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Cost Analytics

Introduction​

The Cost Analytics dashboard is a powerful feature of the ACE platform that provides administrators and authorized users with comprehensive financial insights into platform usage. This tool allows you to monitor expenses, track token consumption, and analyze usage patterns through intuitive visualizations. This documentation explains how to access, navigate, interpret, and leverage the Cost Analytics feature to optimize your organization's resource utilization.

Table of Contents​

Accessing Analytics​

  1. Log in to the ACE platform with Admin or SuperAdmin credentials
  2. Locate the main navigation menu on the left side of the interface
  3. Click on the Analytics icon or text in the navigation bar
  4. A dropdown will appear with two options:
    • Cost Analytics
    • Conversation Analytics
  1. From the Analytics dropdown menu, select Cost Analytics
  2. You will be redirected to the Cost Analytics dashboard
  3. The dashboard will load with the default time range (24 hours)

Dashboard Overview​

The Cost Analytics dashboard is organized into several key components:

  • Page Header - Displays "Cost Analytics" title
  • Time Range Selector - Allows filtering data by different time periods
  • Summary Metrics - Shows key financial and usage metrics in individual cards
  • Data Visualizations - Presents various charts and graphs for detailed analysis

Time Range Filtering​

The dashboard provides flexible time range options to view data across different periods:

FilterDescription
24HData from the past 24 hours (default view)
7DData from the past 7 days
1MData from the past month
3MData from the past 3 months
AllAll historical data available in the system

To change the time range:

  1. Locate the time filter buttons at the top of the dashboard
  2. Click on the desired time range (24H, 7D, 1M, 3M, or All)
  3. The dashboard will automatically refresh to display data for the selected period
  4. All metrics and visualizations will update to reflect the chosen time range

Key Metrics​

The Cost Analytics dashboard displays four key metrics in summary cards at the top of the page:

Total Cost​

  • Description: The cumulative financial cost of all platform usage within the selected time period
  • Location: First summary card on the left
  • Example Value: $0.0500
  • Icon: Purple dollar bill
  • Purpose: Provides an overview of total spending for budget tracking and cost management
  • Calculation Method: Sum of all costs incurred across all request types and users

Average Cost per Request​

  • Description: The mean cost per individual request/query
  • Location: Second summary card from the left
  • Example Value: 0.0167
  • Icon: Dollar sign
  • Purpose: Helps understand the efficiency and average expense of each interaction
  • Calculation Method: Total cost divided by the number of requests

Total Tokens​

  • Description: The aggregate count of all tokens consumed within the selected time period
  • Location: Third summary card from the left
  • Example Value: 4921
  • Icon: Cube
  • Purpose: Monitors overall platform usage volume in terms of token consumption
  • Calculation Method: Sum of all tokens used across all requests

Average Total Tokens per Request​

  • Description: The mean number of tokens used per individual request/query
  • Location: Fourth summary card from the left
  • Example Value: 1640.33
  • Icon: Grid/table
  • Purpose: Provides insight into the average complexity or length of queries and responses
  • Calculation Method: Total tokens divided by the number of requests

Data Visualizations​

The Cost Analytics dashboard includes four main visualizations that provide detailed insights into cost patterns:

Request Type Cost Distribution​

  • Type: Donut chart
  • Location: Top-left visualization
  • Title: "Request Type Cost Distribution"
  • Description: Breaks down costs by different request types (e.g., questions, answers, searches)
  • Data Displayed:
    • Ring segments showing the percentage of total cost attributed to each request type
    • Monetary value in the center (e.g., $0.04)
    • Color-coded segments representing different request types
  • Purpose: Identifies which types of requests are driving costs
  • Interpretation: Larger segments indicate request types that consume more resources

Hourly Cost​

  • Type: Bar chart
  • Location: Top-right visualization
  • Title: "Hourly Cost"
  • Description: Shows cost distribution across hours of the day
  • Data Displayed:
    • X-axis: Hour of day (e.g., 08)
    • Y-axis: Cost amount (0.00 to 0.06)
    • Color-coded stacked bars representing different request types:
      • Brand verification (teal)
      • Answer (purple)
      • Question (green)
      • Search (pink)
      • Follow-up (dark green)
    • Navigation: Arrows to navigate through pages of data (1/2▼)
  • Purpose: Identifies peak usage times and cost patterns throughout the day

