Custom release KPIs not appearing in cloud metrics dashboard

ALM PTC Codebeamer
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1

We’ve configured custom KPI formulas in codebeamer Cloud for our release dashboard but they’re not displaying. The built-in metrics work fine (test pass rate, defect density) but our custom calculations show as blank widgets.

Here’s one of our KPI formulas for release velocity:


velocity = SUM(completed_stories.story_points) / sprint_duration_days

The formula syntax validates without errors in the Dashboard Builder, but when we add the widget to the release dashboard, it just shows “No data available”. We’ve verified that the source trackers have data - completed stories exist with story point values. The dashboard has read permissions on all relevant trackers. What could be blocking custom KPIs from calculating in cb-cloud?

2

Check your formula aggregation functions. Cloud dashboards use different syntax than on-premise. Instead of SUM(), try using aggregate.sum(). Also, division operations require explicit type casting. Your velocity formula should be: aggregate.sum(completed_stories.story_points).toDecimal() / sprint_duration_days.toDecimal(). The toDecimal() prevents integer division which would return zero.

3

Double-check field permissions on the story_points field. In cb-cloud, even if you have tracker read permission, individual field visibility is controlled separately. Go to the user story tracker configuration > Fields > story_points field > Permissions and verify your role has ‘View Field Value’ permission. Without this, the formula can’t access field data even though the query returns items.

4

Your issue involves all three focus areas - let me provide a complete solution:

Formula Syntax for Cloud: Your formula syntax needs adjustment for codebeamer Cloud’s calculation engine. Update it to:


Velocity = AGGREGATE(SUM, items.storyPoints, DECIMAL) / AGGREGATE(AVG, sprint.duration, DECIMAL)

Cloud uses AGGREGATE function with explicit operation type (SUM, AVG, COUNT) and return type (DECIMAL, INTEGER). The dot notation like completed_stories.story_points doesn’t work - you need to reference the collection (items) and field name (storyPoints in camelCase).

Data Sources Configuration: This is the critical missing piece. Custom KPIs require three-layer data source setup:

  1. Create Base Query:

    • Dashboard Builder > Data Sources > New Query
    • Name: “Completed Sprint Stories”
    • Tracker: User Stories tracker
    • Filter: `status.id IN (‘done’, ‘closed’) AND sprint IS NOT NULL
    • Fields: Include ‘storyPoints’ and ‘sprint.duration’

  2. Bind Query to Formula:

    • Edit your KPI widget
    • Data tab > Add Data Source > Select “Completed Sprint Stories” query
    • Map variables: items → query result set

  3. Set Refresh Interval:

    • Widget Settings > Refresh: ‘On dashboard load’ or ‘15 minutes’
    • Enable ‘Cache query results’

Permissions Validation: Even with correct formula and data sources, permission issues cause blank widgets:

  1. Field-Level Permissions:

    • Go to User Story tracker > Configuration > Fields
    • Select ‘storyPoints’ field > Permissions tab
    • Verify your role has ‘View in Dashboards’ permission (separate from regular View)

  2. Cross-Tracker Permissions:

    • If your formula references sprint data from Sprint tracker, you need:
    • Project Settings > Dashboards > Enable ‘Cross-tracker queries’
    • Your user role needs ‘Dashboard Data Access’ on both User Story and Sprint trackers

  3. Cloud-Specific Permission:

    • In cb-cloud, custom KPIs require ‘Advanced Analytics’ permission
    • Administration > Users & Groups > your role > Permissions
    • Enable ‘Use Custom KPI Formulas’ and ‘Access Cross-Project Metrics’

Test after each change: Dashboard Builder has a ‘Preview with Live Data’ button that shows real-time calculation results. If preview works but dashboard doesn’t, it’s a caching issue - clear browser cache and dashboard cache (Settings > Clear Dashboard Cache).

The most common mistake is skipping the data source binding step. Cloud dashboards don’t auto-resolve field references like on-premise versions - you must explicitly create and bind queries to formulas.

5

Are you using project-level or global dashboards? Custom KPIs on global dashboards in cb-cloud need cross-project permissions. If your formula references trackers from multiple projects, the dashboard user (you) must have read access to ALL referenced projects. Check the dashboard permission settings and verify multi-project access is enabled for your user role.

6

I’ve seen this when the tracker query in the data source returns no results due to filter conflicts. Edit your KPI widget and check the Data Source query preview. Click ‘Test Query’ to see if it actually returns data. Sometimes the query filters are too restrictive - like filtering for status=‘Completed’ when your tracker uses ‘Done’ as the status name. Small mismatches cause empty result sets.

7

In codebeamer Cloud, custom KPI formulas need explicit data source binding. When you create the formula, you define field references like ‘completed_stories.story_points’, but you also need to bind these to actual tracker queries. Go to Dashboard Builder > your KPI widget > Data Sources tab and map each formula variable to a tracker query. Without this binding, the formula can’t retrieve data even if syntax is valid.