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KPI Checklist for Business Performance

This document provides a checklist for using key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve business performance, focusing on profitability, cash flow, and strategic goals. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring measurable indicators, efficiency, and external drivers while presenting information effectively. The guide is intended for ACCA members and their clients, highlighting the need for tailored advice based on individual circumstances.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views1 page

KPI Checklist for Business Performance

This document provides a checklist for using key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve business performance, focusing on profitability, cash flow, and strategic goals. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring measurable indicators, efficiency, and external drivers while presenting information effectively. The guide is intended for ACCA members and their clients, highlighting the need for tailored advice based on individual circumstances.

Uploaded by

asaza
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Checklist: using performance indicators

Key performance indicators, or KPIs, can help you measure how your business is
performing in particular areas, so you can track and improve this over time.

 Focus on the areas which affect profitability and cashflow: sales, costs and
working capital.
 Identify the key drivers that significantly affect performance. These might include
factors that have a major influence on the quality of your goods or services,
customer satisfaction and costs.
 Monitor indicators that reflect your strategic goals. If you aim to expand your
customer base, track the number of new enquiries.
 Look for indicators that are measurable, such as number of complaints, rather than
qualitative assessments such as ‘customer satisfaction’.
 Aim for direct indicators, but use indirect ones if necessary. For example,
absenteeism is an indicator of employee motivation.
 Look for indicators that can be targeted either by comparison with historical
performance or by benchmarking them against other companies.
 Consider indicators that demonstrate efficiency. Monitor defect ratios, levels of
production wastage, the conversion rate of new enquiries into sales and delivery
time, for example.
 Focus on a small number of key indicators to monitor at board level; leave more
detailed, subsidiary indicators to individual managers to monitor.
 Identify any external drivers – such as foreign exchange rates – that need
monitoring but are beyond your control.
 Decide how frequently to monitor each indicator. Some figures – such as the cost
of premises – might only be reviewed annually, while sales progress, cashflow and
credit control should be reviewed weekly or even daily.
 Present the information in a way that demonstrates the trends and highlights the
significant variations. Using graphs or charts can be particularly effective.
 Dig deeper into areas where performance levels have changed unexpectedly
to identify the reasons behind the change.
 Use your findings to address any issues you uncover or to explore how you can
exploit positive changes in your business, market or circumstances.

November 2019

ACCA LEGAL NOTICE


This is a basic guide prepared by ACCA UK's Technical Advisory Service for members and their clients. It
should not be used as a definitive guide, since individual circumstances may vary. Specific advice should be
obtained, where necessary.

Common questions

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A business should determine the frequency of monitoring performance indicators based on how critical they are to the business's success and how rapidly they can change. For example, sales progress, cashflow, and credit control, which can fluctuate quickly, should be reviewed more frequently, such as weekly or daily, while more stable figures like the cost of premises can be checked annually .

A business can align its performance indicators with strategic goals by selecting indicators that reflect these goals. For example, if the goal is to expand the customer base, the business should track the number of new enquiries. This ensures that the monitoring efforts contribute directly to broader strategic objectives .

It is crucial to investigate unexpected changes in performance levels to identify underlying causes. Understanding these reasons allows a business to address potential issues promptly or leverage positive changes to improve processes or capitalize on favorable market conditions .

Focusing on measurable indicators rather than qualitative assessments is recommended because measurable indicators provide clear, objective data that can be consistently tracked and analyzed over time. This allows for accurate performance comparisons and trend identification, whereas qualitative assessments might be more subjective and harder to quantify .

A business might use indirect indicators when direct indicators are unavailable or impractical to measure. For instance, employee motivation can be indirectly assessed through absenteeism rates, which reflect engagement levels and morale, even if direct measures of motivation are not feasible .

A business can utilize findings from KPI monitoring to make actionable improvements by critically analyzing the data to address any identified issues, explore tweaks or adjustments in operations, and exploit any positive changes. This could mean redesigning processes to enhance efficiency or redefining strategies to better take advantage of emerging opportunities or market shifts .

Businesses can effectively present KPI data using visual aids such as graphs or charts. These tools help to clearly demonstrate trends and highlight significant variations, making it easier for stakeholders to understand performance changes and make informed decisions .

External drivers like foreign exchange rates play a role in performance monitoring because they can significantly impact areas such as cost and pricing strategies. Monitoring these factors helps businesses anticipate and respond to changes that are outside their direct control but affect overall performance .

A business should focus on sales, costs, and working capital when using KPIs to enhance profitability and cashflow. These areas directly impact the financial health of the business and should be continuously tracked and optimized .

Benchmarking performance indicators against historical performance or other companies is significant because it provides context for interpreting the data. It helps identify areas where the business is performing well or needs improvement and facilitates strategic decisions to bridge performance gaps relative to industry standards .

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