Create a metric

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 8 minutes to read

    • Create a metric to perform calculations on your data.

    Before you begin

    Role required:

    sn_grc_metric.manager, sn_risk.user, and sn_compliance.user.

    About this task

    To create a metric, you need a metric definition and an entity. A metric definition defines the method for collecting the score for an entity. When a metric definition gets associated with an entity, it creates a metric.

    Procedure

    1. Navigate to All > Risk > Risk Workspace > Lists > Metrics > Metrics.
    2. Click New.
    3. On the form, fill in the fields.
      Table 1. New automated metric definition form
      Field Description
      Name Name of the automated metric definition. For example, Number of incidents.
      Description Brief description of the automated metric definition.
      Active Option to mark the automated metric definition as active.
      Class Class to which the metric definition belongs. The choices are as follows:
      • KPI: Indicates how well the risk exposure is managed against objectives. Use this option to add entities and additional entities to the metric definition.
      • KRI: Indicates the amount of exposure to a given risk or set of risks. Use this option to add risks and risk statements to the metric definition. This option is available if the Advanced Risk plugin is activated.
      • KCI: Indicates the effectiveness of any controls that have been implemented to reduce or mitigate a given risk exposure. Use this option to add controls and control objectives to the metric definition. This option is available if the Policy and Compliance Management plugin is activated.
      Type Method used to determine if the score is collected manually or in an automated manner. This field is automatically set to Automated but the value changes when you select the metric definition and gets updated to the type of the metric definition.
      Key metric Option to indicate if the metric is a key metric for your business.
      Domain area The workspace from where the metric definition is created. This field is automatically set. For example, if you create a metric definition from the Risk Workspace, then this field is set to Risk.
      Enterprise Owner Type Type of enterprise owner who is responsible for the automated metric definition. The choices are as follows:
      • User
      • User group
      Metric Score Aggregation Method used to summarize the score at the metric definition level. The choices are as follows:
      • Sum: Sum of all active metrics.
      • Average: Average of all active metrics.
      • Maximum: Maximum value of all active metrics.
      • Minimum: Minimum value of all active metrics.
      Value Value obtained after the metrics are executed.
      Enterprise owner Enterprise owner of the automated metric definition.
      Metric Properties
      Direction Direction of the automated metric definition. The choices are as follows:
      • None: If you don’t want any change in the metric direction, select this option.
      • Minimize: If the desired metric direction is downward or descending, select this option. For example, you want to minimize the fuel consumption.
      • Maximize: If the desired metric direction is upward or ascending, select this option. For example, you want to maximize the use of natural resources in your organization.
      • Milestone: When the metric direction isn’t applicable, but the metric is tracked against a milestone, select this option. For example, if your organization is going to launch a new renewable energy product in the market, the upcoming launch date is considered as a milestone.
      Precision

      Number of decimal places after the decimal point on a score.

      When an indicator has a Precision of 0, the indicator rounds the result to the nearest even, whole number. For example, if an indicator with Precision 0 calculates the values 7 + (5 / 2), the indicator rounds the result up to 10. However, if the formula calculates 2 + (5 / 2), the indicator rounds the result down to 4.

      When an indicator has a Precision greater than 0, the indicator rounds to the nearest decimal point for the given precision. For example, an indicator with Precision 1 rounds a result of 4.45 as 4.5.
      Unit Unit for the automated metric definition. You can define the units in which the scores are shown. The most commonly used units are provided by default.
      Nature Nature of the automated metric definition. The choices are as follows:
      • None
      • Leading: If the metric is an indicator of future events, select this option. For example, consider the number of sales that a store makes on new solar batteries. This number is a leading indicator for the support requests that the store may receive in the future.
      • Lagging: If the metric is an indicator of past events, select this option. For example, consider the number of sales that a store has made in the previous year. This number is a lagging indicator for the support requests that the store has received in the past year.
      • Current: If the metric is an indicator of the current state of the events, select this option. For example, consider the number of sales that a store has made in the current year. This number is an indicator of the current support requests received by the store.
      Method
      Method Type Type of automated metric. The choices are as follows:
      • Basic
      • Scripted
      Note:
      If you select Scripted, you must save the form and select Add script to add your script. Only users with the sn_grc.developer role can add scripts.
      Table Table that is queried for creating the automated metric definition.
      Criteria Condition for the record from which a score is obtained. Build a filter by adding conditions that contain a field, operator, and values and then click Set.
      Note:
      Select a value for the Table field before modifying this field.
      Aggregate

