About measures

Axiom Strategy Management uses data collectors called measures to determine how the items in the strategy hierarchy—Perspectives, Objectives, and Initiatives—are performing currently and over time.

Each measure captures specific data. For example, if an Objective is to improve patient access to care, you could assign a measure that records the average time it takes for a patient to schedule a primary care visit.

Measure data is updated on a regular schedule according to the measure’s frequency; the default is monthly. The system administrator updates Perspective and Objective measure data. Initiative measure data is typically updated by the Initiative owner The user responsible for ensuring that the Initiative is executed and that its measure data and milestone statuses are updated according to schedule. The Initiative owner is also responsible for reviewing the Initiative during the creation approval process., or an administrator can also update them if needed.

Each measure has some or all of the following attributes:

• Description – Measure name
• GL Acct – General Ledger account in which the measure belongs
• Precision – The number of decimal values that display for units when the system displays measure data in Measure Detail windows
• Class – Category in which the measure belongs
• Type – Method used for updating the measure
• Unit – Format type of the data the measure produces (i.e., amount for currencies, percent for percentages, number for other numeric data)
• Frequency – How often the measure data is updated and reported
• Formula Description – Optional. How the measure data is derived, if applicable
• User Drill – Optional. Indicates the measure has an associated drill document A report or form that provides additional data or other information about a measure, that you access by clicking the measure or other associated trigger such as a button or icon.
• Enabled / Disabled – Whether or not the measure is available to be selected for hierarchy items (Perspectives, Objectives, and Initiatives)
• MeetsTargetDirection – Direction of the measured data (higher or lower) that is favorable when the data is compared to the set target The number used as a comparison point against which measure data is compared to determine if the measure data is favorable or unfavorable. The user assigning the measure to a Perspective, Objective, or Initiative, sets the target. The target typically comes from either a benchmarked or budgeted number.

When measures are assigned to Perspectives, Objectives, or Initiatives, they receive the following additional attributes:

• Baseline – Starting point at which data measurements begin. This can be from the current year or a historical average for the past 12 months.
• Target – The number used as a comparison point against which measure data is compared to determine if the data is favorable or unfavorable. The person assigning the measure to a Perspective, Objective, or Initiative, sets the target. The target typically comes from either a benchmarked or budgeted number.
• Period Begin – (Called Start Date in Initiative measures) The starting date for which measure data is collected and recorded. This date typically coincides with the start date of the Initiative.
• Period End – (Called End Date in Initiative measures) The date measurement data stops being collected and recorded.
• Department – Optional. The department from which the measure data is taken
• Entity – Optional. If a department is selected, then the entity is the higher-level section of the organization (e.g., location, building), or the organization itself, that the department belongs to. If no department is specified, then the entity is the part of the organization or the entire organization from which the measure data is taken.