The Ribbon Analyzer Radar Plot in Acumen Fuse provides a graphical representation of tabulated metric data results. Here’s a look at how it works.
Deltek Acumen Fuse Ribbon Analyzer effectively tabulates metric results for the project life cycle. The following article discusses the effectiveness of the Ribbon Analyzer using the default tabulated result format.
Read the above article for a demonstration of the utility of the Ribbon Analyzer tabulated output across various stages of a schedule’s quality improvement. The tabulated output has been preferred for tracking the changing results of a metric group over iterations of the schedule. Recently, Deltek added another metric group output display, the Radar Plot.
This article demonstrates the advantages of the Radar Plot for tracking and presenting metric group results at varying stages of quality improvement for a respective schedule.
Demonstration
Figure 1 shows an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), HVAC-IMS and two updates, HVAC-U1 and HVAC-U2, linked to Workbook 1 HVAC and imported into Acumen.
The S1//Projects tab is the first stage of a five-stage maturity framework leading to a quality, risk-adjusted, optimized mature schedule with team member buy-in. In S1//Projects, you can view the schedule and details or make changes to a scenario copy (not displayed in Figure 1).
The navigator pane in Figure 1 lists our three demonstration schedules (XER files) linked to Workbook1 and imported into Acumen. Further, S1//Projects also displays the task table and Gantt chart for the selected schedule in the navigator pane.
We want to run an S2//Diagnostics analysis of these schedules to determine whether our schedule modifications correlate to improved schedule quality metric results. We proceed to the S2//Diagnostics tab, Figure 2.
The S2//Diagnostics tab is one of three for the second stage of the maturity framework. Here you can analyze a metric or metric group to investigate each schedule’s quality. Select from any metric group that comes standard in the playlist.
We chose the Schedule Quality metric group, Figure 2. (You can also create your own metric or metric group.) When you run the Fuse analysis by clicking the Fuse button, Figure 2, Acumen returns with a timeline and Ribbon Analyzer results for each schedule in the Project list.
The Ribbon Analyzer results are for the whole life of the project. Phase analyzer results, Figure 2, are provided for all three projects combined unless you select an individual project. The Phase Analyzer results in Figure 2 appear at intervals, e.g., Days, Weeks, Months, which you select.
Ribbon Analyzer Color-Coded Tabular Output
The Acumen Ribbon Analyzer default color-coded table, Figure 2, provides stakeholders with an organized, tabulated output of counts and percentages, placing each metric within ranges and using colored score boxes to flag results according to thresholds.
The color alerts stakeholders whether the schedule passes a respective metric or not. Whereas the coloring provides a quick overview of the metrics’ compliance with thresholds, the counts and percentages require closer attention. You must dive into the tabulated table, Figure 2, to find each metric’s number and percentage (based on inclusions), then look down the rows for each schedule iteration. This tabulated table is concise and insightful.
However, there is no efficient way to compare the percentages other than by noting them in the scorecard boxes. The counts indicate the number of tasks (or records) in play, while the percentages show the proportion of all inclusions flagged by each metric. However, this presentation may not effectively engage stakeholders in understanding the project’s true schedule health.
Ribbon Analyzer Radar Plot
The color-coded Ribbon Analyzer table’s numerical counts and percentages fail to quickly engage the viewer, particularly an audience at a distance. The Ribbon Analyzer’s Radar Plot seeks to address this deficiency.
The Radar Plot is complementary to the tabulated output and helps provide the viewer with a quick impression of schedule health and how it is trending with each iteration of the schedule.
Having run the schedule quality metric group Fuse analysis, the following steps will prepare Acumen to display the Radar Plot: (1) confirm Projects active in the Ribbons tool group, (2) click the bottom of the charts button, and (3) select Radar from the drop-down menu.
Then to display the Radar Plot like Figure 4, (1) click the top portion of the Ribbons Charts Button, and (2 through 8) in the Ribbon Analyzer, click the headers of the respective metrics you want to display on the Radar Plot.
