Rev. Date February 13, 2024
Note: You may notice subtle differences between this tutorial and the Venn Application. We are continuously improving all areas of Venn based on your feedback.
Venn launched Advanced Input Settings, which provide additional control over the configuration of subjects, date ranges, and benchmarks in Studio and Report Lab. Advanced Input Settings enables users to create more customized templates with less manual steps.
What changed?
Under Advanced Input Settings, “Global Configuration” has been removed. Instead, Studio and Report Lab have an “Inputs” section where you can define multiple groups of subjects, date ranges, benchmark settings, and select which set of inputs to use for each analysis block. For a more detailed comparison, please refer to the table below.
Before AIS | After AIS |
Users could define a Global Configuration, which is the default subject, date range, and benchmark setting applied across all blocks.
To customize any of those three components for a specific block, the block first needed to be unlinked from Global Configuration. | Users define multiple input settings and select which of those settings to apply for each block.
A new block will default to the first subject, date range, and benchmark setting in the input list.
|
Each block is loaded with a list of subjects, and a custom set of subjects will need to be manually added/removed from each unlinked block. | Multiple subject groups can be added. Once the subject groups are configured, different combinations of groups can be added/removed, instead of needing to add each individual subject to all blocks. This makes it easier to apply one subject to one block and another subject to another block. |
Maximum 10 subjects supported by Global Configuration, and max 30 subjects supported by unlinked blocks. | Max 30 subjects per subject group.
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To update a template or report with unlinked blocks, subjects of the unlinked blocks need to be changed individually. | Investments or portfolios in a subject group can be swapped out and all blocks loaded with the subject group will update automatically. |
“Full History” and trailing date ranges will change based on the subjects loaded to each block.
E.g., if Portfolio A has returns from Jan 2018 - Jun 2023 and Portfolio B has returns from Jan 2020 - Jun 2023 “Full History” date range would be defined as:
| Users can define the date range setting to be “Use Consistent Dates across all Assigned Blocks” or to be “Use Individual Dates on Each Assigned Block.”
The former will use the same date range as “Full History” for all applicable blocks, while the latter will behave similarly to Studio/Reportlab before AIS. |
To access “Manage Data,” investments or portfolios need to be opened in Analysis. | “Manage Data” page can be accessed from Studio or Report Lab. |
When Advanced Input Settings are enabled, will my older reports be removed?
Once Advanced Input Settings are enabled, any new reports created will use the new views. Venn will migrate any previously created reports into the new Advanced Input Settings environment.
Report Construction FAQ for Studio and Report Lab with Advanced Input Settings
This next section will answer common questions related to creating a report in either Studio or Report Lab.
What is a template? How is this different from a “view”?
Templates are off-the-shelf reports that just need a little customizing to speed up and/or guide users’ report construction on Venn. If you are creating a new report with the same structure and flow on a recurring basis, a template would be an easy way to configure your report structure once and simply switch out the subject investments/portfolios without having to recreate the report from scratch every time. Some examples of when templates might be helpful are for quarterly performance reporting, or proposals with standard structures but consisting of different investments/portfolios.
A view is the actual report saved with the specific configurations and subjects that you are reporting on. If you open a template, you will be asked to select the set of investments/portfolios and benchmarks. Once everything has been set up, a new report or “view” will be created.
To create a new template, check “assign as a template” at the top of the set up box.
Template | View |
Shell slides for a report | Actual report |
Asks user to add investments or portfolios and benchmark upon opening | Opens with previously saved investments or portfolios and benchmarks |
Clicking “save” creates a report | Clicking “save” overwrites previous version of the report |
Where can I find relative to benchmark metrics?
For relative to benchmark metrics, you will need to first add a benchmark input with the “Relative to Benchmark” option checked. Then in the applicable blocks, assign the benchmark with the relative option checked as the benchmark input.
This will switch any block, where applicable, to excess terms. For example, if you have a Performance and Risk block showing returns, volatility, Sharpe Ratio, etc., using the relative benchmark input will reveal the excess returns, tracking error, Information Ratio, etc.
Can I compare each of my investments to their own benchmarks?
Venn offers two benchmark options in Studio and Report Lab. “Common Benchmark” is the option to select a single benchmark to compare all subjects against. The “Individual Benchmark” option will allow you to compare each of the investments with respect to their own assigned benchmarks.
Can I compare against multiple benchmarks?
For the Common Benchmark option, you can compare the investments against multiple common benchmarks by adding new blocks and selecting a different benchmark input. Within a single block, you can add additional “benchmarks” as subjects for side by side comparison. However, you can only select one benchmark per block for relative-to-benchmark analyses.
For the Individual Benchmark option, currently Venn only allows you to assign one benchmark for each investment across the total platform.
I selected “Individual Benchmarks” but there is no benchmark assigned to my investment. Where can I do this?
Currently, investment/portfolio specific benchmarks need to be assigned outside of Studio/Report Lab. If the “Individual Benchmark” option is selected, Venn will run analytics on the investments against the benchmarks assigned within Analysis.
Please refer to this FAQ for more details on setting benchmarks.
Some blocks seem to only allow a single subject or metric, what should I do if I want to compare multiple subjects side by side or show different metrics as well?
Some blocks, such as the Portfolio Composition block, only allow single subject displays. To be able to compare multiple subjects for this block, you will need to add a new block and select a different subject input for each block. Please note that if you have multiple investments or portfolios in a subject group, Venn will display the first item in the list.
