Create Custom Dashboard Tiles in Contractor Compass 360
- Dashboards, Reports & Analytics
- 12 min read
How to Create Custom Dashboard Tiles (KPIs and Ratios) in Contractor Compass 360
Contractor Compass 360 lets you go beyond the tiles that ship with the dashboard and build your own. A tile is a card on the dashboard that displays a number, and a custom tile is one whose number you define yourself with a formula. You can show a single data point such as Net Profit, build a financial ratio such as net profit margin, combine an existing ratio like the DuPont formula with another value, and even mix in plain numbers (for example, 365 for the days in a year) using basic math operators.
If you are new to the app, you may wish to read the main help topic first Introduction to the Contractor Compass 360 Dashboard.
In this help topic you will learn how to:
- Open the custom tile builder.
- Understand the three building blocks of a tile: metrics, numbers, and operators.
- Understand every field, button, and control in the Tile Editor.
- Build a single data point tile, a ratio, and a formula that uses numbers and operators.
- Use an existing ratio such as the DuPont formula inside your own tile.
- Save your tile, show it on the dashboard, and edit or delete it later.
Have Ideas for Additional Ratios or Data Points?
Please let us know if you want to see other ratios or data points added to the Contractor Compass app.
How to Access the Custom Tile Builder
The Contractor Compass 360 dashboard opens from the Reports menu in Total Office Manager. You must have permission to view the Executive Summary report to open the dashboard.
Once the dashboard is open, follow these steps to reach the builder:
- Right-click anywhere on the dashboard (or open the dashboard menu) and choose Preferences.
- In Preferences, select the Create Custom Tiles tab.
- The tab is split into two panels. The Custom Tiles list on the left shows the tiles you have already built. The Tile Editor on the right is where you add or change a tile.
Tip: Custom tiles are stored with your dashboard preferences, so they can also be saved into a named profile and shared with other team members who load that profile.
Understanding the Three Building Blocks
Every custom tile is driven by a formula. A formula is made of three kinds of building blocks. Once you understand these, you can build any tile you can imagine.
1. Metrics (Ratios and Data Points)
A metric is a value that already exists in your dashboard. There are two flavors, and you can mix both in one formula:
Data points: Single raw values pulled straight from your accounting data, such as Revenue, Net Profit, Cash in Banks, Accounts Receivable, or Number of Employees (adjusted). A data point is just one number.
Ratios: Values that are already calculated for you, such as the profit, solvency, efficiency, and labor ratios, plus advanced ratios like the DuPont ROE (3-Part and 5-Step) and the Altman Z-Score. A ratio is itself the result of a formula, and you can use it as a single building block inside your own tile.
Every metric has two names. The display name is the friendly label you read (for example, “Cash in Banks”). The identifier is the short, no-spaces token used inside the formula (for example, Bank). The Metric drop-down shows both in the form “Display Name (Identifier).” You do not have to memorize identifiers; the builder inserts them for you.
2. Numbers (Constants)
A constant is any fixed number you type in yourself. Use constants to scale, average, or convert a result. Common examples are 365 to spread a value across the days in a year, 12 for months, 100 to turn a decimal into a percentage, or 2 to average two values. Decimals are allowed, for example 0.5.
3. Operators
Operators are the math symbols that tie metrics and numbers together:
| Operator | Meaning | Example |
| + | Add | Income + Interest |
| – | Subtract | Revenue – NetProfit |
| * | Multiply | AverageTicket * 12 |
| / | Divide | NetProfit / Income |
| ( ) | Parentheses — group part of the formula so it is calculated first | (Revenue + NPBT) / 2 |
Order of operations: multiplication and division are calculated before addition and subtraction, exactly like a calculator. Use parentheses whenever you want a different order. For example, Revenue – NetProfit / 2 subtracts half of Net Profit, while (Revenue – NetProfit) / 2 halves the whole difference.
Field and Button Reference
This section defines every control on the Create Custom Tiles tab. The controls are grouped by the panel they appear in.
Custom Tiles List (Left Panel)
Add: Opens a blank Tile Editor so you can create a new tile.
Edit: Appears on each tile in the list. Loads that tile into the Tile Editor so you can change it.
