Method and system for displaying prioritization of metric values

1. A computer implemented method for displaying a plurality of different metric values, the computer implemented method comprising:

executing on a processor residing on an information processing system the following:

forming a plurality of cells within a two-dimensional array having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension; and

generating, within the plurality of cells, an indication of mutual importance for a first set of metric values associated with a first entity and a second set of metric values associated with a second entity,

wherein the first set of metric values comprises a first set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the first entity, and where the second set of metric values comprises a second set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the second entity,

wherein the horizontal dimension is associated with the first set of metric values and wherein the vertical dimension is associated with the second set of metric values,

wherein the indication of mutual importance indicates a relationship between at least one goal of the first entity and at least one goal of the second entity, wherein a set of differences is calculated between each corresponding attribute in the first set of attributes and the second set of attributes, and wherein this set of differences is summed to arrive at a numerical value indicating the mutual importance of the first set of metric values and the second set of metric values.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the two-dimensional array with the indication of mutual importance therein.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second entity and the first entity are within one business entity.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second entity and the first entity represent two business entities.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the generating, within the plurality of cells, the indication of mutual importance for a set of metric values includes generating an indication of mutual importance selected from a fixed set of values of relative importance.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the fixed set of values of relative importance is indicated by one of a set of colors, a set of grey-scale tones, a set of backgrounds, a set of patterns, and a set of cell border styles.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the metric values represent procurement measurement analysis.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying at least two metrics values in conflict;

creating a diagram wherein conflicting metrics values are arranged in a circular manner; and

indicating a relationship between conflicting metric values as a line between the conflicting metric values, with a steering direction between the conflicting metric values indicated by an arrowhead.

9. A computer implemented method for generating a plurality of different metric values, the computer implemented method comprising:

executing on a processor residing on an information processing system the following:

forming a plurality of cells within a two-dimensional array having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension;

placing each of a first set of prioritized metrics from a first entity as a column label for each column along the horizontal dimension of the two-dimensional array, wherein the first set of prioritized metrics comprises a first set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the first entity;

placing each of a second set of prioritized metrics from a second entity as a row label for each row along the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional array, wherein the second set of prioritized metrics comprises a second set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the second entity;

calculating a set of differences between each corresponding attribute in the first set of attributes and the second set of attributes;

summing the set of differences to arrive at a numerical value indicating a mutual importance for at least a given metric associated with a given column label in the first set of metrics and for a given metric value associated with a given row label in the second set of metric values, wherein the indication of mutual importance indicates a relationship between a goal of the first entity as represented by the given metric value associated with the given column label and a goal of the second entity as represented by the given metric value associated with the given row label; and

filling in the plurality of cells within the two-dimensional array with the indication of mutual importance.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the first set of prioritized metrics is different than the second set of prioritized metrics.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the first set of prioritized metrics is identical to the second set of prioritized metrics.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:

displaying the two-dimensional array with the indication of mutual importance therein.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the second entity and the first entity are within one business entity.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the second entity and the first entity represent two business entities.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the filling in the plurality of cells within the two-dimensional array with an indication of mutual importance includes filling an indication of mutual importance selected from a fixed set of values of relative importance.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the fixed set of values of relative importance is indicated by one of a set of colors, a set of grey-scale tones, a set of backgrounds, a set of patterns, and a set of cell border styles.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the metric values represent procurement measurement analysis.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying at least two metrics values in conflict;

creating a diagram wherein conflicting metrics values are arranged in a circular manner; and

indicating a relationship between conflicting metric values as a line between the conflicting metric values, with a steering direction between the conflicting metric values indicated by an arrowhead.

