
Description #
What is the Executive view? #
- Platforms available: ServiceNow, Salesforce and Office365.
- Users that have access: Normal user, Customer Admin, and Project user.
The ServiceNow Executive view displays high-level details of your instance, spread across four different tabs: Overview, best practices, the organization’s inventory, and team.
It shows the relevant information across the following tabs:
- Overview: quality metrics about your code. It also shows the issues classified by severity and impact area.
- Best practices: best practices and rules that apply to your instance and the resulting issues
- Inventory: composition of your org after the first scan and then monitor the progression of changes to the org.
- Team: information about your teams and team members, check the productivity and code quality.
What data is shown #
In each tab, data can be displayed using two different ways: numerical representation and graphical visualization.
On the left-hand side, a list of widgets presents various metrics, each offering specific information about the performance on the QC platform.
On the right-hand side, you can see the information presented with bar graphs, pie charts, trends, and grids. The information displayed can be filtered by differents elements.
1. Overview tab #
What’s on the Overview tab #
- Quality of Cloud
- Issues
- Technical Debt
- Lines of code scanned
- Ratio of CEs with issues
- Configuration elements
Quality Of Cloud #
Widget
The Quality of Cloud shows indication of the overall health of your instance. Healthy instances range between 80% and 100%. Those between 70% and 80% need a close monitoring about further developments. A percentage below the 70% figure means that the cloud needs remediation work. See more in Quality of Cloud indicator.
Graph
The graph show you the Quality of Cloud by Impact area and the penalties by Impact Area. It provides information on which area is most impacted by the issues of the instance.
Issues #
In the Issues section, you can see the information on issues detected on the platform, its breakdown, evolution and details.
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Severity
- Impact Area
- Issue Type
- Application
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another data view.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- total number of issues of all severities detected in the last scan (each issue is a single non-compliance with best practice)
- the % variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the issue information from the previous scan
- the number of issues that have been written off
- the issue number according to the baseline ruleset. See more about baseline
- the benchmark
- the number of issues reported for custom rules
- the number of issues reported for ServiceNow rules
- the number of issues reported for Data Privacy rules
Graphs
- Issues by Severity: Here you can compare which issue severity is the most common.
- Issues by Impact Area: Here you can check which area is most impacted by issues.
→ How to use the graphics?
Hover over the pie selection to see how many issues make up each severity. You can also click on a pie’s part to go to issue details for this severity.
Trend
See the Issues over time and issues open at scan date.
Grid
See the list of all the issues detected by a given scan. You can sort the table columns to see, for example, the High (Severity) issues for Security (Impact Area). You can also sort the table columns to see which issues had been written off already.
Technical Debt #
The Technical debt section shows you information on the implied cost in hours of development effort needed to solve the issues/violations detected in the platform due to non-adherence to best practices and changes to the out-of-the-box functionality.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the current technical debt
- the % variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the technical debt information from the previous scan
- the Global technical debt (TD) which shows the technical debt including all non-coding activities, such as analysis, project management, testing and release management
- the technical debt according to the baseline ruleset. See more about baseline
- the benchmark
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Severity
- Impact Area
- Issue Type
- Application
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Graph – Technical debt by Issue Type
The graph shows you the the top 10 issues and their impact on issues and technical debt.
Hover over each line to see the exact number of issues and the technical debt in hours for each issue, as well as it’s impact and remediation you can do.
Trend – Technical debt over time
See the relation between issues and technical debt as progressing over time.
Grid
See the list of all the issue types detected by a given scan together with the number of hours of technical debt, exact number of issues, its impact and remediation.
Lines of code scanned #
In the Lines of code scanned section you can see the information about total number of lines of code analyzed in the last scan.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of lines of code scanned in the given scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the benchmark
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- CE Type
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Trend – Lines of code scanned over time #
See the progression of lines of code scanned over time.
Grid #
Here you can see the lines of code scanned for each scan.
Ratio of CEs with issues #
The Ratio of CEs with issues is the ratio of Configuration Elements (CEs) affected by one or more issues, and it shows how easy it would be to do remediation. High ratio means that the issues are all over the code which means it will be difficult to remediate. Low ratio means that issues are concentrated, which, in turn, makes them easy to rework.
The Ratio of CEs with issues section shows the information about the ratio.
Widget #
The widget shows the following details:
- the ratio in the given scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the benchmark
Trend – issues and ratio of CEs with issues over time #
See the relation between issues and the ratio as progressing over time.
Grid #
Here you can see the ratio and issues for each scan.
Configuration elements #
Configuration elements are any object or component which Quality Clouds scans, such as an ‘Apex class’ or ‘custom object’ in Salesforce.
The Configuration elements section shows all the CE information.