Delete: Appears on each tile in the list. Permanently removes that tile (and its dashboard widget).
Tile summary line: Beneath each tile name, the list shows the tile’s category and its formula so you can recognize it at a glance.
Tile Editor (Right Panel)
Tile Name: The label shown on the tile and on the dashboard. Required. Up to 100 characters.
Direction of Improvement: Tells the dashboard which way is good news so the change indicator can be colored correctly. Choose Higher is better (for example, revenue or profit) or Lower is better (for example, days to collect, or overhead). When the value moves in the “better” direction the change shows as positive; otherwise it shows as negative.
Tile Category: Groups the tile and gives it an icon and color. The available categories are Sales, Marketing, Specialty, Efficiency, Labor, Solvency, and Profit. Pick the one that best fits your tile; it does not affect the math.
Show Prior Year label: When on, the tile displays the prior-year value (for example, “Prior Year: 60”) underneath the current value. See the FAQ for when a prior-year value is available.
Show Difference label: When on, the tile displays the change between this year and the prior year (the difference and percent change).
Formula: The large text box that holds your formula. You can type directly here, or build it with the controls below. Up to 500 characters.
Search metrics: Filters the Metric drop-down. Type any part of a metric’s display name or identifier; multiple words all have to match. For example, “cash bank” narrows the list to Cash in Banks.
Metric: The drop-down of every available metric, shown as “Display Name (Identifier).” Pick the one you want to add.
Insert Metric: Adds the metric selected in the drop-down to the end of your formula.
Constant: A number box where you type a fixed value you want to use, such as 365.
Insert Constant: Adds the number in the Constant box to the end of your formula.
Operator buttons ( + – * / ( ) ): One click adds that symbol to the end of your formula.
Save Preferences: Saves all of your changes—including new and edited custom tiles—and makes them take effect on the dashboard.
Back to Dashboard: Returns to the dashboard.
How to Create a Custom Tile
The general process is always the same, regardless of how complex your formula is:
- On the Create Custom Tiles tab, click Add to open a blank editor.
- Type a Tile Name.
- Choose the Direction of Improvement and the Tile Category.
- Decide whether to show the Prior Year and Difference labels.
- Build your Formula using metrics, constants, and operators (described below).
- Confirm the formula is valid. If anything is wrong, a red message appears explaining the problem; fix it before continuing.
- Click Save Preferences. Your new tile is added to the Custom Tiles list and appears on the dashboard.
Building the Formula
You can type a formula by hand, but the easiest way is to let the builder do it. Each control adds to the end of the formula, so build it left to right:
- To add a metric: search if needed, choose it in the Metric drop-down, then click Insert Metric.
- To add a number: type it in the Constant box, then click Insert Constant.
- To add math: click an operator button (+, –, *, /) or a parenthesis.
You can also click directly in the Formula box at any time to fine-tune or rearrange what the builder inserted.
Example A — A Single Data Point Tile
The simplest tile is one data point with no math at all. To put Net Profit on its own tile, set the formula to: NetProfit
Name it “Net Profit,” set Direction of Improvement to Higher is better, choose the Profit category, and save.
Example B — A Ratio You Build Yourself
A ratio is two values divided by each other. To build a Net Profit Margin percentage, divide Net Profit by Income (Sales) and multiply by 100: NetProfit / Income * 100
Because multiplication and division share the same priority and are read left to right, this divides first and then multiplies by 100, which is what you want. If you prefer to be explicit, write (NetProfit / Income) * 100.
Example C — Using Numbers and Operators Together
Constants are useful for time-based ratios. A classic example is Days Sales Outstanding, which spreads your receivables across a year to estimate how many days it takes to collect. Divide Accounts Receivable by Income (Sales) and multiply by 365: AccountsReceivable / Income * 365
Here 365 is a constant you add with the Constant box. Because lower is better for collection days, set Direction of Improvement to Lower is better.
To average two values, group them in parentheses and divide by 2: (Revenue + NPBT) / 2
Example D — Using the DuPont Formula in Your Tile
The dashboard already calculates the DuPont ROE ratios for you, so you do not have to rebuild the DuPont formula from scratch. Instead, you can drop the existing DuPont ratio into your own tile as a single building block and combine it with anything else.
