Measure properties depend on measure type. For example, you define a formula for a formula measure. All measure types support the following tasks:

Measure names appear in multiple sections and views. Define measure names that distinguish each measure within the limits of the Metrics Management user interface.

A measure description appears in the dashboard in a section or view. Use clear, concise descriptions that help Metrics Management users understand the qualities of a measure.

Depending on the type of measure you create, you must perform the following additional tasks:

A group measure weighs the index values from its submeasures to produce a performance color. The weights of the submeasures must total 100% to enable Metrics Management to calculate their respective contributions to a group measure. Submeasures of a group measure can be data, formula, and other group measures.

An exception by location excludes a measure from a measure structure at a specific location. The locations at which the measure is excluded appears in Locations. For more information about exceptions by location, see About exceptions by location.

In Submeasures, add each submeasure to the group measure, assign a weight to each submeasure, and define submeasures which are valid for specific locations.

For any measure, other measures that relate to the measure as parent measures appear in Parent Measures. To edit a parent measure in Parent Measure, select the measure, then choose Edit Selected. Make appropriate changes to the parent measure using Setup Measure—Properties, as described in this chapter.

Decide whether high values for a measure are good or bad by determining how the actual data should perform against its target. For example, when measuring sales, choose high values are good. When measuring expenses, choose high values are bad.

To show measure performance as a graphic image, select a dashboard for each measure. Before selecting a dashboard, consider the storage period for data and formula measures. The selected dashboard should match the storage period of the measure. Metrics Management supports one choice for group measures, the Group Dashboard.

In Setup Measure—Properties, in Dashboard, select a dashboard name from the Dashboard list, as shown in Figure 3‑9. If necessary, to create a new dashboard, choose New. In Setup Dashboard: <New>, make appropriate selections. Then, choose Save.

Metrics Management supports the following location consolidation functions. Location consolidation defines the way data aggregates across sublocations.

Metrics Management supports the following consolidation range functions. The most common consolidation ranges are Moving Year and This Year to Date.

In Consolidation Functions, choose period and function settings for the consolidation method. Figure 3‑10 shows an example of settings in Consolidation Functions.

You can either create a default formula, which applies to all locations, or define a different formula for each location. When you create an exception by location, you exclude certain submeasures from the measure structure at that location. Locations for those submeasures shows the locations where they are excepted. For more information about exceptions by location, see About exceptions by location.

For certain formulas, it does not make sense to calculate the comparative using the formula. By allowing direct data entry, you enable a user to enter the target at the formula level and override any calculation. For example, if you have a measure like:

you may only have targets for:

In this instance, you might prefer to set a target at the formula level.

The system specialist typically assigns the measure owners, assistant owners, and data entry owners. The system specialist should delegate these tasks, so he can retain an overview of the system as a whole. Measure owners are typically users directly responsible for measure performance. If you assign ownership at too high a level, an individual user can become responsible for far too many measures. For example, even though the CFO is ultimately responsible for a company’s financial performance, the CFO should not be the Accounts Receivable measure owner.

In a multi-location database, one owner is typically not responsible for the measure across all locations, and you must assign ownership by location. If one individual is responsible for the performance of the majority of a location’s measures, you can select <Location Owner> as the measure owner. Choosing <Location Owner> assigns ownership of the measure to the owner of each location.

You can also set up measure assistants and assign data and commentary entry users for each measure.

You can choose measure owners for specific locations. This is only necessary for owners who are different from the default location owner.

You can hide a comparison or base series, such as the target, in dashboard data and index charts. You specify which comparatives to hide for each measure. By hiding comparatives, you prevent any series based on that comparative from appearing for the measure’s dashboard charts. The chart does not display a series if you specify that its comparison series is hidden. Although you also can hide the base series, doing so causes charts to be empty. Hide only the comparison series.

In a data chart based on a single measure, the comparison series appears as a line. For a data chart based on multiple measures or locations, the comparison series appears as a bar. When hiding a comparison series, you do not see the comparison bar when you view a data chart based upon multiple measures.

Decide whether to hide the comparison series for data and index charts or both.

If you always track your measures on a fixed scale, display all your dashboard charts measures on the same scale to quickly compare the results from several different charts. By default, Metrics Management calculates the scale of a chart axis when it creates the chart. Metrics Management tries to find the best fit for the measure’s data values.

Dashboard charts for the selected measure display the range you defined.

If a chart is based on multiple measures, all measures use the same definition for scale.

You can override the default performance ranges that are set up for the database or for individual measures, either using index mapping or by creating a custom index range. Use index mapping for measures where a range of values are acceptable or where you might want to change the performance range for an individual measure. For example, define a custom index range that shows a red performance color when a measure’s index value is less than 100%. For more information, see Working with index mappings. Be aware that if you use too many exceptions, users might not be able to correctly interpret the color-coded results.

In practice, it should not be necessary to make performance range changes to many measures. If many changes are required, this probably indicates that measures are not being correctly defined, and you should consider increasing or decreasing comparative values.

You can attach a note, information link, dashboard link, and link by location to a measure. You can link to any file that can be launched by a program and to web pages, e‑mail addresses (in the format mailto:john.doe@abc.com), and help files. Store files at the same location as the database, so those who need to have access to the file can access it. You also can attach link tags to a measure. For more information about linking, see Publishing data.

Metrics Management supports using context-variables to define commentary and data entry security settings for a measure. Using a context-sensitive variable saves administrative time when allowing access to multiple users or groups. A variable enables editing specific actions only. Metrics Management supports the following variables:

For example, instead of defining security for each of a measure’s owners by location, specify security settings for the <Measure Owner> variable.

Metrics Management allows setting security to restrict a user from performing an action on a measure to a specific location, commentary type, or comparative. Metrics Management supports creating a restriction for a group or user. Table 3‑2 lists available restrictions.

To create a restriction for a user, first restrict the user from performing the action for a measure. Restrict the action by commentary type, comparative, or location. Then, allow the user to perform the action in the commentary type, comparative, or location. For example, to restrict commentary entry to a location, first deny a user from entering commentary at all of a measure’s location by allowing Restrict by Location in a measure. Then, in the location, allow the user the right to enter commentary.

In the example in the following procedure, the CFO user is restricted to entering data for the COGS - Direct Costs measure at the UK location only.