Configuring Measure Classifications (Advanced Model)

A measure classification defines a type of standalone measure, and the settings every measure of that type shares — its unit, how often values are recorded, how its plan is generated, and whether it's forecast. Measure classifications are created and maintained under Administration > Classifications, and then enabled on the initiative classifications that should use them.

Standalone measures are only used by benefits with a Benefit Formula. Where your benefits don't use one, you don't need a measure classification — each benefit's measure is created automatically, with settings from its benefit classification.

This article covers the Advanced Model, and needs administrator access to Classifications. A measure classification needs a measurement unit to measure in — see Measurement Units.

Creating a measure classification

To create a measure classification:

1. Navigate to Administration > Classifications.

   

2. Click + Classification at the top right.

   

3. Select Measure as the Object Type. The General Configuration tab opens.

   

4. Configure the settings on the General Configuration tab, described below.
5. Click Create.

   

To edit an existing measure classification, click Edit next to it on the Classifications page.

General Configuration settings

These settings apply to measures created on an initiative or at the enterprise. Measures created automatically with a benefit use their benefit classification's settings instead.

Some settings have a lock icon next to them. Unlocking a setting lets users override it when they create a measure. It's generally best to leave settings locked, and create a separate classification where different settings are needed.

Attributes

• Name and Color — identify the classification across Amplify.
• Description — shown on the measure form. Use it to describe the measure, and any relevant data sources and policies.
• Discount Rate Measure — makes measures of this classification available as the discount rate for business cases, used in net present value (NPV) calculations. Only enterprise measures can be selected, and only where they cover the business case's dates. At least one discount rate classification must always exist, so the last one can't be removed.
• Enable External ID — adds an External ID field to these measures, used by integrations to match each measure with its record in another system.
• Measurement Unit — the unit the measure's values are recorded in.
• Reporting Cadence — how often a value is recorded: Month, Quarter, or Financial Year. A measure must record at least as often as the benefits it feeds — a Quarterly benefit can use Monthly or Quarterly measures, but not Financial Year ones.
• Enable Weekly Reporting — available where the cadence is Month. Lets users enter values for individual weeks, alongside the monthly values. Where a benefit uses weekly reporting, every measure in its formula needs it turned on too. This feature needs to be enabled for your organization — speak to your Customer Success Manager.

Plan

• Advanced Measure — decides what's planned:
  • Off — a simple measure, with a single plan.
  • On — an advanced measure, which plans both the current mode of operation (CMO) — how things are today — and the future mode of operation (FMO) — how they'll be once the change is delivered. A benefit's plan is the difference between the two (Plan = FMO − CMO). Its forecast and actuals are measured against the CMO in the same way. Use it where today's value isn't zero, where it changes over time or with the seasons, or where the benefit is a reduction.

Where Advanced Measure is off:

• Plan Profile — the pattern the plan follows over the measure's duration. See Plan profiles below.
• Initial Plan — the plan's starting value. With a Constant profile, it's the value in every period.
• Target Plan — shown for the Linear and Target profiles. The value the plan reaches.
• Plan Index Rate — shown for the Indexed profile. The percentage the plan changes by each period.

Where Advanced Measure is on, the same fields are set twice — once for each mode of operation:

• CMO Profile and Initial CMO — with Target CMO or CMO Index Rate where the profile needs it.
• FMO Profile and Initial FMO — with Target FMO or FMO Index Rate where the profile needs it.

• Prevent modifications to the Plan — stops the plan from being changed once set.

Plan profiles

• Constant — the initial value in every period.
• Linear — moves evenly from the initial value to the target value over the measure's duration.
• Target — the initial value in the first period, then the target value in every period after.
• Indexed — starts at the initial value and changes by the index rate each period.

Actual

• Record Actuals — requires one actual value for each period of the reporting cadence.
• Workflow — the approval workflow applied to each actual value when it's entered.
• Upcoming Actuals Reminder — how many days before an actual is due that the measure owner is notified.
• Overdue Actuals Reminder — how many days after an actual is due before an overdue reminder is sent.
• Prevent modifications to the Actuals — stops actual values from being changed once recorded.

Forecast

• Enable Forecast — turns on forecast values for these measures, and sets how they're produced:
  • Amplify — the forecast is calculated automatically.
  • Manual — users enter the forecast themselves.
  Turning off forecasting deletes the forecast data of existing measures of this classification.
• Enable Actual affected Forecast — available with an Amplify forecast. When turned on, the gap between the last recorded actual and the plan is carried forward into the remaining forecast. When turned off, the forecast for each period is that period's actual where one is recorded, and its plan where it isn't.
• Lower Forecast Limit and Upper Forecast Limit — hold the calculated forecast within a range, so it doesn't produce values that aren't practical or possible. The upper limit must be higher than the lower one. Leave either blank for no limit on that side.
• Prevent modifications to the Forecast — available with a Manual forecast. Stops forecast values from being changed.

Other settings

• Format Dates using Accounting Periods — labels these measures' periods using accounting period names instead of calendar month names. See Configuring Benefit Classifications (Advanced Model) for naming accounting periods.
• Enable Documents — lets users upload documentation to these measures.

Properties tab

The Properties tab sets which fields measures of this classification have — built-in fields, such as External identifier where Enable External ID is on, and custom fields mapped to the classification. For each field, choose whether to Include on Create, which shows it on the form when a measure is created. Fields not included on create can still be filled in afterwards. To stop using a custom field on this classification, select Remove Mapping… on its row. The tab is available once the classification has been created.

For creating custom fields, mapping them, and the settings that belong to the field itself, such as Required, see Custom Fields (Advanced Model).

Default classification

One measure classification is the default. When a user creates a new measure, the default is preselected on the form, where the initiative allows that classification. Where it doesn't, the first allowed classification is preselected instead.

The first measure classification created becomes the default automatically. To make a different one the default, open it for editing and click Make Default, under Default Classification. Only one measure classification can be the default, so the new default replaces the previous one. Make Default isn't offered for classifications with Advanced Measure turned on.

Enabling measures for an initiative

Measures can only be created on initiatives whose classification allows them. To enable a measure classification on an initiative classification:

1. Navigate to Administration > Classifications.
2. Click the initiative classification you want to enable measures for.
3. On the General Configuration tab, scroll down to Enable Local Measures.

   

4. Make sure Enable Local Measures is checked.
5. Select the measure types you want to be available from Allowed Measure Classifications.

   

6. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

   

To make measures of a classification available across the whole organization, allow it on the enterprise's classification too.

Deleting a classification

A measure classification can only be deleted once it has no measures. Archive each of its measures, then delete them — see Managing Measures.

1. Click Edit next to the classification on the Classifications page.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Delete….

The default classification can't be deleted, and neither can the last measure classification or the last discount rate classification.

For creating measures and recording their values, see Managing Measures.