Process instance-independent measures can have a loose or strict dimension reference (dimreferring XML attribute). The default value is loose dimension reference (dimreferring="LOOSE").
Loose dimension reference
A process instance-independent measure with a loose dimension reference can be analyzed for all available dimensions. The process instance-independent measure also delivers values for queries with step widths other than that specified for the process instance-independent measure (refinement XML attribute) and for dimensions for which no reference is defined.
If you are analyzing a process instance-independent measure with a dimension for which no dimension reference (refdim XML element) has been defined, this dimension is ignored in the value calculation for the process instance-independent measure. The process instance-independent measure values shown only apply to the dimensions referred to in the definition of the process instance-independent measure data series.
Likewise, queries with a more detailed step width return the process instance-independent measure values that refer to the defined step widths. This means that other step widths are ignored in the analysis.
Example
Overhead costs |
Total costs |
Customer |
Time |
---|---|---|---|
1000 € |
25000 € |
Germany, Becker |
Jan 2001 |
3000 € |
68000 € |
Germany, Schmidt |
Jan 2001 |
1500 € |
13000 € |
France, Leclerc |
Jan 2001 |
1200 € |
12000 € |
Germany, Becker |
Feb 2001 |
3400 € |
78000 € |
Germany, Schmidt |
Feb 2001 |
... |
... |
... |
... |
The table lists the process instance-independent measures Overhead costs and Total costs with reference to the Customer and Time dimensions. If your analysis queries the overhead costs for the customer Germany, Becker for 15th Jan 2001, you obtain the return value 1000 € for the process instance-independent measure. However, this value actually relates to the whole month of January 2001 (refinement="BY_MONTH").
Make sure to observe the defined dimension references of a process instance-independent measure as well as the specified step widths of the referenced dimensions in order to ensure plausible analysis results.
Strict dimension reference
A process instance-independent measure with a strict dimension reference can only be evaluated with the dimensions to which it refers to in the definition of the data series (refdim XML elements). Queries for dimensions to which the process instance-independent measure does not refer are not possible. Queries with a step width other than that defined are not possible, either.
If a different step width or dimension is selected in the analysis, a corresponding error dialog is displayed.
The special case of the "Process type" dimension reference
If you specify the dimension Process type (PROCESSTYPE) as dimension reference in a process instance-independent data series, only process types that already exist in the PPM system can be used for data import. If you try to import process instance-independent data into a process type that does not exist the import outputs an error message including the involved data rows. The process tree is not automatically extended. Data import is not aborted but the data rows with the non-existing process type are not imported.