A PCN program is hard to manage if you can't see how it's doing. A handful of metrics — how fast notices are cleared, how big the backlog is, and whether deadlines are met — turn a pile of notices into something you can run. This reference defines the common PCN metrics with simple formulas, then offers guidance on reading them.
Formulas are illustrative and definitions vary by organization; align them with how your system records receipt, disposition, and closure before comparing teams or periods.
The metrics below cover speed (cycle and triage time), load (backlog, aging, throughput), and outcomes (on-time rate, reopen rate). Most can be derived from the dates and statuses on each notice.
The numbers are only useful with a little discipline around how you read them.
These metrics fall out naturally once every notice carries consistent dates and a status. Whatever you use — a spreadsheet, a BI dashboard over your PLM/QMS, or dedicated PCN software such as PCNshark — the prerequisite is a consistent record per notice. See the PCN fields & status codes reference for that record, and the PCN management guide for the workflow behind it, or browse more references in Learn.
Last reviewed 2026-06-29
