Prior-Quarter NRR
Net Revenue Retention reported in the PRIOR period — the comparison anchor for the current `customers.net_revenue_retention`. The board reads the two together to render the NRR trend on the bespoke customers retention grid. Per the SMSB NRR cohort definition, both periods must use the same closed-start-cohort methodology for the delta to be meaningful. Common pitfall: comparing an NRR computed on a different cohort window across the two periods. — Customers KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier)
No public third-party standard anchors this KPI yet, so I'mBoard authors and maintains the definition — transparently labeled as editorial tier. See the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system and the back-attribution workstream.
Rogue ID: customers.prior_quarter_nrr
Type: Percentage (%)
Domain: Customers
Definition
Net Revenue Retention reported in the PRIOR period — the comparison anchor for the current customers.net_revenue_retention. The board reads the two together to render the NRR trend on the bespoke customers retention grid. Per the SMSB NRR cohort definition, both periods must use the same closed-start-cohort methodology for the delta to be meaningful. Common pitfall: comparing an NRR computed on a different cohort window across the two periods.
Formula
NRR from the prior period, on the same SMSB closed-start cohort basis as the current `customers.net_revenue_retention`. nrrTrend = net_revenue_retention − prior_quarter_nrr (in points).Why it matters
Direction matters more than level for retention — a slipping NRR is an early expansion-engine warning even while still above 100%.
How to interpret
A multi-point decline with steady GRR means expansion is decelerating; pair with customers.prior_quarter_grr to separate the "keep" signal from the "expand" signal.
Calculation policy
How an AI agent should compute this KPI from messy company data. Free-text rules consumed at reasoning time — not a deterministic DSL. The most common ways to get this wrong are listed under Common miscomputations.
Inclusion rules
- The
customers.net_revenue_retentionvalue AS REPORTED for the immediately-prior reporting period — a point-in-time restatement of that past period's NRR, NOT recomputed on this period's cohort. - The prior NRR must have used the SMSB closed-start-cohort basis consistent with the current NRR.
- A percentage (can exceed 100%), as of the prior period close.
Exclusion rules
- Current-period cohort or activity.
- New-logo ARR (same exclusion as NRR).
- A prior NRR computed on a different cohort window than the current metric.
Required inputs
- The prior period's reported NRR (closed-start cohort basis).
- Confirmation the cohort basis matches the current NRR.
Data-source priority
- The prior period's board-reported NRR.
- The prior cohort ledger ONLY if no reported value exists.
Edge cases
- As-of semantics: the prior reporting period's NRR value at that period's close — not this period's cohort over a prior window.
- A cohort-window mismatch makes the delta meaningless.
- Read with
prior_quarter_grr: the gap is the prior period's expansion contribution.
Validation checks
nrrTrend = net_revenue_retention − prior_quarter_nrr(in points).prior_quarter_nrr≥prior_quarter_grrfor the same prior cohort (expansion gap ≥ 0).- Should not exceed ~150% for a healthy cohort; higher suggests new-logo leakage in the prior figure.
Common miscomputations
- Recomputing the prior value on the current cohort instead of using the prior-period reported NRR.
- Comparing across mismatched cohort windows.
- Letting new-logo ARR leak into the prior NRR — inflates it.
Related KPIs
customers.net_revenue_retentioncustomers.prior_quarter_grrcustomers.gross_revenue_retention
Source
I'mBoard editorial — authored and maintained by I'mBoard, first published 2026-04-01. No third-party standard is cited for this KPI; when one emerges, the definition is back-attributed and promoted to the published tier (a minor version bump). Read the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system, attribution rules, and dispute process.
Stage relevance
| Company stage | Priority |
|---|---|
| Series A | Core |
| Series B | Core |
| Series C+ | Core |
| Public | Core |
Suggested for stages: Series A, Series B, Series C+, Public.
Default owning functions
- Finance
- Sales
Machine-readable
- This KPI as JSON:
/api/ontology/customers/prior_quarter_nrr.json - All Customers KPIs:
/api/ontology/customers.json - Full catalog:
/api/ontology/index.json
Prior-Quarter GRR
Gross Revenue Retention reported in the PRIOR period — the comparison anchor for the current `customers.gross_revenue_retention`. The board reads the two together to render the GRR trend on the bespoke customers retention grid. Per the SMSB GRR definition (excludes expansion, capped at 100%), both periods must use the same cohort basis for the delta to mean anything. Common pitfall: reading a GRR trend without the matching NRR trend — the gap between them is the expansion signal. — Customers KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
Prior-Quarter Total Customers
The total active customer-logo count at the END of the prior reporting period — the opening balance for the current period's logo bridge. The board reads this so the bespoke customers card can show beginning vs. ending logos and the net change without having to re-derive the opening balance from `total_customers − new + churned`. Common pitfall: silently re-stating the prior total after a definitional change to "customer" — hold the counting unit constant or footnote the restatement. — Customers KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).