Key Terms

The hierarchical relationships of the objectives that your organization is striving to achieve. This is used as the foundation for a scorecard, and typically balanced across four major categories: financial, customer, learning, and internal. It is created from strategy components, which include vision, strategic thrusts, and critical success factors.

The overall mission of an organization. This is usually the highest level on a strategy tree. Vision is optional; you aren't required to have a vision component on each strategy tree.

The main goals that your organization is striving to achieve. In your strategy hierarchy, strategic thrusts are directly subordinate to vision (the next level below vision on your strategy tree). More specific descriptions of what you must do to achieve each goal are defined by CSFs. KPIs may be attached to strategic thrusts as long as no CSFs are below them, but typically strategic thrusts are not directly associated with KPIs.

The key factors or objectives that must be accomplished for a particular strategic thrust. These are the specific tasks that an organization must do well or excel at to achieve its goals. In your strategy hierarchy, they are directly subordinate to strategic thrusts. KPIs are attached to CSFs.

The data value or calculation from the EPM database tables upon which an assessment is determined. KPIs are calculated values by which you assess your critical success factors, strategic thrusts, and strategic initiatives. Defined using KPI manager, they link to specific data within the EPM database. KPIs are not attached as nodes on a strategy tree; instead, they are associated with a strategy component or strategic initiative by means of the Strategy KPIs page.

The discreet objects, or data rows, that are defined by a KPI. For example, for an employee base pay KPI, the KPI dimension members are employees (by employee ID).

An element that is part of your strategy hierarchy. Vision, strategic thrusts, and critical success factors are all strategy components.

The categories within which you classify KPIs and strategy components. Usually, four are available: financial, customer, internal, and learning. Some scorecard views display assessments that are grouped by perspective.

The actions that an organization must take to implement a critical strategic goal. Strategic initiatives may be temporary or short-term in nature; they are a scheme, program, or special project that your organization wants to undertake. They are not part of nor do they use a strategy tree, however, strategy components and KPIs are associated with strategic initiatives. For example, a project such as "Year 2000 Compliance" could be categorized as a strategic initiative. The system includes pages for defining and viewing strategic initiatives.

The views of a strategy tree's components and KPIs and their assessment results.

A group of scorecards or KPIs that are related in some way.

An attribute such as time, product, or location that is used to categorize or identify a particular piece of data. In the PeopleSoft Enterprise Performance Management product line, some examples of dimensions are product, customer, and channel.

The outcome of comparing actual results with targeted goals. This is similar to a grading system. Assessments indicate how successfully an organization is achieving its goals. Assessment images appear on the scorecard.