      Method to aggregate the automated metric definition score. When an option is selected in the Aggregate field, a new Aggregation Field is displayed next to the Aggregate field. The Aggregation Field displays the selected record. The choices for the Aggregate field are as follows:

      • Count: Count of the number of records that are rendered by the table query that is set in the filter criteria.
      • Sum: Sum of the values of the parameters based on the selected value in the Aggregation Field.
      • Average: Average of the values of the parameters based on the selected value in the Aggregation Field.
      • Maximum: Maximum of the values of the parameters based on the selected value in the Aggregation Field.
      • Minimum: Minimum of the values of the parameters based on the selected value in the Aggregation Field.
      • Count Distinct: Number of groups in the result set that is grouped by the Aggregation Field.
      Note:
      The Aggregation Field is displayed for all the options except Count.
      Reference field Field based on which the metric data can be segregated. This field connects the entity to the selected scoring table and it calculates a score that is specific to an entity.
      Note:
      Ensure that the table that the reference field points to matches with the table of the records that the associated entities point to, through the Applies to field in the entity form.
      Note:
      It is the user's responsibility to validate the criteria mentioned in the note as the system doesn’t validate it. Select a table before modifying this field.
      Schedule
      Calendar Calendar to use for metric collection. Only the configured calendar options are available. This field is automatically set to Standard Calendar. Standard calendar refers to the Gregorian calendar. This field can be modified only if the metric definition for this metric doesn’t use the standard calendar.
      Frequency Collection frequency for the metric definition. This field is automatically set based on the frequency of the selected metric definition.
      First run date Date the metric is run the first time.
      Due date offset Number of days after the schedule end date when the metric data task becomes overdue. For example, if the frequency of a metric definition is monthly and if the you enter 15 in this field, then the due date for metric data task will be overdue 15 days after the month ends. This field only appears when the metric definition associated with the metric is of type Manual.
      Next run date Date when the metric going to be executed.
      Period date Date used to specify the start and end dates for the data collection period.
      Data Collection Details
      Data owner type Data owner type, such as User.
      Data owner Name of the user as the data owner.
      Approval
      Note:
      This section appears only when the Metric approval property is set to Simple. For more information see, Properties installed with Advanced Risk.
      Approval required Option to indicate if an approval is required.
      Approver type Type of the approver of the metric definition. The choices are as follows:
      • User
      • User group
      User Approver user or approver group that is responsible to approve the metric definition. The choices are as follows:
      • Approver: Displayed when the User option is selected.
      • Approver group: Displayed when the User group option is selected.
      Note:
      By default, the approver is the user specified in the metric definition, but this can be overridden at the metric level.
      Classification
      Group Area that the metric relates to.
      Reporting classification Tag used to categorise the metric.
      Subgroup Subgroup that the metric relates to.
      Confidentiality
      Note:
      This section only appears when:
      • The sn_grc.enable_record_confidentiality property is enabled under GRC properties.
      • The record is in Draft state.
      Confidential Option to mark the record as confidential.
      Allowed users Users who can view the record.
      Note:
      By default, the logged in user is added to the list of confidential users.
      Allowed groups Groups that can view the record.
    4. Click Save.
      Note:
      After a new metric is created, the related lists along with the Details tab are displayed on the form. You can view the metric data overview in the Overview tab. The Metrics overview page displays the metrics data details when you execute a metric along with the duration for which the data is collected.

    Result

    The metric is saved in the Metrics list.