In Figure 4, we display all the Schedule Quality metric group metrics except the Critical and Merge Hotspots metrics. We do this mainly to demonstrate that you can select only those metrics of interest. In the Radar Plot, Figure 4, we activate to show the original IMS schedule. The active schedules and/or snapshots have checkmarks and display in the legend on the upper left of the Radar Plot.
The Radar Plot combines position and color thresholds. The position (how far from the center) represents a metric’s absolute value or score. This provides a quick visual representation of metric results and their ranges. A metric result plotted on the outer polygon of the radar plot indicates that the metric result is in the high-end range for that metric, which is what you want.
The color coding quickly assesses the metric results against thresholds, e.g., failing (red), acceptable (yellow), and good (green). The Insufficient Detail metric, Figure 4, positioned near the outer polygon edge and in red color, indicates results near the high end of the range but shy of passing the threshold.
This tells us that the Insufficient Detail metric is within range but has much room for improvement. The thresholds for each metric are set in the Metrics tab and can be adjusted by the Acumen analyst.
Figure 5 displays the Radar Plot with all three schedules active: HVAC-IMS and updates HVAC-U1 and HVAC-U2.
In Figure 5, the Radar Plot shows how each metric trends through each schedule iteration. After the second update, the sole issue, per the Radar Plot selected Schedule Quality metrics, is insufficient detail. It, again, is near the high end of the range but still falls on the failing side of the threshold.
Figure 6 plots the first eight assessments of the metric group for the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) 14-Point assessment.
Figure 7 displays a close-up of the eight DCMA 14-Point assessments in the Ribbon Analyzer Radar Plot view.
Acumen has a feature to copy the Ribbon Analyzer results by selecting Publish | Copy to Clipboard | Ribbon Chart. However, this has proven to be a less-than-satisfactory way to publish a Radar Plot. And in general, Acumen’s publishing capabilities are not good.
At Ten Six, we use the Snagit software program for capturing and presenting a Radar Plot. Figure 8 shows a Snagit JPEG file inserted into Microsoft PowerPoint by selecting Insert | Picture | This Device.
An audience from a distance can quickly spot in this PowerPoint slide the areas most in need of quality improvement: 1. Logic, 3. Lags, and 6. High Point, followed by 2. Leads. The positions of 1. Logic, 3. Lags, and 6. High Float is all midrange positions, which is a concern, and they are colored red, which is a problem.
The 2. Leads assessment is in an agreeable position, indicating that few records have this issue, but red; the DCMA 14-Point forbids and flags all leads in schedules. So, there is no flexibility with the Leads assessment. Assessment 4. SS/FF Relations is near the upper range, which is agreeable, and yellow, which is acceptable, but there is room for improvement.
Summary
The schedule health assessment process is part science and art, which may make it difficult to measure its value. However, empirical project data demonstrate that schedules judged high quality by scheduling guidelines have a significantly higher probability of success.
The schedule quality metric group used for this demonstration comprises all the metrics the Acumen developers consider most essential to ensure schedule quality. The Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA) Fourteen-Point Assessment is an industry-standard guideline. As demonstrated in Acumen, Radar Plots of the Schedule Quality metric group and the DCMA 14-Point metric group are possible.
My first impression of the Radar Plot was that it was more of a “bells and whistles” feature and did not add much to Acumen Fuse’s core features. Now, I see the Radar Plot as an efficient way to assess where the metric results’ absolute value is in a range, and which side of the threshold they fall on.
The Ribbon Analyzer’s default Tabulated Table contains the same information as the Radar Plot, but requires a close-up review of the counts and percentages. The Radar Plot makes for a good presentation to an audience viewing the metric results from a distance.
The scheduler’s job is to assess the project’s health and convince other team members and stakeholders to take the necessary initiatives to improve schedule quality. The Radar Plot may be most helpful with that latter persuasive effort.
Sometimes metrics correlate with one another; often, they do not. Although linked on the Radar Plot, each metric should be considered individually. Nevertheless, the Radar Plot provides an overall sense of improving quality and areas requiring improvement, specifically metrics positioned near the polygon center and colored red.
The Radar Plot takes the tabulated data and provides a visual depiction of quality and trending quality from an absolute value position in a range, and color indicating threshold compliance.