{"id":27909,"date":"2015-02-11t15:09:50","date_gmt":"2015-02-11t20:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.deco-dalles.com\/?p=27909"},"modified":"2015-03-12t09:29:05","modified_gmt":"2015-03-12t13:29:05","slug":"metrics-vs-kpis-project-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.deco-dalles.com\/metrics-vs-kpis-project-management\/","title":{"rendered":"project metrics vs kpis – knowing the difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

i had a manager once, back in my it days, who suddenly insisted, “if i get another 12-page project report, i’m tossing it.”<\/p>\n

it was too much data to process, so i paired my report down to a 1-page project dashboard that highlighted kpis<\/a> for all of my projects. he loved it. and it soon became a template that was adopted throughout the office.<\/p>\n

that was 12 years ago. but today, we’re all still facing the same battles with project data overload and trying to cut to the core of our projects’ performance.<\/p>\n

did you know that primavera p6 professional has over 200 fields? many of which are calculated metrics you might choose as a kpi for your project.<\/p>\n

so how you do know what metrics\u00a0to focus on? and what’s the difference between a metric and a kpi in the first place?<\/p>\n

project metrics and kpis – understanding the differences<\/h2>\n

in his book, “project management metrics, kpis and dashboards,<\/strong><\/a>” dr. harold kerzner makes this distinction:<\/p>\n

metrics<\/strong> generally focus on the accomplishment of performance objectives, focusing on “where are we today?”<\/strong><\/p>\n

kpis<\/strong><\/a> focus on future outcomes<\/strong> and address “where will we end up?”<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

seems simple enough, right? but i’m still a bit fuzzy….what is kerzner really saying about metrics and kpis here?<\/p>\n

a metric is a simply a measure.<\/p>\n

metrics report on what happened and are generally focused on past events<\/strong>.\u00a0kpis are metrics also, but\u00a0they typically describe a trend and\u00a0become drivers for decision-making<\/strong> on the future direction of the project<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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“with kpis we figure out how to use this data for decision making in the future. neither metrics not kpis can truly predict that the project will be successful, but kpis provide more accurate information on what might happen in the future if the\u00a0existing trends continue.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

thus, a key performance indicator<\/a> becomes a measure that demands action<\/strong> from the team in order to reset the trend.<\/p>\n

there are perhaps hundreds of possible project performance kpis<\/a>. some common examples include:<\/p>\n