Nick Pistone

Every project needs KPIs. But in many cases, reporting KPIs can become just another box to check. KPIs should be used to define success in specific, measurable ways. When success is not well-defined, KPIs become a creative exercise to find a positive story to tell rather than a scientific indicator validating (or nullifying) a particular strategy.

Using my KPI framework, the team works with the product owner to define and write out project goals. The team outlines the specific actions they will take to achieve those goals. Then we come up with our definition of success—what do we hope will happen when our changes are made? Finally, we identify KPIs aligned with those specific actions that will tell us clearly if we met our definition of success. We’re moving away from reporting trivia and personal interests and instead providing the data points that tell us if we did what we set out to do and how we can improve.

Using this framework in many Drupal migrations and other projects, I have seen the following improvements:
-Clear project goals
-Concrete action taken to meet goals
-A specific and measurable definition of success
-KPIs that help you understand why you succeeded (or failed)

We can’t guarantee that we will always achieve our goals on the first try. But by connecting the dots between goals and KPIs from the beginning, we can guarantee that we will gain valuable insights and get closer to the goal each time.