Spreadsheet · Data and analytics
A metric dictionary so every team counts the same way
A spreadsheet that holds one agreed definition for every measure your company reports: what it means, how it is calculated, where the data comes from, who owns it and how often it is updated. It ends the meetings where finance, sales and operations bring three different numbers for the same thing.
Try it
Search the dictionary for a measure, a team or an owner
10 measures
| Measure | Definition | Calculation | Owner | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active customers | Customers with at least one completed transaction in the last 30 days | Count of distinct customer IDs with a completed transaction in the period | Head of Product | Weekly |
| Monthly revenue | Revenue recognised in the calendar month, net of refunds and VAT | Sum of recognised revenue lines minus refunds, from the ledger | CFO | Monthly |
| Gross margin | Revenue less direct costs, as a share of revenue | (Revenue − direct costs) ÷ revenue | CFO | Monthly |
| Customer acquisition cost | Sales and marketing spend per new customer acquired | Sales and marketing costs ÷ new customers in the period | Head of Marketing | Monthly |
| Customer churn | Share of customers active last month who are not active this month | Customers lost ÷ active customers at start of month | Head of Customer Service | Monthly |
| On-time delivery | Orders delivered by the promised date | Orders delivered on or before promised date ÷ orders delivered | COO | Weekly |
| First-contact resolution | Complaints resolved without a second contact | Complaints closed on first contact ÷ complaints closed | Head of Customer Service | Weekly |
| Cash runway | Months the company can operate at current net burn | Cash and equivalents ÷ average net monthly burn over three months | CFO | Monthly |
| Employee attrition | Share of employees who left in the last twelve months | Leavers in 12 months ÷ average headcount in 12 months | Head of People | Monthly |
| Net promoter score | Customers who would recommend you, minus those who would not | % scoring 9–10 minus % scoring 0–6 | Head of Customer Service | Quarterly |
What is in the file
One row per measure: definition, calculation, source, owner, frequency and where it is reported
Each owner and the measures they are accountable for, with a deputy
The systems and tables each measure comes from, and known data quality issues
Every change to a definition, with the date, the reason and who approved it
What you need
- The measures already in your board pack and management reports
- The systems where the data lives
- A named owner for each measure
- One meeting per function to agree definitions
What you get
- One agreed definition for every reported measure
- Clear ownership, so someone answers when a number looks wrong
- A record of changes that auditors and investors can follow
- The foundation for dashboards people trust
How it works
The dictionary does not calculate measures; it records how they are calculated. Each definition states what is counted, what is excluded, the time period and the exact source. A measure is approved when its owner and the head of data both sign it off, and any change after that is entered in the change log before reports change.
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Executive dashboard layout
A one-page dashboard design for a leadership team, with the twelve measures it usually holds and how to arrange them.
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From the practitioner
Before we built dashboards for 120 branches, we spent three weeks agreeing what an active customer was. It felt slow, but it is the reason branch managers trusted the reports. A dictionary is cheap to build and saves you from arguing about numbers instead of acting on them.
Questions
What is a metric dictionary?
A single list of the measures a company reports, each with one agreed definition, calculation, data source, owner and update frequency. It makes sure every team means the same thing by the same number.
How many measures should be in the dictionary?
Start with the twenty or so in your board pack and leadership scorecard. Add others only when they are reported regularly.
Who should own the metric dictionary?
The head of data or finance usually maintains it, but each measure has its own business owner who approves its definition and answers questions about it.
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