Function

Function elements are used to calculate values using nodes, numbers, etc., in order to show different aspects of the organization's figures, e.g. Actual value, Budget value, Forecast value, Target value, best unit last year, etc. These values can then be used to determine the value of status elements.

 

The value that is displayed on the Scorecard page is calculated using the Status algorithm specified on the KPI, default the first Actual function under the first Status element found under the KPI. This is also the value from which the Status gauge gets its color. Other figures, e.g. Budget or Target, can be displayed in other columns and are based on corresponding Functions.

How to create a Function in Configuration Studio

Functions can be created under Statuses, Simple statuses, and Function statuses. Right click the status object to which it belongs and choose Add -> Function and the desired function type. Available function types are Actual, Budget, Forecast, and Target.

To copy a status object (Status, Simple status or Function status) and its functions, collapse the status object so the functions are not visible before you right click it, and choose Copy. Then move to the desired position, right click and choose Paste copy.

Functions that are incompletely configured will be marked with a yellow warning sign on top of the icon in Configuration Studio, and you will see the text "Required property missing" or another message text in the tooltip.

Properties

General

• Name - the automatically generated name corresponds to the function type you chose ("Actual", "Budget", "Forecast", "Target") but it may be changed

• Description - an optional text describing the function

Function

• Function - the formula that is to be used to calculate the value of the function element. It may contain nodes, numbers, mathematical operators such as +, -, *, /, =, !=, <, >, as well as Time functions. It is important that the syntax is correct.

Click the icon to the right of the field to open the Function calculator for help with creating the function.

The function formula needs to answer five questions: WHAT do we want to calculate? – what type of mathematical formula should be used to calculate the result HOW do we want to calculate it? – which Nodes/Expression/Tags/Numbers should be used WHEN do we want to calculate it? – for which period and period type should the function be calculated WHERE do we want to calculate it? – from which Organization should the function take the values For WHICH do we want to calculate it? – which node type should be used

• Node type - The node type corresponding to the function type will be chosen by default but it may be changed. Click the icon to the right and choose from the node types Actual, Budget, Forecast, or Target, or any custom node types that may have been created in your system.

Drill

• Drills - to show underlying figures click the icon to the right and select one or more of the predefined drills. There are two drill types that are included in the system by default, but Custom drills may have been created in your system. The default drill types are:

  • Actual-budget - to compare Actual and Budget figures  

  • Time - to show figures per period for the year so far

If Include future values in Shared web items is checked, any values that are available for future periods between the Start date and End date (defined in the Time drill in Shared web items) will also be included.

You may sometimes want to change the names of nodes or functions in drills, in order to increase their readability, to differentiate between references to the same node, etc. You can find information on how this is done in the Drill section.

• Include operator rows - show the mathematical operators used in the function as rows in the drill

• Include top row - show a row containing the calculator function(s) that are used in the function;

Include top row will include/exclude the topmost row, no matter what it represents. E.g. it is used to show/hide the line containing the Function name (e.g. AGG, INDEX) when it is used directly in a function object, and to show/hide the line containing the expression.

 

When you select a drill on a function, the drill icon will appear in the function's Drill column on the KPI page on the web, indicating that there is at least one drill for that function. Simply click on the icon to see the drill(s). You can also access the drill by clicking on the result of the function anywhere it appears.

 

Visibility

• Hide NA and NaN rows - check the box if rows that don't contain values or where the values are invalid ("Not a Number") should not be displayed

  How NA and NaN values are displayed can be changed in Locale options in Options. If you don't want to show anything when values are NA or NaN set them to a blank string. These settings affect the entire system.

• Hide 0 rows - check the box if rows where all values are 0 should not be displayed

• Visible - If this box is not checked the element will not be displayed the web. This can be useful e.g. when adding new elements to "live" scorecards.

Format

• Format - Enter optional formatting information (Format type, Prefix, Postfix, Decimal places, and/or Color style). If nothing is entered, Format type, Decimal places, and Color style will have the default values 'Normal', '2', and 'Normal'.

Visibility

Version 5.1.2.0

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