- In Search metrics, type “DuPont.”
- Pick the DuPont ratio you want (for example, the 3-Part or 5-Step ROE) in the Metric drop-down.
- Click Insert Metric to drop it into the formula.
- Add operators, other metrics, or numbers as needed.
For instance, the DuPont ROE is normally a decimal (such as 0.18 for 18%). To display it as a whole-number percentage on its own tile, multiply the inserted DuPont metric by 100. Using the builder this becomes a formula like: <DuPont ROE metric> * 100
Note: the exact identifier for the DuPont ratio is filled in automatically when you click Insert Metric, so you never have to type it. You can just as easily add a data point to the DuPont value—for example, inserting the DuPont metric, an operator, and then a value such as Revenue—to create a blended tile of your own design.
Showing, Reordering, Editing, and Deleting Tiles
After you save, a custom tile behaves like any other dashboard tile. It is automatically added to your dashboard and listed alongside the built-in tiles, where you can show or hide it, reorder it with the up and down arrows, and group it with divider lines.
- To edit a tile: on the Create Custom Tiles tab, click Edit on the tile in the list, make your changes, and click Save Preferences.
- To delete a tile: click Delete on the tile in the list, then click Save Preferences. This also removes the tile from the dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t my tile show a prior-year value or a percent change?
A year-over-year comparison only appears when every metric used in the formula has a prior-year value on record. Most of the headline dashboard KPIs carry a prior-year value, but raw data points (such as Cash in Banks or Accounts Payable) and the pre-calculated financial ratios do not. If your formula references even one metric that has no prior-year value, the tile shows only the current number and hides the Prior Year and Difference labels. To keep the comparison, build the formula from KPIs that have prior-year history.
My tile says “Unavailable.” What happened?
“Unavailable” means the formula could not be calculated for the current data. The most common cause is dividing by zero—for example, a margin formula whose denominator is zero for the period. The tile shows a short explanation of the problem. Adjust the formula (or wait until the underlying data is present) and the tile will calculate normally.
What characters and symbols are allowed in a formula?
Only metric identifiers, plain numbers (digits and a single decimal point), the operators + – * /, and parentheses. Anything else is rejected with a message such as “Unsupported token.” You do not need to type identifiers yourself—use Insert Metric—but if you do, spell them exactly as shown in the drop-down.
Can I put a negative number in a formula?
Yes. A minus sign at the start of the formula or right after an opening parenthesis is treated as a negative, for example -Revenue or (-1 * Expenses). Most of the time you will simply subtract one value from another with the – operator.
What do the validation messages mean?
The builder checks your formula as you go. The most common messages are:
| Message | What it means / how to fix it |
| Formula is required. | The Formula box is empty. Add at least one metric or number. |
| Unknown metric ‘…’. | The name isn’t a real metric. Use Insert Metric to add it correctly. |
| Missing operator between operands. | Two values sit next to each other with no math between them. Add an operator, e.g. change “Revenue NetProfit” to “Revenue – NetProfit.” |
| An operator cannot appear here. | Two operators are next to each other, or one starts the formula incorrectly. Remove the extra symbol. |
| Mismatched parentheses detected. | An opening and closing parenthesis don’t pair up. Add or remove a parenthesis. |
| Formula cannot end with an operator or open parenthesis. | The formula stops mid-thought. Finish it with a value. |
| The formula cannot divide by zero. | The bottom of a division works out to zero for this data. Rework the formula. |
How are the numbers on a custom tile formatted?
Custom tile values are shown as plain numbers with up to two decimal places. They are not automatically formatted as currency or as a percentage, so if you want a percentage, multiply by 100 in the formula (as in Example B) and include the meaning in the tile name, such as “Net Profit Margin %.”
Is there a limit on the name or formula length?
Yes. A tile name can be up to 100 characters and a formula up to 500 characters.
Will my custom tiles follow my department filter?
Custom tiles are calculated from the same metric values the rest of the dashboard uses, so when those values reflect a department filter or a selected period, your custom tiles reflect the same context.
Can other people see the tiles I build?
Custom tiles are saved with your dashboard preferences. If you save your setup as a named profile, anyone who loads that profile gets your custom tiles too, which is a convenient way to standardize KPIs across a team.
