Getting Started with ROI Studio
ROI Studio is where you build and refine the content, calculations and presentation of your ROI Models and Calculators.
Use ROI Studio to work with inputs, outputs, formulas, layouts, styling and other components that make up your model.
Open ROI Studio
Open the ROI Model or Calculator you want to work with from your Ekphrastic workspace and enter ROI Studio.
The model is loaded into the Studio ready for editing.
Once loaded, the main Studio interface gives you access to the tools you need to build and refine the model.
Understand the workspace
ROI Studio is centred around the model canvas.
The main areas you'll use are:
Canvas — where the components making up your model are displayed.
Components — where you select elements to add to the model.
Navigator — where you can review and reorganise the model structure.
Configuration controls — where you change the properties of individual elements.
Preview — where you can review the model experience.
Publish to live — where you publish your completed draft changes.
You'll use these areas together as you build and refine your model.
Add components
Open the Components panel when you want to add something to the model.
ROI Studio provides components for areas including:
Inputs
Outputs
Headers
Layout and structure
Dynamic content
Select the component you need and add it to the model.
You can then configure the new element for your business case.
For more information, see Working with Components & the Canvas.
Build your inputs
Inputs contain the values and assumptions that can drive your calculations.
Depending on what you're modelling, these might include:
Business volumes
Costs
Employee numbers
Time assumptions
Performance rates
Percentage improvements
User choices
Yes / No assumptions
ROI Studio provides different Input types so you can choose an appropriate way for a value to be entered or adjusted.
For more information, see Adding & Configuring Inputs.
Create your outputs
Outputs present calculated results from the model.
These might include:
Financial benefits
Cost savings
ROI
Payback
Productivity improvements
Operational KPIs
ROI Studio provides several ways to present outputs, including standard formula outputs, Cards, Gauges, Tables and Charts.
For more information, see Adding & Configuring Outputs.
Connect your model with formulas
Formulas connect the values in your model and determine how results are calculated.
Use the Formula Editor to build calculations using references to Inputs and other supported elements.
This allows changes to assumptions to flow through to the results of the model.
For more information, see Creating & Editing Formulas.
Structure your model
As your model becomes more sophisticated, you can use ROI Studio's layout and structure tools to organise the experience.
These include:
Headers
Columns
Accordions
Micro Tabs
Multi-page Calculators
Navigator reordering
Dual Column layouts
Use these tools to make the model easier to understand and interact with rather than presenting every component as one continuous list.
Style your model
ROI Studio also provides presentation controls for supported elements.
Depending on the component, you can configure areas such as:
Colours
Icons
Currency display
Number formatting
Formatting helps communicate the meaning of values clearly and gives the model a more polished presentation.
For more information, see Styling, Icons & Number Formats.
Preview your work
Use Preview to review the model experience while you're working.
Previewing gives you an opportunity to check the model before publishing your latest draft changes.
It's good practice to preview after making significant changes, particularly when you've changed:
Formulas
Conditions
Layout
Pages
Inputs or Outputs
Draft and live versions
ROI Studio distinguishes between the model you're currently editing and the live version.
Your changes are made to the draft.
When the draft contains changes that haven't yet been published, the Studio toolbar can show:
Publish to live
Publishing pushes those draft updates to the live model.
When the live version already matches your draft, the toolbar shows:
Nothing to update
This lets you continue refining a model without treating every individual edit as a live publication.
Publish to live
When you're satisfied with your changes:
Finish any open edits.
Preview the model.
Resolve any issues you've identified.
Select Publish to live.
Wait for publishing to complete.
ROI Studio provides feedback when the operation succeeds or fails.
Avoid starting another publish operation while publishing is already in progress.
For detailed guidance, see Previewing & Publishing from ROI Studio.
Import an existing Metric
ROI Studio also provides Import Metric when you want to reuse a Metric rather than building it again from scratch.
This can help you reuse established modelling components across your work.
For more information, see Importing a Metric.
Get help inside ROI Studio
Use the available Help & tutorials action when you need additional guidance while working in ROI Studio.
This provides a route to the help experience without requiring you to leave your work unnecessarily.
Leave ROI Studio
Use Back when you want to leave ROI Studio and return to the surrounding Ekphrastic application.
Before leaving, make sure you've completed any edits you want to retain and consider whether your latest draft changes also need to be published to live.
Remember that saving your editing work and publishing the draft to live are different concepts.
A typical ROI Studio workflow
A useful workflow is:
Build → Configure → Calculate → Structure → Style → Preview → Publish to live
You don't need to complete a model in one session.
ROI Studio is designed to let you refine the model as your business case develops.
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