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Tables sometimes include both characteristics and measurements. Use the following rules of thumb:

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Choose Concept when…

  • It represents a business object/actor (e.g., User, Subscription, Lead).
  • Columns primarily describe what it is: owner, name, created date, category, status, etc.

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Choose Metric when…

  • It primarily measures “how many” or “how much” for trends/KPIs.
  • Characteristics exist mainly as dimensions to slice the measure (e.g., by date, country, segment).

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The Dual‑Entity Pattern

When a table truly contains both: Create a Concept for the business object and its attributes. Create a Metric for time‑series or performance measures.

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Example: User (Concept: user_id, signup_date, country) + Active Users (Metric: counts by activity level over time).

Example: Leads Table If the table holds Lead attributes (owner, created timestamp, account name, division, status), model it as a Concept: Lead. If you also need time‑series KPIs (total leads created, conversion rate), add a Metric entity: Lead Performance.