Creating a Critical Number

Critical numbers help users track how they are doing. Critical numbers are based on a stored procedure calculation or on an IDO calculation. Custom critical numbers inherit the same security restrictions as the preconfigured numbers.

To build a critical number:

Open the Critical Numbers Setup form and turn off Filter-in-Place.
Select Actions > New to create a critical number from scratch, or filter and copy an existing critical number.
Specify these fields:
Description

Specify a description for the critical number.

Short Description

Specify a shorter description of the critical number to use as the subject for e-mails relating to it.

Active

Select this check box to actively run the critical number.

Snapshot

Select this check box to keep a snapshot history of the critical number.

Result Divisor

Specify a value if the critical number returns a large value and you want to divide it before it is displayed. For example: 120,000,000 can be displayed as 120 by using a 1,000,000 divisor, and the Critical Number Description could be changed to include the description "(in Millions)".
In the Source Type field, select IDO or Stored Procedure.
To build the critical number from an IDO, click Source Name to launch the Critical Number IDO Source Setup modal form, and specify this information:

IDO Name

Select the IDO that hosts the value you need for your calculation.

Function

Choose the type of calculation to perform. For all functions except Count, you must select the property that is monitored.
- Sum: total of all values of the IDO property that meet the filter criteria
- Count: number of records that meet the filter criteria
- Average: total of all values of the IDO property that meet the filter criteria, divided by the number of records considered
- Minimum: the smallest value of the IDO property for all records evaluated
- Maximum: the greatest value of the IDO property for all records evaluated
Filter

Click this button if a filter is needed, and follow the instructions outlined in Setting Up a Critical Number/Drilldown IDO Filter.

Display Blank Results

Select this check box to include data with a zero actual value.

Group By

Select a value if you want to group data by a variety of fields.

Date Ranges

Use this section for critical numbers that are date specific. Use the check boxes to select the ranges to be considered.

Date Property

Select a value if only information that falls within a certain time period should be considered.

Description Suffix

Specify a description to distinguish each date specific critical number.

Goal and Alert

Optionally, specify Goal and Alert values to override the values set up on the Critical Numbers Setup form.

If you want to build the critical number from a stored procedure:

Follow the instructions in Stored Procedure Critical Number Examples to create a SQL stored procedure.

Source Name

Specify the name of the stored procedure you want to call.

Source Parms

Optionally, specify a list of values to be passed to the stored procedure. The value of the parameter can change the result of the critical number without altering the critical number code.
The Calculation Definition describes how the number is calculated. This field is helpful for users who did not create the critical number, and want an overview of the calculation.
Specify the Alert settings:
Use Alert

Select this check box to use an alert with the critical number.

Alert Operator

Select an operator to use when comparing the Alert Value to the Actual Value.

Alert Value

Specify a value to compare to the Actual Value.
Specify the Goal settings:
Use Goal

Select this check box to use a goal with the critical number.

Goal Operator

Select an operator to use when comparing the Goal Value to the Actual Value.

Goal Value

Specify a value to compare to the Actual Value.
If you want the critical number to be displayed on the form, specify a Category for the critical number on the Categories tab. This determines where the critical number is displayed. If you do not want the critical number to be displayed on the form, leave this field blank.
Optionally, specify these user permissions on the Users tab:
User Name

Specify or select the user name.

Can Drilldown

Select this check box to allow the user to create drilldowns.

Can Run

Select this check box to allow the user to see the selected critical number.

Change Parameters

Select this check box to allow the user to update parameters.

Change Users

Select this check box to allow the user to maintain user permissions for the selected critical number.

Receive Drill Down Email

Select this check box to allow the user to receive drilldown details in e-mails.

Receive Email

Select this check box to allow the user to receive critical number details in e-mails.
Optionally, on the Static Parameters tab, specify a Name and Value to set up user-defined values so end users can change critical number values without modifying the source.
Optionally, on the Input Parameters tab, maintain a list of filters that the critical number was programmed to handle. This data provides readable labels for the stored procedure parameters throughout the system.
On the Snapshots tab, view a snapshot history of this critical number. Click Export to create an Excel spreadsheet from the data. Click Critical Number Snapshots to launch the Critical Number Snapshots form.
Save the new critical number.

Notes

If you want to build the critical number from an IDO, we recommend that you research the IDO against which you need to perform the calculation.

For example, if the critical number calculates the outstanding balance of customers, you would need to find the form that shows outstanding balance, enter design mode of that form, and determine the IDO and property names.

Creating a Critical Number

Notes

Related Topics