KPI

In short: KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator: a measurable number that shows how well a goal is being reached.

In more detail: KPIs translate a goal (“The site should run reliably”) into a number (“99.9 % availability per month”). That way progress and problems can be judged objectively.

In Depth

Examples

• IT operations: availability (uptime), response time, number of incidents, mean time to resolve a ticket.
• Website: visitors, bounce rate, load time, share of customers who buy (conversion).
• Project: schedule adherence, budget, error rate (project management).

Good KPIs

• Fit a clear goal, ideally by SMART.
• Are measurable and can be influenced.
• Have a target value and a time period.
• Are evaluated and displayed regularly (dashboard).

Pitfalls

Too many numbers confuse. “Vanity numbers” such as raw page views say little about success. Optimising only one number often makes something else worse.

See also: data visualisation, traffic