19. A computing system for displaying a plurality of different metric values, the system comprising:

means for forming a plurality of cells within a two-dimensional array having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension; and

means for generating, within the plurality of cells, an indication of mutual importance for a first set of metric values associated with a first entity and a second set of metric values associated with a second entity,

wherein the first set of metric values comprises a first set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the first entity, and where the second set of metric values comprises a second set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the second entity,

wherein the horizontal dimension is associated with the first set of metric values and wherein the vertical dimension is associated with the second set of metric values,

wherein the indication of mutual importance indicates a relationship between at least one goal of the first entity and at least one goal of the second entity, wherein a set of differences is calculated between each corresponding attribute in the first set of attributes and the second set of attributes, and wherein this set of differences is summed to arrive at a numerical value indicating the mutual importance of the first set of metric values and the second set of metric values.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:

means for identifying at least two metrics values in conflict;

means creating a diagram wherein conflicting metrics values are arranged in a circular manner; and

means for indicating a relationship between conflicting metric values as a line between the conflicting metric values, with a steering direction between the conflicting metric values indicated by an arrowhead.

21. A computer system for generating a plurality of different metric values, the system comprising:

means for forming a plurality of cells within a two-dimensional array having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension;

means for placing each of a first set of prioritized metrics from a first entity as a column label for each column along the horizontal dimension of the two-dimensional array, wherein the first set of prioritized metrics comprises a first set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the first entity;

means placing each of a second set of prioritized metrics from a second entity as a row label for each row along the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional array, wherein the second set of prioritized metrics comprises a second set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the second entity;

means for calculating a set of differences between each corresponding attribute in the first set of attributes and the second set of attributes;

means for summing the set of differences to arrive at a numerical value indicating a mutual importance for at least a given metric associated with a given column label in the first set of metrics and for a given metric value associated with a given row label in the second set of metric values, wherein the indication of mutual importance indicates a relationship between a goal of the first entity as represented by the given metric value associated with the given column label and a goal of the second entity as represented by the given metric value associated with the given row label; and

means for filling in the plurality of cells within the two-dimensional array with the indication of mutual importance.

22. A computer program product for displaying a plurality of different metric values, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing computer instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

forming a plurality of cells within a two-dimensional array having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension; and

generating, within the plurality of cells, an indication of mutual importance for a first set of metric values associated with a first entity and a second set of metric values associated with a second entity,

wherein the first set of metric values comprises a first set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the first entity, and where the second set of metric values comprises a second set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the second entity,

wherein the horizontal dimension is associated with the first set of metric values and wherein the vertical dimension is associated with the second set of metric values,

wherein the indication of mutual importance indicates a relationship between at least one goal of the first entity and at least one goal of the second entity, wherein a set of differences is calculated between each corresponding attribute in the first set of attributes and the second set of attributes, and wherein this set of differences is summed to arrive at a numerical value indicating the mutual importance of the first set of metric values and the second set of metric values.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 , further comprising:

identifying at least two metrics values in conflict;

creating a diagram wherein conflicting metrics values are arranged in a circular manner; and

indicating a relationship between conflicting metric values as a line between the conflicting metric values, with a steering direction between the conflicting metric values indicated by an arrowhead.

24. A computer program product for generating a plurality of different metric values, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing computer instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

forming a plurality of cells within a two-dimensional array having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension;

placing each of a first set of prioritized metrics from a first entity as a column label for each column along the horizontal dimension of the two-dimensional array, wherein the first set of prioritized metrics comprises a first set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the first entity;

placing each of a second set of prioritized metrics from a second entity as a row label for each row along the vertical dimension of the two-dimensional array, wherein the second set of prioritized metrics comprises a second set of attributes and represents a set of goals associated with the second entity;

calculating a set of differences between each corresponding attribute in the first set of attributes and the second set of attributes;

summing the set of differences to arrive at a numerical value indicating a mutual importance for at least a given metric associated with a given column label in the first set of metrics and for a given metric value associated with a given row label in the second set of metric values, wherein the indication of mutual importance indicates a relationship between a goal of the first entity as represented by the given metric value associated with the given column label and a goal of the second entity as represented by the given metric value associated with the given row label; and

filling in the plurality of cells within the two-dimensional array with the indication of mutual importance.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 , further comprising:

identifying at least two metrics values in conflict;

creating a diagram wherein conflicting metrics values are arranged in a circular manner; and

indicating a relationship between conflicting metric values as a line between the conflicting metric values, with a steering direction between the conflicting metric values indicated by an arrowhead.