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Writer's pictureNicky Finlay

Developing a measurement and metrics strategy

Updated: May 30, 2023

Developing a measurement and metrics strategy for your business is essential to understanding the performance and success of your organisation.


However, one size does not fit all, it is about identifying what your individual business needs. By identifying and tracking key metrics that are relevant to your business, you can make data-driven decisions that will help your business grow and thrive.


In this blog post, we'll discuss the steps you can take to develop a measurement and metrics strategy for your business.


Step 1: Identify your business goals

The first step in developing a measurement and metrics strategy is to identify the specific goals of your business. These goals could include increasing revenue, improving customer satisfaction, reducing costs, or understanding more about the effectiveness of your marketing spend.


Step 2: Choose the right metrics

Once you have identified your business goals, you can then determine which metrics will be most relevant to measuring your progress towards achieving those goals.

The metrics you choose will depend on the specific goals of your business. It is important to choose metrics that are relevant and meaningful to your business, and that can be easily measured and tracked.


Step 3: Set targets and establish baselines

Once you have chosen the metrics you will be tracking, you need to set targets and establish baselines. This means determining what level of performance you want to achieve and setting a target for each metric. Establishing a baseline will also help you measure your progress towards achieving your targets.


Step 4: Implement a tracking and reporting system

Once you know what you want to measure and why you can then look at how you are going to implement a system for tracking and reporting your metrics. Here you need to consider:

  • Does the data exist or will you need to start collecting it?

  • Is it in the right format and accessible to collate and standardise metrics?

  • Is it unique enough to measure specifics?

  • Do you need to design and establish new processes to collect and use the data?

  • How are you calculating the metrics and assessing performance?

This could include using software or tools that automate the tracking and reporting process, or it could involve manually collecting and analysing data.


Regardless of the method you choose, it is important to ensure that your tracking and reporting system is accurate, reliable, easily accessible and that you use consistent methodologies to calculate metrics across departments. This reduces conflict in the numbers which can lead to confusion and mistrust. You’ll want all departments to be working on the same version of the truth..we talk more about this in one of our other Blogs.


Step 5: Analyse, report and take action

The final step in developing a measurement and metrics strategy is to analyse the data you have collected and take action based on your findings. This means looking for patterns, identifying areas of improvement, visualising and sharing the data, and then taking steps to address any issues that you have identified.

Poor visualisation of metrics can lead to poor interpretation of the numbers and incorrect decision-making. For instance,

  • Be clear on the purpose of the visualisation (e.g. to drive a decision or next action, or to reflect on past performance)

  • Identify if it needs to be scalable or added to over time

  • Know the recipients of it (e.g. how comfortable are they with numbers)

  • Understand the story you are trying to tell with the numbers (e.g. metrics at a point in time, or a cumulative performance; incremental uplift vs. gross performance)

  • Decide what would make the meaning in the chart clear and straightforward for the readers

Think about your indicators and the story you want to tell with the metrics, and then use different visualisation techniques to tell your story.


There are some fantastic tools that take a lot of the strain away from data visualisation but you still need to put some thought into the format to ensure accurate conclusions are drawn.


Conclusions

In summary, developing a measurement and metrics strategy for your business is essential for understanding the performance and success of your organization.


By identifying and tracking key metrics, you can make data-driven decisions that will help your business grow and thrive. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can develop a measurement and metrics strategy that will help you achieve your business goals.




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