Guides/Asking Questions & Getting Answers
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Asking Questions & Getting Answers

See how VAL Agent answers your business questions with charts, tables, insights, and follow-up suggestions — all from a simple question in plain English.

How It Works

Type a question in plain English. VAL Agent figures out which data to look at, runs the query, and comes back with an answer — often with a chart, a table, key takeaways, and suggestions for what to ask next.

You do not need to know SQL, pick a report, or configure anything. Just ask.

Your First Question

Open the Chat page and type something like:

"What were total sales by outlet last month?"

VAL Agent will:

  1. Identify the right data source
  2. Run the query
  3. Present the results with a chart and breakdown table

VAL Agent responding with a bar chart and sales table by outlet

Notice how the response includes:

  • A bar chart comparing outlets at a glance
  • A data table with exact numbers (total sales, receipts, average check)
  • Key takeaways — the agent highlights what matters ("Orchard leads by 44%")
  • Follow-up suggestions — it offers to break the data down further

Follow-up Questions

VAL Agent remembers your conversation. You do not need to repeat context — just ask your next question.

For example, after seeing the sales breakdown, you might ask:

"Which outlet grew the most compared to the month before?"

VAL Agent understands you are still talking about the same outlets and time period. It pulls the comparison data and shows you:

VAL Agent showing month-over-month growth comparison with chart and table

This response includes:

  • A comparison chart — two months side by side, colour-coded
  • A growth table with exact changes and percentages
  • Analysis — the agent interprets the numbers ("Marina posted a modest +1.0% gain, while Orchard saw a notable decline of 11.4%")
  • Another follow-up offer — dig into what drove the change

This is the power of conversational data analysis. Each answer builds on the last.

What Kinds of Questions Can I Ask?

VAL Agent handles a wide range of business questions. Here are some examples:

Sales & Revenue

  • "What were total sales yesterday?"
  • "Show me daily revenue for the past 2 weeks"
  • "Compare this week to last week by outlet"

Outlet Performance

  • "Which outlet had the highest revenue last month?"
  • "Rank my outlets by average check size"
  • "Show me the bottom 3 performers this month"

Trends & Comparisons

  • "Is revenue trending up or down this quarter?"
  • "How does January compare to December?"
  • "Show me the monthly trend for the past 6 months"

Delivery & Platforms

  • "What is my Grab commission rate this month?"
  • "Break down delivery sales by platform"
  • "Show me delivery vs dine-in revenue"

If VAL Agent does not have the data to answer your question, it will tell you — and often suggest what it can answer instead.

Charts & Visualizations

VAL Agent picks the right chart type based on your question:

  • Bar charts — comparing values across outlets, brands, or categories
  • Line charts — trends over time
  • Grouped/stacked bars — multi-period comparisons
  • Tables — when exact numbers matter more than shapes

You do not need to ask for a specific chart type. But you can — "Show that as a line chart" or "Can you make a pie chart?" both work.

Tips for Better Answers

  • Be specific with dates — "last week" works, but "3 Mar to 9 Mar" gives you exactly what you want
  • Name your outlets — VAL Agent knows your outlet names, use them directly
  • Ask follow-ups — do not start a new chat for related questions, keep the thread going
  • Let the agent suggest — the follow-up suggestions at the bottom of each response are often the most useful next question

Next Steps