How to: Use a Template to Create a KPI

You add key performance indicators (KPIs) to a cube by using the KPI view in Cube Designer.

The KPI view in Cube Designer contains several templates that you can use to create common types of KPIs, such as customer satisfaction, debt ratio, and earnings per share. These templates contain predefined formulas that you can use to create MDX expressions.

You can create a KPI only if the cube is in a processed state. After you create the KPI, it becomes available to users after you reprocess the cube.

To use a template to create a KPI

  1. Open the cube for which you want to create a KPI.

  2. On the Cube menu, point to View, and then click KPI.

  3. In the Calculation Tools pane, click the Templates tab, expand the nodes to view available templates, and then double-click the template that you want to use.

  4. In the expressions pane, do the following.

    • From the Associated Measure Group drop-down list, click a measure group.
    • In the Value Expression box, create an MDX expression that defines the KPI. You can either type the expression manually, or you can drag items from the Metadata and Functions tabs.
    • In the Goal Expression box, type an MDX expression that defines the goal for the KPI.
    • From the Status indicator drop-down list, click a graphic to give users quick visual information about the status of the KPI.
    • In the Status Expression box, create an MDX expression that computes status.
    • From the Trend indicator drop-down list, click a graphic that represents a trend as the KPI data changes over time.
    • In the Trend Expression box, create an MDX expression that defines the trend.
  5. (Optional.) Expand Optional Properties, and then do the following:

    • Set a display folder for the KPI.
    • Select a parent KPI. The value of the child KPI is used as part of the computation for the parent KPI.
    • Create an MDX expression that defines the current time member.
    • Assign a weight to the KPI, to proportionally adjust the results of the KPI value when calculating the value of the parent KPI.
    • Type a description for the KPI.