In this article, we'll talk about the importance of setting and tracking specific goals to help you understand and improve the performance of your business. We will also learn about KPIs and how to use them to assess the effectiveness of the processes that are most important to achieving your goals.
What is The importance of setting and tracking specific goals
The importance of setting and tracking specific goals to help you understand and improve the performance of your business.
First, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are metrics used to focus on the points that are most important to achieving business goals. "It helps the staff to understand how to track and evaluate progress."
There are many ways to build KPIs, but all of them should be measurable, feasible, and provide direction. What does a KPI look like in the real world?
Take Ryan, the owner of a chain of fitness centers called “The Fitness Club” who wants to make sure he has enough clients to keep his business growing. For this purpose, Ryan needs to sign up for at least 50 new members per center per month.
This is the goal. “Now, Ryan has to create KPIs to measure the efforts his employees are making to achieve this goal.” Here are the KPIs that Ryan has identified for sales staff based on actions likely to help raise the subscription rate:
- The sales team has to reach 20 potential customers per day.
- Respond to all inquiries sent via social media and e-mail within 15 minutes of receiving them within working hours.
- Renew or upgrade 8 club membership subscriptions per month.
Analyzing results against these KPIs will identify employees who meet expected standards and employees who need additional sales training.
When it comes to your business or organization, always remember that a KPI can be any element that will help you achieve your goal.
How to use KPIs
KPIs and how to use them to assess the effectiveness of the processes most critical to achieving your goals.
Make sure you choose the KPIs that fit your needs, from sales department calls and social media posting to email list subscriptions and customer satisfaction ratings. How do you know which KPIs are right for you, and how do you measure them?
KPIs must be accurate, measurable, achievable, relevant and have a time limit. Creating them this way will ensure that they are clear and achievable. When developing your KPIs, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this KPI accurate enough?
- Can it be measured?
- Can employees achieve it?
- How does it fit into the main goal of your business?
- Finally, what is the maximum time limit for its implementation?
For example, a KPI could be an increase in sales volume of 25% compared to last year.
This indicator is accurate and measurable, and you can review previous sales reports to see if it is feasible or not.
Increasing sales is an important factor for growth, which makes it a common goal for various types of businesses. Comparing them over the years enhances the chances of achieving the desired increase in a timely manner.
Also, be sure to regularly evaluate the KPIs and their results, and to respond to the data in accordance with these evaluations. For example, if Ryan's sales staff are unable to respond to inquiries within 15 minutes of receiving them, Ryan may need to increase the number of employees per shift in order to achieve this.
Responding to inquiries promptly will ensure the satisfaction and happiness of potential customers while at the same time ensuring the comfort of employees.
When it comes to setting goals and KPIs in your business environment, make sure they are accurate, measurable, achievable, relevant to your business and can help you think proactively to achieve your long-term plan.
You need to think carefully about the KPIs you will set and how you can measure them to reach the desired goals.