A company's business goals are the beginning of the business journey. Yet, intuition and beliefs are not enough to find successful results. Companies must have a 100% problem-solving mentality. In this context, KPIs are quantitative data to support teams' professional abilities. Plus, KPIs act as a communication bridge between business operations and goals. In this opportunity, we'll learn the most basic definitions of this term. Also, we’ll analyze its impact and techniques.
What is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)?
KPI is an acronym for Key Performance Indicators. They're quantifiable measures that calculate the performance of a specific goal over time. They serve as guides, measure progress, and foster good decision-making. These measurements affect companies' marketing, finances, and human resources. Hence, KPIs are relevant at a strategic level.
Data is everywhere and is what all companies aim at. Thus, getting lost in so much information comes relatively easy. For this, it's elemental to recognize that businesses may not be able to analyze all data. Here's when selecting the most critical information takes the lead. Time and resources will be more well-spent if businesses know what to look for.
Starting with a report is the best idea to meet all the organization's objectives. The KPIs report presentation includes charts, graphs, and tabular information. Yet, there are also KPI tables. These concepts may sound similar, but they are not. A KPI table is a display of short-term progress. Here, metrics are on a single screen for more accurate and immediate analysis. For instance, this procedure can apply to weekly meetings. A highlight of KPIs tables is that they display live info. So, outcomes can change by the minute. In contrast, KPI reports compile static information from a prior determined period. Also, reports compare different periods to understand the outcomes of changes made.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Main Features
Any business manager must know the best tactics for data processing to stay on top. Yet, there is a lot of confusion today when incorporating KPIs into businesses. Sometimes, ventures tend to apply a lot of measures to unnecessary data. This trend also encloses copying other people's metrics! There are certain aspects to acknowledge to restrict the assertiveness of the KPIs. Among the most outstanding are the following:
1. Simplicity. A KPI must prove simplicity. Also, it must be direct and understandable. According to Business Analyst Jay Liebowitz, KPIs are effective when they drive decisions. Hence, you shouldn't include extra questions. In this context, all workers involved must know their role in enacting KPIs. Here, defining goals allows for making practical decisions that follow the purpose.
2. Relevance. A KPI needs to be relevant to the strategy and the organization. Being clear about relevance makes decision-makers take care of measuring specific KPIs. This approach increases the probability of optimal results.
3. Alignment. All KPIs go through a filtering process. These measures must align without overshadowing each other. Because of it, KPIs should support the general business strategy quantitatively.
4. Actionability. This aspect refers to the step-by-step building of KPIs. Plus, it's about avoiding the clutter of complex pursuits. Short but defined goals allow teams to focus on specific areas.
5. Measurability. It may be obvious, but measuring a KPI is not easy. The goals' definition of must look beyond the basics. Hence, KPIs must be solid and supported by quantitative and qualitative measures.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Categories
There are four main categories of KPIs. Each type caters to different features, users, and timeframes:
1. Strategic KPIs. These KPIs explain a company's performance and development. Also, they can give instant information from prior decision-making. Some strategic KPIs are ROI, Profit Margin, and Total Company Revenue.
2. Operational KPIs. Here, the focus is on tight timeframes. So, it's relevant to define whether day-to-day or a month-to-month follow-up. It's crucial to notice different locations, processes, and segments. Further, the analysis of these daily operations serves to discuss long-term strategies.
3. Functional KPIs. This category targets specific functions within a company. Further, it can encompass both strategic and operational KPIs. In this scenario, the KPIs' purpose depends on the department or work team. Finance departments can measure registered suppliers in a specific period. Meanwhile, marketing teams can track the received clicks from particular campaigns.
4. Leading KPIs. Leading KPIs focus on the data nature. Its focus is on predicting events to align the possible scenarios with the business strategy. Here, there are two main sections: overtime worked and product profit margin.
Best KPIs for Different Businesses
Choosing a suitable KPI depends on industry and strategy. Yet different teams within a venture may have specific KPIs to keep track of.
Sales Business KPIs
1. Income Per Sale channels the average measure of the business's profitability.
2. Accuracy Measurement handles the performance and accuracy of the intended goals.
3. Profit Measurement allows specifying the number of leads that ended up being customers.
Financial Business KPIs
1. The Rotation Index determines the efficiency of the used resources.
2. Income Forecasting makes an accurate follow-up against the expected figures.
3. Outstanding Payments define the time it takes for a company to get revenue.
Operational Business KPIs
1. Forecast considers sales data and customer buying habits to specify future demand.
2. Time-Bound KPIs measure the ability to complete requested orders on time.
3. Customized Delivery analyzes deliverability to track the supply chain quality.
How to Properly Measure KPIs?
One of the most famous ways to measure the performance of KPIs is through the SMART framework. But what is the SMART framework? It includes five essential elements: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. From this point, teams can elaborate on pertinent questions to achieve business goals. For instance, what is the specific purpose? Is it measurable, achievable, and relevant? What is the timeframe for achieving it?
After defining these edges, there are two leading features to consider. These are to evaluate and re-evaluate. KPIs measurement is not a single activity. Furthermore, it's not an activity that teams only need to perform once. There's always the need to analyze them to ensure the scope and road. Luckily, there are many analytics tools to measure these achievements. Perhaps, the most known is Google Analytics. This platform allows tracking performance in visual ways. As a result, it eases the understanding of the information for all people involved.
Why are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Important?
1. Team Alignment. With set KPIs, team members can work together and in the same direction. These standards serve to define the success of specific projects or long-term planning.
2. Realistic Analysis. These calculations give a realistic view of the organization's health. KPIs provide vital data such as risk factors and financial indicators analysis.
3. Goal Determination. Through KPIs, companies can analyze their successes and failures. This way, they can determine what works and what doesn't.
4. System Control. KPIs must be able to provide value through crucial indicators. Likewise, employees will be able to follow their progress in a controlled manner. KPIs guarantee that the work teams support the company's general goals. A business KPI measurement solution is, without a doubt, a Business-Intelligence-based solution. BI solutions collect all the information and provides a single source. As a result, it allows decision-making based on facts, not intuition.
Conclusion
Defining, measuring, and analyzing KPIs is essential to any business. Even so, it doesn't necessarily translate into a slow and complex process. It's vital to integrate KPIs through different tech tools. Companies can opt for cross-platform analysis panels and adaptable automation systems. In this scenario, metrics are essential to know, fix, and rise from any potential problem. Now, what KPIs would you highlight for your venture?
