Method and apparatus for creating compound due-to reports

A machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions to cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

• computing a variance for each of a first set of activities based on the corresponding reference state of that activity, wherein the variance for an activity is the change in contribution for that activity between the first and second business metrics, wherein each of the first set of activities has a reference value and the first set of activities is associated with a first business metric;
• computing a variance for each of a second set of activities based on the corresponding start and end values of that activity, wherein each of the second set of activities has a start and end value and the second set of activities is associated with a second business metric;
• and
• allocating, using a processor, synergy to the variance for each of the first set of activities and the variance for each of the second set of activities based on an absolute value of raw volume variance.

An apparatus comprising:

• a difference decomposition module, including a processor, to compute a variance for each of a first set of activities based on the corresponding reference state of that activity, wherein the variance for an activity is the change in contribution for that activity between the first and second business metrics, wherein each of the first set of activities has a reference value and the first set of activities is associated with a first business metric;
• a hybrid due-to module, including a processor, to compute a variance for each of a second set of activities based on the corresponding start and end values of that activity, wherein each of the second set of activities has a start and end value and the second set of activities is associated with a second business metric;
• and
• allocating, using a processor, synergy to the variance for each of the first set of activities and the variance for each of the second set of activities based on an absolute value of raw volume variance.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor though a bus:
• and
• a process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to, computing a variance for each of a first set of activities based on the corresponding reference state of that activity, wherein the variance for an activity is the change in contribution for that activity between the first and second business metrics, wherein each of the first set of activities has a reference value and the first set of activities is associated with a first business metric;
• computing a variance for each of a second set of activities based on the corresponding start and end values of that activity, wherein each of the second set of activities has a start and end value and the second set of activities is associated with a second business metric;
• and
• allocating, using a processor, synergy to the variance for each of the first set of activities and the variance for each of the second set of activities based on an absolute value of raw volume variance.