In addition to recording information in fields, Integrity Lifecycle Manager can also perform arithmetic operations between fields, storing the result as a read-only value in an item’s computed field, or displaying it as a value when you run a chart or report. Using external information functions in computed fields, you can generate state metrics. State metrics are useful for determining item responsiveness and workflow progression. For example, you could use the DaysInState(state-name) function in a computed expression to calculate how many days a Defect item was in state In Development. The computed value is then stored in the computed field. For more information on state metrics, see “Using Computed Fields to Calculate State Metrics”.