This is the age of big data – but big data is not necessarily useful data. Making use of information in a way which powerfully impacts business performance is a process that begins with measurement.

Business performance measurement connects the day to day working of the organization to its long-term goals. Best practice measurement is creative and dynamic, it supports change and improves performance.

Measurement is a way to link the broader strategic goals to the day to day operational whirlwind. It is, in a nutshell, a way to put your money where your mouth is.

Reviewing the process of business performance measurement in an organization starts with questions. Who decides what we measure and why? What does what we measure say about us as an organization? If this is our strategy, what should we measure? How do we make what is important to the organization measurable?

Kimble’s Best Practice Guide –  the product of years of experience of working with professional services organizations – recommends five simple steps towards reviewing and renewing the processes around measurement.

Used positively, this can help to build a business culture of visibility, empowerment, and discipline.