This is the continuation of previous posts:

• Defining business measures
  

• Automated Measures Definition – The spreadsheet

Here is, as promised, KPIStudio: a free online application to help you define, organize and document KPIs and business measures.

Would you like to define all your measures in a simple spreadsheet and have it magically transformed in a complete and effective project document like next one? This post explains you how.

KPIStudio was designed with the following goals in mind:

• Save your time

• Avoid cut and paste

• Verify KPI definitions

• Produce consistent documentation (example)

• Improve communication between management and IT

• Identify pending issues.

KPIStudio supports an agile, incremental approach using a simple spreadsheet as input (already presented in previous posts).

Here is how to use it (you shall have Java 6 plugin in your browser, most modern computer already have it, otherwise install it here):

1. Start KPIStudio clicking on button below

   

2. Choose Actions > Create a Sample Project to see how KPIStudio works, save the file on your desktop and open it with your preferred spreadsheet program (usually Excel).

3. Take a look at how spreadsheet is organized. Each column is annotated with its content (move on red spots to highlight).

4. Back to KPIStudio look at explorer tab. It shows how measures are inter related and bound to audiences, categories, classification …

   

   KPIs are indicated by gauges, non KPI measures are indicated by tape meters (gray if measure is not defined but referenced by another measure). To know, for example where Generated Prospects is used, just click over it and it will show the formula where it appears (qualifying rate). Also notice the list if pending issues if any.

5. Let's produce documentation. Choose Actions > Generate Measure Documentation and KPIStudio will write a cross-referenced PDF (you shall open it with PDF Viewer to navigate hyper-links).

6. Now create a new project: choose Actions > Create an empty Project. Start filling the spreadsheet and run KPIStudio from time to time to validate content and produce documentation.
   

Let me just remember two important things from previous post:

1. To refer to a measure from another measure enclose into square braces. Examples: [Generated Leads], [Sales: last month]. In the second case (sales) “last month” is the context (after colon), so measure name will simply be “Sales”.

2. To enter an open issue conclude it with two question marks. Example: How can we compute it??

That's all for the moment. Enjoy KPIStudio!