IBM Cognos Analytics - Reporting “Only a measure or a single value can be inserted in the selected location”

I was getting the following error when I was trying to add custom data into the y-axis item in ‘IBM Cognos Analytics - Reporting’.

“Only a measure or a single value can be inserted in the selected location”

Image: IBM Cognos Analytics - Reporting ‘Only a measure or a single value can be inserted in the selected location’

To turn the custom data into a measure is quite simple.

1) Go to your Query

2) Click on the + for a new ‘Query Calculation’

3) Choose ‘Other expression’ and click OK

Image: 3) Create calculation

4) Call the expression ‘Zero’ and have the Expression Definition as 0, then click OK.

Image: 4) Data item expression

5) Then use the ctrl key to select both your measure - which is ‘Storage TB’ in this scenario - and Zero, then change the Detail aggregation to Total. You will notice the icon for the two items changes slightly. And now you can put your custom data item in the Y-Axis!

Image: 5) Detail aggregation = Total