Multidimensional scorecard header definition

• US 7,716,571 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hulen, Corey, Lim, Chen-I, Tien, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Joshua D
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US11/412,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 715/825, 715/212, 705/1, 705/10, 705/11
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

An object model and a user interface (UI) enable users of a scorecard application to define an order and categorization of elements including header and row components to break out the scorecard data for effective presentation of multidimensional scorecard views combined with data from non-multidimensional sources. Users are provided options to select individual or sets of members, or to provide queries that select sets of metrics for the scorecard view. Header components are defined at predetermined depth of layers enabling the user to view categorized metrics. Additional columns providing attribute information associated with the metrics can also be inserted in selected places within the scorecard matrix using the editing UI.

Claims

1. A method to be executed at least in part in a computing device for organizing a scorecard matrix, the method comprising:

determining a selection of elements to be included in the scorecard matrix;

determining a categorization for the selected elements;

determining a set of header components for the categorized elements;

determining score values associated with each header component of the set of header components, wherein determining the score values associated with each header component of the set of header component comprises determining one actual score value for each element of the categorized elements and at least one target value for each element of the categorized elements;

providing an option to switch the set of header components with a set of row components;

validating the selection of the elements, wherein validating the selection of the elements comprises;

ensuring data for the scorecard matrix can be efficiently retrieved, and

dropping any header components from the set of header components that are not applicable to the scorecard matrix; and

generating the scorecard matrix based on the categorized elements using the set of header components to designate categories.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the set of row components for the categorized elements; and

generating the scorecard matrix based on the categorized elements using the set of row components to designate the categories, wherein the row components and the header components are interchangeable.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the row components and the header components categorize the elements by at least one from a set of:

a geography, a product, a time, and an organizational structure.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling a user to select the set of row components using one of a checkbox selection, a name set selection, a query definition, and an individual component identification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the header components are organized in layers of a predetermined depth based on a number of the categories for the elements.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

presenting a preview of the scorecard matrix as each selection is made; and

enabling the user to change a hierarchy of the set of row components and the set of header components.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a selection of at least one flat column, wherein the at least one flat column includes attribute information associated with at least one of the elements; and

inserting the selected at least one flat column based on one of a user selection and metrics column categorization into the scorecard matrix.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the attribute information is retrieved from metadata associated with the selected elements.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting similar attribute information that is designated differently from the metadata; and

combining the similar attribute information in a single flat column.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a localization parameter from at least one of;

a user identity, a metrics data attribute, and a scorecard attribute; and

adjusting a scorecard presentation and a data presentation based on the localization parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the localization parameter includes at least one from a set of:

a language, a time, a currency, a set of local terms, and numeric value format.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

preserving information associated with at least one from a set of;

the selection of the elements, the categorization of the selected elements, selected flat columns, and the localization parameter for subsequent use in another scorecard matrix.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of header components are used in a plurality of scorecard matrices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of header components for the categorized elements comprises determining the set of header components dynamically based on a predetermined set of rules.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for organizing a scorecard matrix in a scorecard system, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

determining a selection of elements to be included in the scorecard matrix;

determining a categorization for the selected elements;

determining a set of header components and a set of row components for the categorized elements;

determining score values associated with each header component of the set of header components, wherein determining the score values associated with each header component of the set of header component comprises determining one actual score value for each element of the categorized elements and at least one target value for each element of the categorized elements;

providing an option to switch the set of header components with the set of row components, wherein the set of header components and the set of row components are interchangeable;

validating a combination of the set of header components and the set of row components to prevent a conflict in data retrieval and scorecard presentation;

dropping any header components from the set of header components that are not applicable to the scorecard matrix; and

generating the scorecard matrix based on the categorized elements using the set of header components and the set of row components to designate categories, wherein the categories include at least one from a set of;

a geography, a product, a time, and an organizational structure.

16. The computer-readable storage medium claim 15, wherein determining the set of header components and the set of row components for the categorized elements comprises determining the set of header components and the set of row dynamically based on a predetermined set of rules.

17. A system for editing a scorecard matrix using header components in a scorecard system, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to provide;

a scorecard application configured to compute scorecard metrics and provide a scorecard presentation based on computed scorecard metrics; and

an editing user interface (UI) configured to;

determine a group of categories for a selected group of scorecard elements;

determine a set of layered header components and a set of row components based on the group of categories, wherein a depth of header component layers is determined by a user selection from a default set of layers;

determine at least one flat column associated with an attribute of at least one scorecard metric;

determine one actual score value for the at least one scorecard metric;

determine at least one target for the at least one scorecard metric;

provide an option to switch the set of header components with the set of row components;

validate a combination of the set of layered header components and the set of row components to prevent a conflict in data retrieval and the scorecard presentation;

ensure data for the scorecard matrix can be efficiently retrieved, wherein the editing UI being configured to ensure the data for the scorecard matrix can be efficiently retrieved comprises the editing UI being configured to perform a validation operation to ensure that the data can be retrieved without degenerate queries and remove redundant query elements; and

drop any header components from the set of layered header components that are not applicable to the scorecard matrix, wherein dropping any header components that are not applicable to the scorecard matrix comprises the editing UI being configured to;

determine whether at least one layered header component of the set of layered header components has at least one selected metric associated with the at least one layered header component, and

in response to determining that the at least one layered header component of the set of layered header components does not have the at least one selected metric associated with the at least one layered header component, dropping the at least one header component from the set of layered header components;

switch, upon user switch indication and validation of the combination of the set of header components and the set of row components resultant from the switch, the set of header components with the set of row components; and

generate the scorecard matrix based on the group of categories and the at least one flat column for the scorecard presentation.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the editing UI is further configured to dynamically combine similar attributes that are designated differently in their respective data sources into a single flat column.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the editing UI is further configured to present scorecard elements associated with a selected header component in the scorecard presentation and to hide the scorecard elements associated with an unselected header component in the scorecard presentation.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the editing UI is configured to detect a localization parameter from one of a browser configuration, a user identity, a data attribute, and adjust at least one from a set of:

a UI language, a data format, a time format, a currency, and a set of local terms based on the detected localization parameter.