Widget #
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of all configuration elements in the given scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the benchmark
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- CE Type
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Trend – configuration elements over time #
See the progression of the number of configuration elements scanned over time.
Grid #
Here you can see the exact number of configuration elements scanned for each scan.
2. Best Practices tab #
Here you can check the best practices and rules that apply to your instance and the resulting issues.
| Best practice | A standard to follow for optimal platform quality. |
| Rule | A Quality Clouds definition of best practice which contains the resulting issue severity, the area it is impacting, associated technical debt and the remediation. |
| Issue | Non-compliance with a best practice/rule. |
What’s on the Best Practices tab #
- Number of best practices
- Data privacy
- Issue breakdown
Number of best practices #
Here you can see the total number of rules that are applied to the last platform scan.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the total number of rules that are applied to the last platform scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the number of ignored rules
- the number of customized rules
- the number of added rules
- the total number of rules in the baseline ruleset. See more about baseline
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Severity
- Impact Area
- Issue Type
- Application
- Developer
- Issue Id
- CE type
- Written off
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Graph – Number of issues by Issue Type
Here you can check which rules generate most issues.
Grid
Here you can see the exact list of issues for each scan.
Data privacy #
Shows you the information related to your data privacy. All the issues detected here are impacting Security.
A data privacy (or GDPR) issues are raised whenever a matching PII keyword is found in code or field or table names. See more in GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) best practices.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of all issues detected for data privacy
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the number of issues with sensitive data (such as home address or email address)
- the number of issues with extra-sensitive data (such as race, religion, gender or credit card number)
- the number of issues with private data
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Severity
- Impact Area
- Issue Type
- Application
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Trend – data privacy issues over time
See the progression of the number of GDPR issues detected over time.
Grid
Here you can see the exact list of GDPR issues detected for each scan.
Issue breakdown #
The Issue breakdown section is an informative section that shows you the details of all issues distributed into three main categories: Apex ,Java script and org config issues.
This is not an interactive section.
Widget #
The widget shows the following details for each breakdown category (ServiceNow and JavaScript):
- the number of all issues detected for in the current scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the issue information from the previous scan
- the visual trend showing the progress over time
3. Inventory tab #
Here you can see the composition of your org.
Use this tab to review your org after the first scan and then monitor the progression of changes to the org.
What’s on the Inventory tab
- Applications
- Lines of code
- Configuration elements
- Open source libraries
- Issues
Applications #
The applications section shows you the information about applications installed or developed in your instance.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the total number of all applications in your org
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the application information from the previous scan
- the trend of applications over time
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Sort (descendant and ascendant)
- Top (select between top 15, top 30, top 50 and all)
- Application Type (Custom- for the applications developed in house, Platform- for applications delivered with ServiceNow or its plugins)
- Application (depending on the applications you have)
- CE Type
- OOTB modifications (select yes or no)
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Graphs – CE by Application
Hover over the graph to see the number of configuration elements by Application.
Graphs – CE by Application Type
Here you can check how many CEs are in the platform and how are custom.
Trend – configuration elements by application type over time
See the progression of the number of configuration elements scanned over time.
Grid
Here you can see the exact list of all CEs for each of your applications.
Lines of code #
In the Lines of code section you can see the information about total number of lines of code in applications in the last scan.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of lines of code scanned in the given scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the number of lines of code from the previous scan
- the number of lines of code in active configuration elements
- the number of lines of code in inactive configuration elements
- the visual trend of lines of code over time
Graph – lines of code by CE type
Shows you the division of the number of lines of code between the configuration element types. You can filter these by application.
Grid
Here you can see the exact lines of code scanned for each developed application.
Configuration elements #
Configuration elements are any object or component which Quality Clouds scans, such as an ‘Apex class’ or ‘custom object’ in Salesforce.
The Configuration elements section shows all the CE information.
Widget #
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of all configuration elements in the given scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the number of configuration elements from the previous scan
- the visual trend of configuration elements over time
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Application (depending on the applications you have)
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Trend – configuration elements by type
See the progression of the number of configuration elements scanned over time and divided by type.
Grid
Here you can see the exact number of configuration elements by type scanned for each scan.
Open source libraries #
The Open source libraries shows the open-source JavaScript libraries detected in the instance. Loosing visibility on installed libraries or not updating them properly exposes your instance to risks.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of all open source libraries detected in the scan
Grid
Here you can see the exact details of the downloaded libraries, including library name and version.
Issues #
In the Issues section, you can see the information on issues detected on the platform, its breakdown, evolution and details.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- total number of issues of all severities detected in the last scan (each issue is a single non-compliance with best practice)
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the issue information from the previous scan
- the visual trend of issues over time
Chart – Issues by Application
The chart shows you a list of application and their corresponding issues.
