Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 adds important new tools for Business Intelligence (BI). Two especially big additions are PerformancePoint Services, SQL PowerPivot for Excel, and SQL PowerPivot for SharePoint.
In PerformancePoint Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, a key performance indicator (KPI) is a scorecard element that shows at a glance whether performance is on- or off-target for a particular metric. KPIs can vary greatly in their appearance and complexity, but KPIs typically calculate how actual values compare to target values and indicate performance by using a graphical indicator.A PerformancePoint scorecard can include one or more KPIs.
Microsoft, in typical fashion have given SharePoint Server 2007 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) a new name, SharePoint Status Indicators. The new name helps highlight the differences between BI features in SharePoint 2007 and those in SharePoint Server 2010.
SharePoint 2007 Name | SharePoint 2010 Name | SharePoint 2010 Description |
Key Performance Indicator | Status Indicator | An item in a Status List that displays performance information at a glance. |
KPI List | Status List | A SharePoint list that contains formatted status indicators. |
Key Performance Indicators (web part on dashboard) | Status List | A list of status indicators in a Web Part that can be added to a page on a SharePoint site. |
KPI Details | Status Indicator Details | A page that displays details about a single status indicator. |
Dashboard page | Web Part Page with Status List | A pre-designed Web Part page that contains a Status List Web Part, a Filter Web Part, and several other Web Parts. |
A status indicator is a one-line report. At a glance, a status indicator shows how actual performance for a particular measure compares to a goal. A good status indicator lets you know, without requiring calculations, if results are on target or off target.
Sharepoint 2010 – There are two ways to create a KPI
Import a KPI – When you import a KPI, you use the Create a Scorecard wizard in Dashboard Designer. The wizard enables you to copy one or more KPIs from the database server into Dashboard Designer and then configure those KPIs. Select this method when you are creating a scorecard by using the wizard or when you want to import existing KPIs from a data source.
Create a KPI – When you create a KPI, you use the Create a KPI wizard in Dashboard Designer. Select this method when you want to create a KPI separate from creating a scorecard or when you want to create and configure a new KPI that you define.
To import a KPI by using the Create a Scorecard wizard
1. In Dashboard Designer, in the Workspace Browser, click PerformancePoint Content.
2. In the ribbon, click the Create tab.
3. In the ribbon, in the Dashboard Items group, click Scorecard. The Select a Scorecard Template dialog box opens.
4. In the Category pane, click All. Then, in the Template pane, click one of the following templates:
- Analysis Services
Excel Services
Excel Workbook
SharePoint List
SQL Server Table
The template that you select corresponds to the kind of data source that you plan to use for the scorecard. For example, if you want to import a KPI that is stored in an Analysis Services database, select the Analysis Services template. After you have selected the template that you want to use, click OK.
5. In the Select a data source page, review the list of data sources on the SharePoint Site and Workspace tabs. Select the data source that you want to use, and then click Next.
6. If you selected the Analysis Services scorecard template, the Select a KPI Source page opens. (Otherwise, proceed to step 7.)
Select the Create KPIs from SQL Server Analysis Services measures option, and then click Next.
7. In the Select KPIs to Import page, select the KPI (or KPIs) that you want to use by following these steps:
Click Add KPI. A KPI from the data source that you selected for the scorecard appears. Continue clicking Add KPI until you see the KPI (or KPIs) that you want to use. To remove any KPIs from the list, select a KPI and then click Delete Selected KPIs.Click Next.
8. On the Add Measure Filters page, click Next.
9. On the Add Member Columns page, click Next.
10. On the Locations page, confirm that the correct location is specified in the Create KPIs in list, and then click Finish.
To create a KPI by using the Create a KPI wizard
1. In Dashboard Designer, in the Workspace Browser, click PerformancePoint Content.
2. In the ribbon, click the Create tab.
3. In the ribbon, in the Dashboard Items group, click KPI.
4. The Select a KPI Template dialog box opens.
5. In the Template pane, select either the Blank KPI or Objective template, and then click OK.
- Select Blank KPI to create a single KPI.
Select Objective to create a KPI that serves as a heading for a group of other KPIs.
The KPI that you have created opens for editing in the workspace where you can configure it.
