The purpose of calculated fields is to roll values up or down from one level (activity, work package, control account) to another.
You can use a calculated field to develop an activity metric to see data in the control account or WAD, or create a control account metric that sees, for example, the earliest baseline start of an activity.
When you are designing a metric, you need to decide whether you are getting data from a different level (activity, work package, control account). If you are, you start by creating a calculated field to pull that data and then use the calculated field in a metric.
You can use this form to create calculated fields for control accounts, work packages, and activities for use in the Filter and Formula sections of the metrics.
The Acumen installation includes several default activity, work package, and control account calculated fields. In order to use calculated fields, you must have imported the project cost data because that establishes control accounts and work packages.
The Calculated Fields pane on the left side of the form lists all available calculated fields. You can click on a calculated field to view and edit it or you can create a new one.
The Functions menu group includes a few of the more common functions; however, you can use many other functions in a calculated field or formula.
Note: This form is not available when Cobra is disabled during installation or on the Deltek Acumen Options dialog box Platforms (Deltek) tab.
| Field/Option | Description |
|---|
| Name
|
This is the name of the calculated field. You can click in the field to edit the name as needed.
Note: The calculated field name cannot begin with a number.
|
| Description
|
This is a description of the calculated field and is an optional field.
|
| Operates On
|
This option controls where the values are calculated. They are then available at other levels. For example, if the calculated field operates on activities, you cannot use it in an activity metric. You can only use it in a work package or control account metric. Similarly, if the calculated field operates on a work package, you can only use the calculated field in an activity or control account metric.
Select whether you want the calculated field to work with
Activities,
Control Accounts, or
Work Packages. The selection here determines the available fields when you click
Insert Fields.
- Activities — If you select this option, the
Insert Field list includes activity fields
- Work Packages — If you select this option, the
Insert Field list includes work package fields.
- Control Accounts — If you select this option, the
Insert Field list includes control account and Work Authorization Document (WAD) fields (if you have imported WAD data).
|
| Actions
|
- Validate — Click this button to validate the syntax of the formula.
- Insert Field — Click to select a field and value to insert into the formula. The available fields depend on what you have selected in the
Operates On field.
|
