Metrics are a way to record information. It allows the analysis and improvement of a process by measuring statistics, based upon particular defined criteria. Most often, these are time based. One of the most common metrics is how long it takes to complete a task-from when the record was created to the moment the Active flag became false. The duration can then be averaged out and compared over time, helping answer questions such as "Are we getting quicker at completing tasks?"
Note
Metrics provide a great alternative to creating lots of extra fields and Business Rules on a table. Of course, these can do calculations too, but what's the point in creating lots of code and fields that clutter up the table when you have a pre-built system to help?
Other metrics are more complex and may involve getting more than one result per task:
- How long does each assignment group take to deal with the ticket?
- How long does an SLA get paused for?
- How many times does the incident get reassigned...