Graph – Issues by Application Type
Hover over the pie selection to see how many issues make up each application and package type. You can check which package type has the most issues.
Grid
See the list of all the issues detected by a given scan. You can sort the table columns to see, for example, the High (Severity) issues for Security (Impact Area).
4. Team tab #
Here you can see the information about your teams and team members, check the productivity and code quality.
What’s on the Team tab
- Active developers
- Productivity
- Issues and warnings
- Inventory
- Code quality
Active developers #
In the Active developers section, you can see the information on your developer and non-developer team members.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the total number of developers on the team
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Severity
- Impact Area
- Issue Type
- Application
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Trend – Issues and number of developers over time
The graphs show you the relation between the number of developers and the number of issues detected in the platform.
Grid
See the list of all the team members and their contribution to the platform.
Open each developer to see the details by application and by CE.
Productivity #
Productivity is defined by Quality Clouds as the number of CEs created by developer.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the average productivity per developer
- the total number of CEs
- the visual trend of productivity over time
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Sort (descendant and ascendant)
- Top (select between top 15, top 30, top 50 and all)
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Chart – Number of CEs created by developer (productivity)
See the productivity comparison for all developer users.
Grid #
See the list of all the team members and their contribution to the platform.
Issues and warnings #
In the Issues and warnings section, you can see the information on issues and warnings detected on the platform, its breakdown, evolution and details.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- total number of issues and warnings of all severities detected in the last scan (each issue is a single non-compliance with best practice)
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the issue information from the previous scan
- the warnings number from the previous scan
- the information without issues that have been written off
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Sort (descendant and ascendant)
- Top (select between top 15, top 30, top 50 and all)
- Severity
- Impact Area
- Issue Type
- Application
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Graph – Issues and warnings by developer
Here you can compare which developer created the most issues.
Hover over the pie selection to see how many issues were created by each developer.
Trend – Open issues at scan date
See the Issues over time and issues open at scan date.
Grid
See the list of all the issues and warnings detected by a given scan. You can sort the table columns to see, for example, the High (Severity) issues for Security (Impact Area).
Inventory #
In the Inventory section you can see the information about total number of lines of code in applications in the last scan.
Widget
The widget shows the following details:
- the number of all configuration elements in the given scan
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the number of configuration elements from the previous scan
- the visual trend of configuration elements over time
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Graph – Configuration elements by developer
See the progression of the number of configuration elements scanned over time and divided by type.
Grid
Here you can see the exact configuration elements by created and updated by a given developer.
Code quality #
Code quality is defined in Quality Clouds as the average number of issues to lines of code.
Widget #
The widget shows the following details:
- the average number of issues to lines of code
- the percentage variation which is the main metric difference in percentage between the current and the previous scan
- the code quality from the previous scan
- the visual trend of code quality over time
In this section you can filter the information displayed in the graphs, trend and on the grid by the following elements:
- Developer
Note, once you have applied your filter, it stays applied when you change to another view.
Graphs #
The graphs show you the following information:
- Code quality ratio: Here you can compare the code quality of all/selected developer with an average.
- Selected vs total code: Here you can compare the code quality of all vs selected code.
Grid #
Here you can see the exact list of issues and warnings detected in the scan.
Operational use #
Prerequisites: The Executive view should be enabled.
Learn how to access the view here.
With this view, you will be able to monitor the quality of your instance using the provided KPIs and graphical and grid information.
Within the grids tables you will be able to configure the information displayed with the ‘Table configuration’ icon.
→ How to use the Table configuration functionality?
- Log into the Quality Clouds Portal.
- Go to the Executive view.
- Select the grid tables view
- Click on ‘Table configuration’.
- Enable the columns you wish to view in the grid.
- Rearrange the order of the columns
You can now switch between Open / Closed / All issues in this view by using the Display dropdown. The switch changes all the data in the view, including the KPIs and the information on the main graphs and grids.
Additionally, there is a toggle to show or hide written-off issues in the view, along with a dropdown to specify which scan results you want to analyze.
→ How to download the data from the grid
- Open the Executive view.
- On the top of the view, click on ‘PDF’.
Use cases #
- Checking the headline KPIs for your platform.
- Check what’s in your platform and stay up to date with its applications in Inventory.
- Managing all creators on the platform.
- Checking for training needs (shows strengths and weaknesses).
- Checking vendor transparency.
- Reviewing the best practices, and rules that apply to your platform and check what issues they are resulting in.
- Exporting detected issues and sharing with your testers, developers and architects to save you time and money (Exports with more than 5,000 issues are now sent via email for enhanced accessibility, with a maximum export limit of 60,000 issues).
