What makes a number “of record” rather than just current?

Provenance and a date. A current number is whatever the latest feed says right now; it moves every time a pay application, invoice or schedule update lands. An of-record number was measured to a stated as-of date, computed from inputs a person confirmed, and sealed so it cannot drift. Two people looking at the same period a month apart see the same figure, and can trace it to the close that produced it.

If a spreadsheet states a CPI, why is that not the of-record value?

Because a stated ratio is a claim, not a measurement. Workbooks routinely carry a CPI cell that no longer matches the EV and AC under it, after a line was edited or a formula was overwritten. The of-record value is computed from the primitives by the controls system itself, and the file’s stated ratio is kept as evidence to reconcile against. When they disagree, the discrepancy is reported; the stated number is never copied through as truth.

When several snapshots exist for a project, which one is of record?

The newest as-of date wins, and within the same as-of date the most recent close wins. That rule lets a correction supersede a mistaken close for the same period without editing it, and prevents an old snapshot that happened to be saved late from outranking a newer period. Partial snapshots, where only some lines were confirmed, do not get to publish a project-level CPI or SPI at all; they hold the ratio and show the honest confirmed dollars until coverage is complete.

Construction Glossary · Earned Value

Of-RecordEVM

A project has many numbers and one record. The of-record EVM is the sealed, dated set that every report, dashboard and answer reads, so no two of them can disagree.

Definition

Of-record EVM is the single sealed, dated set of earned-value figures (EV, AC, PV, CPI, SPI and the forecasts built on them) that a project treats as authoritative for a period. It is produced by a period close, computed from confirmed inputs rather than copied from a file, and every report, dashboard and answer reads that one snapshot instead of its own version of the numbers.

One snapshot, every reader

The close produces one sealed snapshot. Everything downstream points at it. The moment a surface computes its own ratio from raw data, the project has two truths, and the one in the meeting is usually the wrong one.

The three rules of a record

Newest as-of date wins

When several sealed snapshots exist, the one with the latest as-of date is of record; within one date, the most recent close supersedes the earlier one. A correction is a new close, never an edit.

Computed, never copied

The ratios are derived from the sealed EV, AC and PV. A ratio printed in a workbook is evidence to reconcile against, not the record.

One source, every reader

Reports, dashboards, briefs and answers all read the same snapshot. No surface computes its own CPI from raw files, so two surfaces can never disagree.

A worked example

A project closes April 30 with EV $4.80M and AC $5.00M, so the of-record CPI is 0.96. The controller then notices one line’s actual was keyed as $420K instead of $240K and closes April 30 again with AC $4.82M; CPI 1.00. Both snapshots exist. The second is of record because it is the more recent close for the same as-of date, and the first stays in the history as what was recorded before the correction.

A week later the owner’s workbook arrives stating an April CPI of 0.98. That figure is reconciled against the sealed 1.00 and the difference is reported. The workbook’s cell does not replace the record.

How POD serves the of-record

Each period close writes POD’s own computed EVM as a sealed snapshot, dated by its as-of date and stamped with the moment it was confirmed. One reader serves the winner to every surface: newest as-of date first, then the most recent close within that date, so a correction supersedes without editing. The report tabs, KPI tabs, the Today view, the morning brief, Ask POD, the portfolio view, meeting minutes and share links all read that one snapshot. A snapshot that covers only part of the project withholds the project-level CPI, SPI and EAC and shows the confirmed dollars instead, so a partial position can never print a ratio. The snapshot also carries its cost basis, certified or pending claim, and the brief and Ask POD say so in one line when the cost is not yet certified.

The full EVM guide

Frequently asked questions

One record, honestly labelled

The record says what the cost is. Its basis says how far that cost has been certified. The next term draws that line.

Certified vs Pending Claim Back to the Glossary