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KPIs
Governed indicators, defined once on a dataset and computed for you.
In short
A KPI is an indicator defined once on a dataset: an aggregation such as total revenue or number of active customers. Northstar computes its value for each period, so everyone who reads it sees the same number, computed the same way. A KPI can stay personal or be shared with teams, and it can feed your Smart Cockpit.
How a KPI is defined
A KPI always reads one dataset. You create it in four steps: Basic Info, Data Source (the dataset), Definition and Display.
There are two ways to define the value:
| Manual Builder | SQL Builder | |
|---|---|---|
| How | Pick a column and an aggregation, then add filters | Write a query that returns a single value |
| Aggregations | Sum, average, count, minimum, maximum, distinct count, first value | Anything your query computes |
| Periods and trend line | Yes, with a date column | No: one value |
| Help | — | Generate with AI writes the query from your description |
Prefer the Manual Builder when you can: it gives a value for each period and a trend line, and anyone can read the definition without knowing SQL.
Periods
With a date column, a KPI is computed for each of these periods:
- the last 7, 30, 90 and 365 days;
- the current month, quarter and year;
- all time.
You choose the default period the KPI opens on. Readers can switch to another one.
Display
The display step sets how the value reads:
- format: currency, decimal, percentage or integer;
- currency, number of decimals, prefix and suffix;
- compact numbers, such as 1.2M instead of 1,200,000;
- an icon and tags, to find the KPI in the catalogue.
When values are computed
- When you create or edit a KPI, its values are computed right away.
- Every day, all KPIs are computed again, before the Smart Cockpit is refreshed.
A KPI reads its dataset as it is at computation time. If the dataset is refreshed during the day, the KPI shows the new data at its next computation.
Personal or shared
| Visibility | Who sees it |
|---|---|
| Personal | Only you. You are its owner. |
| Shared | The teams you grant access to, read-only. You pick the owner and the editors among the members of those teams. |
A shared KPI is a resource: teams get the View right and, if you allow it, the Smart Cockpit right.
KPI recommendations
On gold datasets, the AI suggests KPIs from the dataset's documentation and the KPIs your organization already tracks. Open them with Are you tracking the right KPIs?
- Use this KPI opens the creation form, pre-filled. You review it before saving.
- Dismiss removes a suggestion; you can add a reason for your team.
- Suggestions need at least 70% of the dataset and its columns to be documented. They are updated regularly in the background.
In the Smart Cockpit
You can add a KPI to your Smart Cockpit when your team has the Smart Cockpit right on it. Each cockpit holds up to 6 KPIs, each with its own period.
FAQ
Can I set a target for a KPI? KPIs have no target or threshold. To be notified when a value crosses a threshold, create an alert on the dataset.
Why does my KPI have no trend line? Trend lines need the Manual Builder and a date column. A KPI defined in SQL has a single value.
Two KPIs give different numbers for "revenue". Which one is right? Open both: each shows its dataset and its definition. Prefer the one built on a gold dataset with a good quality score, and share it so that everyone uses the same one.