Workiva Support Center

You can configure a metric to collect one value for a reporting year, or multiple values based on:

• Increased collection frequency, with Biannual, Quarterly, or Monthly values
• Custom dimension, such as for multiple locations, business units, or demographics

You can also configure a metric to require notes or attachments as supporting material for its values. For example, you can configure a metric to collect the monthly energy consumption for multiple locations, with PDFs of their utility bills required as attachments.

Configure the type of values to collect

Each metric can collect a specific type of value, based on the data it requires:

• Number, such as for a quantitative value or measurement
• Currency, for a monetary amount
• Percent, for a percentage or rate
• Text, such as for a qualitative or narrative response
• Date, such as for time-based data

For a Number, Currency, or Percent, you also choose the unit of measurement for the metric's values.

Note: You can configure the value type only when the values are not yet been sent for data collection. To edit a metric's value type, first cancel its in-progress tasks.

To set the type of values a metric collects:

1. From the Configure metric panel, select the type of data to collect in Value type.
   

2. For a Number, Currency, or Percent, select the unit of measurement in Value unit. 

   Note: You can't edit the default units of measurement offered by Value unit. To use a unit that isn't available, enter it in Value unit as a custom unit that will appear for only the specific metric.

   Tip: To collect values with varying units, such as for multiple locales, create separate metrics based on unit.

Set requirements for values

From the Configure metric panel, select whether to require supporting material for the metric's values:

• Require notes, to ensure assignees enter notes, such as for footnotes or reporting narratives.
• Require supporting attachments, to ensure assignees attach evidentiary files, such as calculations or utility bills.

If enabled, assignees must provide the required details when they prepare values through Workiva Tasks portal, a source file's Sustainability panel, or the metric itself.

Note: When you enable a requirement, it applies to all of the metric's values and their tasks, except those already Completed.

Apply a dimension to metric values

From a metric, you can collect multiple values based on custom dimension set up for your Program, such as for different locations, business units, or demographics.

Tip: When you apply a dimension, you can choose which of its values to use with the metric, such as to collect data for only specific locations.

Note: Depending on your implementation, you can apply only one dimension or up to seven. To learn more, view Enable multidimensional metrics in Sustainability Program.

To apply a dimension to a metric's values:

1. From Values, select the Program year to begin to use dimension.
2. From the metric's Configure metric panel, click Add dimension, and select the dimension to apply.
   
3. From Values, click Add values, and choose which of the dimension's values to collect.

Note: You can remove a dimension only if it has no values collected for any Program year. 

Configure values for reporting year

From a metric, you can configure the values it collects for a reporting year, based on collection period and any custom dimension.

Tip: You can add new values to a metric at any time, such as to include a location not initially configured.

Note: To collect values based on a custom dimension, first apply it from the metric's Configure metric panel.

To add values to a metric's configuration:

1. In Program year, select the reporting year to collect the values for.
2. Select Values, then click Add values.
   
3. In Dimensions, select the dimensional values to collect for, then click Next:
   

   • In Collection period, select the data collection frequency of the metric — Yearly, Biannually, Quarterly, or Monthly — and the periods to collect values for.

     Tip: To collect values for mixed periods, such as both monthly and quarterly values, select All periods, and choose the periods to collect.

   • If the metric has a custom dimension applied, select the dimensional values to collect for.
4. Preview the values configured based on the selected periods and dimensional values. If a value isn't needed, click Remove.
   
5. To add the values to the metric, click Apply.

Tip: If you no longer need to collect a value, such as for a location that no longer applies, you can remove it from the metric.