kpi-checklists

name	kpi-checklists
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "design KPIs", "create a KPI system", "build a measurement framework", "develop a balanced scorecard", "define metrics", "prototype a dashboard", "shortlist measures", "build a KPI Tree", "set up management reporting", or mentions ROKS methodology, KPI definition sheets, stakeholder engagement for measurement, or sustaining KPI systems.

KPI Checklists Skill

Source: Distilled from KPI Checklists by Bernie Smith, Metric Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-910047-00-2

Applicable when designing KPI or measurement systems; aligning measures to strategy; engaging stakeholders around measurement; building KPI Trees; shortlisting and prioritising measures; defining KPIs precisely; prototyping dashboards and reports; rolling out measurement systems; troubleshooting data quality, trust, or delivery issues; sustaining established KPI systems; or improving meeting effectiveness with data.

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Core Concepts

What Is a KPI?

A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) shows how you are doing at a particular activity to achieve a particular outcome. KPI, metric, and measure are interchangeable — "key" simply implies importance.

• Leading indicators show what is coming (windscreen view)
• Lagging indicators show what happened (rear-view mirror)
• A good dashboard has a mixture of both, financial and non-financial

The ROKS Framework

The Results Orientated KPI System is a 7-step methodology for developing KPIs from strategy through to sustained production:

Step	Name	Purpose
1	Clear Strategy	Confirm strategic objectives are specific and measurable
2	Engage	Identify stakeholders, build communications plan, assess situation
3	Longlist	Use KPI Trees to generate all candidate measures
4	Shortlist	Rate measures on Importance vs Availability, classify Use/Aspire/Discard
5	Define	Create precise KPI definitions and meeting Terms of Reference
6	Prototype	Design, test, and approve dashboards and reports
7	Go Live	Buy-in, data collection, analysis, process mapping, sustain

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Step 1 — Clear Strategy

Without clear strategy, you only achieve objectives by accident. Strategic objectives must be specific, not woolly.

Strategy Fitness Checklist:

• Is the strategy written down and accessible?
• Does it make sense to a non-specialist reader?
• Is there broad management consensus?
• Are objectives linked, specific, and non-dated?
• Are there fewer than seven strategic objectives?
• Are key decision-makers working to the strategy?

Red flags: Words like "excellence", "synergy", "outstanding", "empowerment" — they sound great but are unmeasurable.

For the complete strategy and stakeholder checklists, see Strategy & Engagement Checklists.

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Step 2 — Engage Stakeholders

Identify all who have involvement in production, review, or reward of measures. Use a RACI matrix:

Role	Description
Responsible	People who do the work
Accountable	Person who signs it off
Consulted	Subject matter experts (two-way)
Informed	Kept up to date (one-way)

Stakeholder types: Data originators, Data aggregators, Data packagers, Internal customers.

For communications plan checklists and stakeholder interview guides, see Strategy & Engagement Checklists.

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Step 3 — KPI Trees (Longlist)

A KPI Tree is a graphical tool showing linkages between strategic objectives and everyday measures. It decomposes from Strategic → Theme → Tactical → Measure level.

Three link types:

• Cause-effect (grey line) — One activity directly influences another
• Conflict (red line) — Activities work against each other (e.g., minimise AHT vs maximise First Touch Resolution)
• Companion (double line) — Measures overlap or one is a subset

Key benefit: Prevents "going straight for the obvious measure" and exposes unintended consequences.

For detailed KPI Tree building instructions and shortlisting methodology, see KPI Trees & Shortlisting.

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Step 4 — Shortlist

Rate each candidate measure on two criteria:

Criterion	Scale	Description
Importance	0-10	How significant is this measure to the business?
Availability	0-10	How easy is it to get the data?

Plot on a 4-box matrix:

	Hard to Collect	Easy to Collect
Important	Aspire — Develop these	Use — Put on first dashboard
Not Important	Forget — Park with rationale	Caution — Don't include just because you can

Always record the Discard list with reasons — it defends choices and prevents report bloat.

For the complete shortlisting process, see KPI Trees & Shortlisting.

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Step 5 — Define KPIs

Every KPI needs a precise definition answering:

Field	Purpose
KPI name	Clear "what-it-says-is-what-it-is" name
Measurement intent	Why are you measuring this?
Formula	Could a numerate stranger calculate it?
Frequency	How often is it calculated?
Units	Dimensionless ratio or real measure?
Assumptions	Document known flaws openly
Data source	Painful detail: server, directory, spreadsheet cell
Target	What score do you want? Why that level?
Owner	Person responsible for tracking and reporting

For the full KPI Definition Canvas and meeting Terms of Reference checklists, see KPI Definition.

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Step 6 — Prototype Dashboards

Never go straight to production. Prototype collaboratively. Three approaches:

1. Offline options — Present pre-built mockups (lowest risk, slowest)
2. Live session — Build with decision-maker in real time
3. Hybrid — Present options, then tune together (recommended)

Dashboard design principles: Simplicity, restraint, visual clarity. Avoid 3D charts, double Y axes, RAG without criteria, mixed chart types, red-green colour only.

For the 53-point Brilliant Dashboards Checklist, see Dashboard Design.