User Cost Distribution​

  • Type: Donut chart
  • Location: Bottom-left visualization
  • Title: "User Cost Distribution"
  • Description: Breaks down costs by users or user groups
  • Data Displayed:
    • Ring segments showing the percentage of total cost attributed to each user/group
    • Monetary value in the center (e.g., $0.05)
    • Color-coded segments (blue in the example)
  • Purpose: Identifies which users or departments are driving costs
  • Interpretation: Larger segments indicate users who consume more resources

Hourly Average Cost per Query​

  • Type: Bar chart
  • Location: Bottom-right visualization
  • Title: "Hourly Avg Cost per query"
  • Description: Shows average cost per query across hours of the day
  • Data Displayed:
    • X-axis: Hour of day
    • Y-axis: Average cost per query (0.00 to 0.06)
    • Color-coded stacked bars representing:
      • Output Cost (brown)
      • Input Cost (purple)
  • Purpose: Identifies times when queries are more/less cost-effective
  • Interpretation: Higher bars indicate hours with more expensive queries on average

Interpreting Results​

Cost Analysis Insights​

  • Budget Monitoring
    • Track total costs against budget allocation
    • Identify trends in spending over time by comparing different time ranges
    • Forecast future costs based on current usage patterns
  • Usage Optimization
    • Analyze which request types are most costly using the Request Type Cost Distribution
    • Determine if certain users are generating disproportionate costs via User Cost Distribution
    • Identify peak usage hours through the Hourly Cost visualization
  • Efficiency Metrics
    • Monitor average costs per request to ensure efficient usage
    • Track average token consumption to identify potential optimization opportunities
    • Compare input vs. output costs to balance query and response efficiency

Common Patterns to Look For​

  • Usage Spikes
    • Identify unusually high costs during specific hours
    • Investigate potential causes of cost anomalies
    • Correlate spikes with specific events or activities
  • User Behavior
    • Identify power users who may benefit from additional training
    • Detect potential misuse patterns
    • Recognize efficient users whose practices could be shared as best practices
  • Request Type Efficiency
    • Determine which request types provide the most value relative to their cost
    • Identify opportunities to optimize expensive request types
    • Guide users toward more cost-effective interaction patterns

Use Cases​

For Administrators​

  • Budget Management
    • Track spending against allocated budgets
    • Generate cost reports for different time periods
    • Provide cost justification to management
  • System Optimization
    • Identify inefficient usage patterns
    • Implement cost-saving measures
    • Monitor the impact of platform changes on costs
  • User Management
    • Identify users who may need additional training
    • Allocate costs to departments or teams
    • Create usage policies based on cost data

For Business Analysts​

  • ROI Analysis
    • Calculate return on investment for the platform
    • Compare costs against business outcomes
    • Justify platform expansion or contraction
  • Trend Analysis
    • Identify long-term usage trends
    • Forecast future resource needs
    • Detect seasonal patterns in platform usage

User Permissions​

Access to the Cost Analytics dashboard is restricted to authorized roles:

RoleAccess LevelDescription
SuperAdminFullComplete access to all cost analytics data across the organization
AdminFullComplete access to all cost analytics data across the organization
Standard UserNoneNo access to Cost Analytics
GuestNoneNo access to Cost Analytics

Conversation Analytics​

The Conversation Analytics dashboard complements Cost Analytics by providing insights into user engagement and interaction metrics:

  • Navigation: Access by selecting "Conversation Analytics" from the Analytics dropdown
  • Key Metrics: Includes total conversations, questions answered/unanswered, upvotes/downvotes
  • Visualizations: Features data on conversation patterns, keyword clouds, and user engagement
  • Permissions: Accessible only to Admin and SuperAdmin users

For detailed information about Conversation Analytics, please refer to the Conversation Analytics documentation.

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

  • Data Not Loading
    • Refresh the browser page
    • Check your internet connection
    • Verify you have the required permissions (Admin or SuperAdmin)
    • Clear browser cache and cookies
  • Inconsistent Metrics
    • Verify the selected time range
    • Check if any system updates or changes occurred during the period
    • Contact your system administrator if values appear incorrect
  • Visualization Rendering Issues
    • Ensure your browser is updated to the latest version
    • Try a different browser if charts aren't rendering properly
    • Check if JavaScript is enabled in your browser