Communicate data
Automated data-gathering systems, often linked to a company's data warehouse or enterprise resource planning system, offer numerous benefits. They handle huge volumes of data easily and can generate reports showing the data in different formats (such as pie charts, tables, or graphs). In addition, they can aggregate data from different units or groups into one number.
For instance, the system may show "Division sales," while also enabling managers to drill down to see sales generated by each region and salesperson within the division.
They also help you analyze cause and effect by enabling you to "slice and dice" data in different ways.
If your organization doesn't use a formal performance measurement system, you may need to develop data-gathering forms yourself. In this case, simplicity and ease of use are critical to getting the data you need. Develop a consistent form that enables you and other metric owners to provide information easily, conveniently, and quickly, and that accommodates short notes regarding the data. Below is an example of a simple, easy-to-use data-gathering form for the metric "Percentage of one-call resolutions":
| Metric | Target | Performance Data | Notes | ||
| "Percentage of one-call resolutions" | 75% per month | July 55% | Aug. 65% | Sept. 55% | September data is misleading. The percentage of one-call resolutions logged that month fell far short of the target—but that's because during the peak summer vacation period, we were short-staffed and had to hire temps who were less knowledgeable. |