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Step 7 — Go Live

Buy-In Stages

1. Create engagement — Involve stakeholders in KPI Tree sessions
2. Build a case — Show real-world benefit (but rational argument alone won't build engagement)
3. Remove obstructions — User guides, clear processes, easy compliance
4. Public displays of importance — Senior sponsor endorsement
5. Develop good habits — Consistent heartbeat, quick problem fixes, positive reinforcement

Common Data Problems

Problem	Solution Approach
Data in islands (spreadsheets, ad hoc DBs)	Map data locations, define ownership
Contradictory datasets	KPI definition sheets, investigate incidents
Data in different forms	Standardise, use data marts
Lack of trust	Survey stakeholders, investigate, remediate
Collection delays	Publication timetable, SMED cycle-time reduction

Sustaining KPIs — What Kills Established Systems

• Rapid strategy change without KPI review
• Loss of senior sponsor
• "Flat earthers" who reject data-based management
• Loss of key specialists (single-person dependencies)
• Mistrust of output
• Entropy — gradual slide into disorder

For detailed go-live checklists, SMED methodology, FMEA risk management, and sustainability guidance, see Go-Live & Operations.

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Risk Management — FMEA

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis scores risks as:

FMEA Score = Probability (1-10) × Severity (1-10)

Optionally add Detectability: Score = Probability × Severity × Detectability

Use calibrated scales with specific examples at 1, 5, and 10. Identify mitigations, then rescore.

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Improvement Cycle — PDCA

KPIs sit in the Check step of Plan-Do-Check-Act:

Step	Purpose
Plan	Clear objectives, ownership, resources, baseline measures
Do	Execute, gather data along the way
Check	Analyse actual vs planned, present clearly, share in time
Act	Put things right, allocate resources, document changes

The cycle's effectiveness is limited by its weakest element. Perfect KPIs are worthless if you don't act on them.

For PDCA checklists and meeting effectiveness guidance, see Meetings & Improvement Cycle.

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Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Anti-Pattern	Why It's Bad
Using "off-the-shelf" KPIs without customisation	KPIs must reflect your specific business and aspirations
Woolly strategic objectives	"Excellence" and "synergy" lead to endless debate
Skipping the Aspire list	You miss important but hard-to-collect measures
No KPI definition sheet	Creates "common sense" problem — everyone assumes differently
Fox guarding the henhouse	Don't ask people to incriminate themselves with data
Omission censorship	Charts quietly disappear from reports
Skipping the "circle of tedium"	Jumping to IT solutions without iterating the manual process
Ignoring middle managers	Any dissent from line managers will destroy data collection
Changing process frequently	Destroys habit formation needed for reliable collection

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Decision Framework

When building a KPI system:

1. Validate strategy → Use strategy fitness checklist
2. Identify stakeholders → Build RACI matrix, create communications plan
3. Generate candidates → Build KPI Trees in workshops
4. Prioritise → Importance/Availability matrix → Use, Aspire, Discard
5. Define precisely → KPI definition sheet for every measure
6. Prototype → Collaborative dashboard design with stakeholders
7. Launch → Pilot first, preflight checks, user guides
8. Sustain → Regular review, habit formation, feedback loops, PDCA

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Mindset for KPI Success

• Persistent constructive scepticism
• A bias towards simplicity
• Desire for structure and order
• Constant mindfulness of organisational objectives
• Always remembering that your end customer is a human being

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Reference Files

For detailed checklists and extended guidance, consult:

• references/strategy-engagement.md — Strategy fitness, strategic objectives, communications plans, RACI, stakeholder interviews and workshops
• references/kpi-trees-shortlisting.md — KPI Tree building workshops, link types, shortlisting matrix, Aspire list development
• references/kpi-definition.md — KPI Definition Canvas, measurement intent, formula precision, target setting, meeting Terms of Reference
• references/dashboard-design.md — 53-point Brilliant Dashboards Checklist, prototyping approaches, design principles, readability standards
• references/go-live-operations.md — Buy-in stages, data problems and solutions, SMED cycle-time reduction, FMEA risk management, data collection methods, sustainability
• references/meetings-improvement.md — PDCA improvement cycle, meeting behaviour, Terms of Reference, lightning rounds, relevancy matrix, meeting rules

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Quick Reference: When to Use Each Reference

User Request	Reference File
Strategy alignment, strategic objectives, fitness check	strategy-engagement.md
Stakeholder identification, RACI matrix	strategy-engagement.md
Communications plan for KPI rollout	strategy-engagement.md
Interview questions for stakeholders	strategy-engagement.md
Building KPI Trees, workshop facilitation	kpi-trees-shortlisting.md
Conflicting measures, companion measures	kpi-trees-shortlisting.md
Shortlisting method, Importance/Availability matrix	kpi-trees-shortlisting.md
KPI definition sheet, measurement precision	kpi-definition.md
KPI Canvas template, definition database	kpi-definition.md
Meeting Terms of Reference, meeting inputs	kpi-definition.md
Target setting, who sets targets	kpi-definition.md
Dashboard design review, design checklist	dashboard-design.md
Prototyping approaches, stakeholder sign-off	dashboard-design.md
Report readability, colour use, chart design	dashboard-design.md
Getting buy-in, engagement strategies	go-live-operations.md
Data quality problems, contradictory data	go-live-operations.md
Speeding up report production, SMED	go-live-operations.md
Risk management, FMEA scoring	go-live-operations.md
Data collection methods, Excel vs SharePoint	go-live-operations.md
Process mapping KPI production	go-live-operations.md
Sustaining KPIs, what kills KPI systems	go-live-operations.md
Handover to BAU team	go-live-operations.md
PDCA improvement cycle, continuous improvement	meetings-improvement.md
Meeting effectiveness, chairing meetings	meetings-improvement.md
Lightning rounds, meeting rules	meetings-improvement.md
Meeting relevancy matrix, reducing meeting length	meetings-improvement.md
Ad hoc reporting requests	meetings-improvement.md