Overview of Financial Metrics

Purpose

This section provides an overview of the Financial Metrics available in Metrics Studio. Metrics Studio allows users to explore, understand, and analyze a wide range of financial metrics relevant to accounts payable, vendor performance, invoice processing, and cash flow.


What Are Financial Metrics?

Financial metrics are quantitative measures used to assess, monitor, and analyze an organization's financial health and operational performance. These metrics provide actionable insights into cash flow, profitability, efficiency, and risk.

In SmartResearch, financial metrics are automatically calculated and visualized using data from connected Systems of Record (SORs) and external data sources. This enables finance and accounting teams to quickly identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.


Why Use Financial Metrics in SmartResearch?

  • Real-Time Insights:
    Metrics are updated in real time as new data is ingested from ERPs and other sources.

  • Cross-System Analysis:
    SmartResearch aggregates data from multiple systems, providing a unified view of financial performance.

  • Actionable Reporting:
    Users can drill down into metrics, visualize trends, and export reports for further analysis or compliance.

  • Exception Monitoring:
    Automated alerts and exception rates help teams quickly identify and address process issues.


Financial Metrics Overview

Metrics Studio presents financial metrics in two primary views:

  • Card View: Each metric is displayed as a card, showing the metric name, a brief description, and the calculation formula. A confidence indicator (such as High Confidence) is also visible.
  • List View: Metrics are organized in a table, with columns for the metric title, description, underlying calculation formula, and confidence score.

Users can switch between Card View and List View using the toggle buttons at the top-right of the metrics panel. 

Table 1. Financial Metric Examples

Metric NameDescriptionExample FormulaConfidence Indicator
Active VendorsCurrent count of active vendor relationshipsCOUNT(DISTINCT Vendor_Bill_Vendor_Id)High
Adjustment BillsCount and total amount of adjustment/correction invoicesCOUNT(Vendor_Bill_Number) WHERE Vendor_Bill_Is_Adjustment = TRUEHigh
Aggressive ForecastRisk-adjusted high cash forecast scenarioSUM(Vendor_Bill_Open_Amount × 1.10)High
Average Bill AmountMean invoice amount by vendorAVERAGE(Vendor_Bill_Total_Amount)High
Average Days OverdueMean number of days invoices are past due dateAVERAGE(CURRENT_DATE – Vendor_Bill_Due_Date) WHERE Vendor_Bill_Due_Date < CURRENT_DATEHigh
Average Days to Pay (Enterprise)Company-wide average payment cycle timeAVERAGE(Payment_Date – Vendor_Bill_Date)High

How to Use Metrics Studio

  1. Navigate to Metrics Studio using the left navigation bar and selecting the Insights icon.
  2. Use the Card View or List View toggle to change how metrics are displayed.
  3. Scroll through or search for available metrics using the Search metrics... field.
  4. Review each metric’s name, description, calculation formula, and confidence score to understand its relevance.
  5. Switch between different financial metric categories (such as Accounts Payable) using the tabs at the top of the panel.