Metrics Tab

The Acumen Fuse analysis engine uses libraries of metrics to run project analytics. The metric editor provides a means of simplifying the development of metrics by reducing the amount of times a metric formula needs to be manually written.

Note: For detailed information about writing formulas and creating metrics, see the Deltek Acumen Metric Developers Guide.

What is a Metric and How Does it Work?

A metric is a standard or measure for use in determining how well a project is planned and executed.

Metrics are defined using either basic filters or more advanced formulas that are of the same syntax as those found in MS Excel. Metrics contain formulas and tripwires (thresholds).
  • Use primary formulas to calculate counts as part of an analysis.
  • Use secondary formulas to calculate ratios.
  • Use Tripwire thresholds to flag and filter activities that exceed given levels.

Metric results can be numeric (for example, cost or duration) or percentages (for example, percentage of total project duration). Percentages are useful for portraying results within a given context.

Acumen uses metric libraries to group metrics for project analysis. Standard metric libraries pertaining to schedule quality, cost, project performance, risk exposure, Earned Value, the DCMA 14 Point Assessment, and more are included within the tool. For example, metrics can be organized by categories, project attributes, or along a project lifecycle. Organizing the metrics differently allows you to customize your project or program analysis.

Metric Scorecards

Scorecard totals are calculated using overall or individual activity scores.
  • Overall scores (for example, project scores) are based on the number of activities within the dataset that fail one or more of the metric tests (irrespective of weighting). You can modify this method on the User Interface tab of the Deltek Acumen Options dialog box to use weighted scores based not just on the number of activities that fail a test but the total number of metrics that fail a test.
  • Individual activity scores are based on the weighted results of all metrics being applied to the activity.

In order to calculate these activity scores, the relative weighting for each metric is required.

Weightings

Weightings indicate how one metric counts towards the overall score for a group of metrics.

Weightings are based on a +/- 10-point sliding scale. The higher the weighting, the more impact the metric in question has on the scorecard score. By default, metric weightings have been set to the midpoint in the weighting scale (that is, +/- 5 depending on whether a high score is a positive or negative result). Newly created metrics inherit a neutral score until you edit them.

To What do Metrics Apply?

All project data is stored in a tabular manner where each activity is represented as a row of data and each activity attribute is listed in a different column.

The data is then aggregated either across the spreadsheet or down the spreadsheet. When viewed in Acumen, you can use the S2 // Diagnostics tab to conduct the analysis for ribbons, phases, or intersection points.

Acumen metrics are calculated:
  • Across a ribbon
  • Down a phase
  • For the intersection of a phase/ribbon (red square)

The screenshot below shows an example view of Ribbon and Phase Analysis in Deltek Acumen on the S2 // Diagnostics tab.

A summary table of the analyses is shown below.

Analysis Type Summary
Ribbon Analysis Analyze and compare groups of activities (that is, activities grouped by WBS, contractor, or CAM).
Phase Analysis Analyze project time phases or identify trends.
Intersection Analysis Analyze a group of activities in a certain time-phase (that is, pinpointing project hot spots).

Metric Library

Acumen ships with a default (built-in) metric library. You can view the default library location or select a custom metric library on the General tab of the Deltek Acumen Options dialog box.

Industry Standards Metrics

Acumen ships with sets of industry standards metrics, including DCMA, NASA Health Check, GAO, and EVAS.

In order to use the EVAS metrics, you must select the DCMA EVAS metrics<date>.aft file in the Default Metric Library Location field(Deltek Acumen Options > General tab).

Related Topics:

  • Metrics Tab Procedures
    Use these procedures when working with metrics.
  • Metrics Tab Forms and Commands
    Use the various forms to create or edit metrics, calculated fields, and variables. Each metric form includes metric libraries, variables, and tripwire thresholds.
  • Types of Acumen Fields and Variables
    When creating metric formulas, you can reference several types of fields.
  • Metric Formulas and Thresholds
    Metric formulas are defined using standard MS Excel-based formula syntax. They use array-based formulas in their calculations. The formulas enable you to group and aggregate multiple activities together so that results for a ribbon or phase or intersection can be calculated.
  • Variable Fields vs. Variable Values
    You can use variables to define metrics against generic projects, fields, and values when you don't know what the actual values are.
  • Include/Exclude Metrics from Analysis
    You can specify whether a metric is included in the analysis.
  • Password Protection for Metrics
    Set and enable a metric password to prevent others from editing the metric.
  • Prorating Metrics
    Prorating affects how the Phase Analyzer views activities.
  • Rolling Wave
    Most projects that perform weekly earned value analysis implement a process called rolling wave planning.
  • Publish Metrics
    When you publish metrics, the report combines metrics based on the folder hierarchy on the Metrics tab.
  • Special Metrics Fields
    This topic lists special fields that are available to use in metric filters.
  • Industry Standards Metrics
    This section includes information and descriptions for industry standards metrics, such as DCMA (EVAS), NASA Health Check, and GAO.
Related Concepts
Related Reference