Some blocks, such as the Factor Analyses blocks, only allow single subject displays for the bar chart view but allow multi-subjects for the table view.To compare multiple subjects in the bar chart format, you will need to follow the same steps as above. Otherwise, you can use the table view format.
Similarly, some blocks, such as the Time Series block, only allow single metrics to be selected at once. For example, if you want to show both the rolling returns and rolling volatility charts, you will need to add a block for each metric.
What kinds of outputs can I show when I insert the “Time Series” analysis block?
The time series block can be used to show several metrics over time such as cumulative returns, rolling volatility, historical drawdowns, etc. The full list of metrics available to show as time series can be found by clicking on the drop down under the "Metrics" section of the Block Configuration. You can show the “Time Series” data as a line chart or bar chart by selecting the preferred method under the “Format” section.
Please note that only one metric can be chosen at a time for this block.
How do I change the default rolling period?
For both the rolling risk and return charts (Time Series block) or the Factor Trend charts, the rolling period can be customized by scrolling to the "More Options" section at the very bottom of the Block Configuration panel.
Will excluding certain factors in the factor analysis charts change the outputs?
In Studio and Report Lab, users are able to select a set of factors they’d like to display in any of the factor analysis charts using the dropdown menu in the “Factors” section of the block configuration panel.
This is for display purposes only and the exclusion of factors at this step will not affect the regression results. For example, if certain factors are removed from the Contribution to Risk block, the contribution to risk of the included factors will not change in value and the contributions wouldn’t add up to 100% given the excluded factors.
Can I change the titles of the charts and tables?
Venn will add a title to all blocks by default. You can customize the titles and also add a subtitle by clicking on the block and inputting the title/subtitle in the “Title / Description” section of the block configuration panel.
How can I add fees to my portfolios?
Currently, Venn only offers the inclusion of an advisory fee within the context of Report Lab. Users can specify advisory fees for any portfolio by clicking on the “Manage Fees” button at the bottom of the subject input panel. Please note that Advisory Fees will be saved at the report level. Please refer to this article for more details on fee settings.
Can I add disclosures to my report?
Custom disclaimers and disclosures can be added to reports created in Report Lab only. As default, all reports created in Report Lab include standardized disclaimers located at the bottom of the content pages and the cover page, as well as additional disclosures at the back of the report. Users can edit these default disclaimers and disclosures or include additional custom firm-specific language to their reports. All reports will also have a separate set of Venn’s required disclaimers and disclosures that will always appear and cannot be amended.
For any additional report specific disclosures, "Custom Footer Text" within the report set up or the "Custom Text" block can be used. Please refer to this article for more details on disclaimers and disclosures.
In Studio, any disclosures can be entered using the “Custom Text” block.
How many portfolios or investments can I include in one report?
Up to 30 subjects can be added to each subject group.
Please note that some blocks accept multiple subjects, while others only accept one subject. For blocks that support multiple subjects, the maximum number of subjects supported varies. For example, the Performance and Risk block supports up to 30 subjects while the Time Series block supports up to 10 and Rolling Correlation block supports up to 4.
If users add more subjects than what’s supported by a block, a message noting the max number of subjects supported by the block and how many have been excluded will be displayed. For example, if you add two subject groups with 20 investments each to a block that supports up to 30 subjects, the last 10 investments of the last subject group will be excluded.
How can I rearrange the analysis blocks?
Analysis blocks can be moved up or down the page by clicking the arrows at the top of the block configuration panel. They can also be rearranged by dragging and dropping within the outline tab. Blocks can be removed by clicking on the trash can icon.
Can I copy or move multiple blocks at once?
Currently, Venn only allows users to copy or move individual blocks one at a time. In Report Lab, users can copy or move full pages, but cannot copy or move multiple pages at once.
Can I copy and paste a block from one page to another in Report Lab?
Venn currently only allows blocks to be duplicated within a page, and doesn’t allow a block on one page to be copied and pasted to another page. To replicate a block onto another page, a new block will need to be added and configured.
How do I view the Allocator Panel to add/remove investments, change the allocations or zoom in on a strategy or investment?
Find the portfolio you wish to view on the configuration panel. Click the calculator icon which will say “View portfolio allocations” when you hover, and you’ll see the allocator panel pop up on the left. Click the “x” in the top right corner to collapse the panel.
How do I show different levels for the portfolio contribution and holdings tables?
For the Portfolio Contribution block, you can display all portfolio constituents in the tables or you can choose to display the tables at the sub-strategy or top strategy levels using the “Portfolio Display Settings” under the “Format” section of the Block Configuration panel. Please note that the portfolio hierarchy first needs to be set up in Analysis for the different display options to be available.
For the Geography holding block, users can select the level of granularity to show by changing the "Display Setting" under the "Format" section of the Block Configuration panel to country, sub-region, or region level. Please note this option is only available for the table format of the block.
How do I add or change the strategies in my Portfolio Composition?
The Portfolio Composition block displays the strategy hierarchy you have set up for your Portfolio in Analysis.
In Studio, you can update your portfolio’s tree structure by clicking on the calculator icon next to the portfolio name. This will open up the allocator panel to allow you to make any adjustments to the portfolio.
This capability does not exist in Report Lab, so any changes to the portfolio first need to be made in Analysis or Studio.
Can I add my own images or text?
Custom images or text can be added by using the "Custom Text" and "Image" blocks in the "Formatting" section at the bottom of the Insert module. Note the “Formatting” section is only available in Report Lab.
This document highlights certain aspects of this feature. As an overview, it does not discuss all material facts or assumptions. Please see Important Disclosure and Disclaimer Information.