Calculating data on a report: Metrics

Metrics are MicroStrategy objects that represent business measures and key performance indicators. From a practical perspective, metrics are the calculations performed on data stored in your database, the results of which are displayed on a report. Metrics are similar to formulas in spreadsheet software.

It is not an overstatement to say that the focus of almost any report is its metrics. Most of the decisions you make about the other objects to include on a report depend on the metrics you use on the report. Questions such as "What were the sales for the eastern region during the fourth quarter?" or "Are inventory counts being consistently replenished at the beginning of each week?" can easily be answered by metrics.

Specifically, metrics define the analytical calculations to be performed against data that is stored in the data source. A metric is made up of data source facts and the mathematical operations to be performed on those facts, so that meaningful business analysis can be performed on the results. A metric on a report shows a list of values used for analytical calculations.

Metric creation is usually the responsibility of advanced analysts.

Metrics terminology

The following terms are used throughout this guide and the MicroStrategy Web Help and the Advanced Reporting Help to describe aspects of metrics. It is useful to understand their relationship to each other if you want to develop a logical approach to creating metrics.

Metric formula: A metric's formula is made up of a mathematical function and the business facts stored in your data source. A metric's formula can also consist of other metrics.

Metric expression: A metric's expression is made up of all the metric components displayed when a metric is opened in the Function Editor: formula (described above), level, condition (if any), and transformation (if any).

Metric definition: A metric's definition includes the metric's expression, plus any software settings applied to the metric.