Examining indicators with KPI Details

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Examining indicators with KPI Details

    The KPI Details feature in ServiceNow's Zurich release enables users to explore the data behind key performance indicators (KPIs) in depth. It supports applying forecasts, trends, targets, thresholds, and filtering by breakdown elements or time series aggregations. This tool helps customers understand KPI performance and underlying records, aiding in data-driven decision-making.

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    Key Features

    • Header Section: Displays the indicator name, date selector (defaulting to the last data collection), current score, and changes since the previous score in absolute and percentage terms. It visually indicates whether scores are improving or worsening based on maximize/minimize settings. It also shows target values, gaps to targets, and badges indicating if the indicator is on or off track. Real-time scores can be toggled here with an icon that reflects their status.
    • Indicator Chart: Offers a time series graph of the indicator’s performance over a selectable date range, with options to choose time aggregation (e.g., by quarter) and chart types. Users can click graph points to view details and toggle to show the records contributing to the score on a selected date. Note that scores may not always align with record counts when second-level breakdowns are collected; the score should be considered correct.
    • Sidebar Controls: Allow filtering by breakdown and elements, viewing KPI Signals, and setting indicator targets or thresholds directly within KPI Details.
    • Process Analysis: Enables launching Process Mining analyses related to the indicator to gain deeper insights into process flows and performance.
    • More Actions Menu: Provides quick access to the indicator record and scoresheet for further investigation or editing.
    • Contributing Indicators for Formula KPIs: When viewing formula-based indicators, users can list and open contributing indicators to understand the formula components better.
    • Records Management: Users can view, create, edit, compare, and export records that underlie an indicator score directly within KPI Details, enhancing transparency and data management.
    • Chart Options: Allow customization of the visualization, including what data is shown and how it is aggregated. These options persist per user per indicator.

    Practical Considerations

    • Real-time scores depend on user access controls and may differ from collected scores, as they are sourced directly from facts tables with ACL restrictions.
    • When filtering, records for the "Unmatched" breakdown element are not displayed.
    • Discrepancies between scores and record counts can occur with detailed breakdowns; always rely on the score for accuracy.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This feature empowers customers to analyze KPIs with rich contextual details, improving understanding of performance trends, forecasting, and target management. The integrated ability to view and manage underlying records and to initiate process analyses facilitates comprehensive performance management within the ServiceNow platform.

    The KPI Details feature enables you to delve into the information behind your key performance indicators. Apply forecasts, trends, targets, and thresholds. Filter by breakdown element or apply time series aggregations.

    KPI Details has several sections:KPI Details page showing the header, visualization, and sidebar sections

    Header

    The header contains the name of the indicator, a date selector (default: last data collection), and the score on that date. The absolute and percentage differences between that score and the previously collected score are shown. If the indicator has Maximize or Minimize set, the color of the score and the score change direction arrow indicates whether the score is improving or getting worse.

    The date selector uses whatever calendar the indicator uses.

    If real-time scores are enabled for the indicator, select in the header whether to view them, using the clock icon Real-time scores icon turned off. This icon is transparent when real-time scores are disabled and solid when they are enabled Real time icon when real time is activated. For more information, see Real-time scores.

    If a target is set for the selected date, the header shows the target value and the gap between the score on that date and the target, in both absolute and percentage terms. If both target and forecast are shown, as set in Chart options in KPI Details, a badge shows whether the indicator is on track or off track to meet the target by the review date.

    Warning:
    Real-time scores can differ per viewer and differ from collected scores. Real-time scores are taken directly from the relevant facts tables. Therefore, the Access Control Lists (ACL) of those facts tables determine the real-time scores that each logged-in user sees.

    Indicator chart

    The indicator chart shows:
    Warning:
    In some cases, when you collect second-level breakdowns, the score and the number of records do not agree. When these values do not agree, the score is correct. For more details and an example, see KB0748969.
    Important:
    Records are not listed for the "Unmatched" breakdown element when you select it in the filter.

    Sidebar

    Use the sidebar controls to:

    Process analysis

    Besides these three sections, a Run process analysis button lets you launch a Process Mining analysis on the indicator. For more information, see Process Mining.

    More actions menu

    You also have a More actions menu More actions menu icon that gives you access to the indicator record and scoresheet. For more information, see Access indicator record or scoresheet from KPI Details.