Indicator targets and thresholds in KPI Details
Summarize
Summary of Indicator targets and thresholds in KPI Details
This feature in ServiceNow’s Performance Analytics enables organizations to set and monitor targets and thresholds for KPIs. Targets represent specific goals to achieve, showing the gap between desired and actual scores on given dates. Thresholds define normal score ranges and trigger alerts when unusual events, such as all-time highs, occur. Both targets and thresholds can be personal (visible only to the creator) or global (visible to all users), helping teams track performance effectively.
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Key Features
- Indicator Targets: Targets can be set globally or personally. Personal targets appear only in KPI Details and Analytics Hub, while global targets also display in time series and single score visualizations. Dashboards can use proactive analytics insights cards to alert viewers about target-related events.
- Indicator Thresholds: Thresholds trigger email notifications upon activation. Personal thresholds are private and visible only in KPI Details, whereas global thresholds appear to all users and in time series visualizations. Threshold-related alerts also appear on dashboards.
- Target Status Icons: KPI Details shows status icons such as On track, Off track, or Too early to track based on forecasted performance relative to targets. After the review date, status icons update to Met or Not met, reflecting actual performance outcomes.
- Target Management: Users can create, edit, and retroactively modify targets, including setting targets for specific breakdown elements and time series aggregations. Multiple targets can be updated simultaneously for consistent values or dates.
- Threshold Management: Users with appropriate roles can add, modify, or delete personal and global thresholds directly within KPI Details.
- Multiple Breakdown Targets: It is possible to assign different targets across multiple breakdown elements, either as absolute values or improvements over baselines.
Practical Application and Benefits
ServiceNow customers can use KPI Details to precisely manage performance targets and thresholds, enabling proactive monitoring and timely notifications. Visual indicators and forecasting provide insights on whether KPIs are on track, helping users make informed decisions and adjustments. The ability to handle personal versus global settings ensures flexibility and appropriate visibility across teams.
By leveraging these capabilities, organizations can maintain clear accountability for KPI progress, set realistic improvement goals, and receive early warnings of deviations, ultimately driving better performance management and outcomes.
Targets are goals your organization wants to achieve. They show the difference between the desired and actual scores of an indicator on a certain date. Thresholds define a normal range of scores for an indicator and alert you when certain events occurs, like when a score reaches an all-time high.
Indicator targets
A target can be personal or global. A personal target is visible only to the user that created it and appears as a light line. A global target is visible to all users and appears as a dark line. Because you cannot share a personal target, it appears only in KPI Details and the Analytics Hub. Global targets can also appear in time series and single score data visualizations. Dashboards can alert viewers to events related to targets through proactive analytics insights cards.
Indicator thresholds
When a threshold is triggered, the instance generates an email notification. This message is associated with the indicator and the message is directly available via KPI Details.
A threshold can be personal or global. A personal threshold is visible only to the user that created it. It appears as a light grey dotted line. A global threshold is visible to all users and appears as a dark grey dotted line. Because you cannot share a personal threshold, it appears only in KPI Details. Global thresholds can also appear in time series data visualizations. Dashboards can alert viewers to events related to thresholds through proactive analytics insights cards.
KPI Details with current target
In the following example, one target has been set on the indicator. That target was set on 1 October, with a review date of 6 November. On 31 October, the score was 169. The gap on 15 March is calculated as Target value
- Score on selected date. The gap is therefore 51, or 23.2%.
The card for the target in the Targets panel shows a different gap value. This gap is equal to
Target value - Forecast score on the review date. If you enable
Forecast in the Chart Options, you can see how this gap is
calculated more clearly. In the following example, you see that the forecast score for the
review date is 29 and the target is 30. The gap on the tile accordingly is one.
An icon displays the status as On track, Off track, or Too early to track. This icon appears on both the chart and the Targets panel. The status is based on the predicted gap between target and score on the review date. Because the projected score is better than the target, the On track icon is displayed. Had it been worse than the target, the Off track icon would be displayed. If there hadn't been enough data to predict whether the target would be met, the Too early to track icon would be displayed.
KPI Details with past target
When a target reaches its review date, it becomes known whether it has been met. The On Track, Off track, and Too early to track icons no longer apply. Instead, either a Met or a Not met icon is displayed. In the following example, the indicator met its target on the review date by a margin of two. On the card, the Gap information is replaced by the final score on the review date. This score is visible regardless of which date is chosen on the chart. The chart still displays the gap between the score and the target on the selected date.
Past and current targets
When a target reaches its review date, it is no longer active. Usually you want a new target to take effect. When you add a new target, the expired targets are still visible, both in the chart and on cards. Here, a new target is added to the indicator after the target from the previous example has expired. This target is based on a 10% improvement to the previous target, as described in Create a target in KPI Details. The chart shows information about whichever target is in effect on the selected date.