Manage Total Business Performance

A leader needs to see clearly what’s going on in their organization.

Yet, data compiled into a monthly business review sometimes disappoints.

  • Functional areas pull data from their systems

  • A few heroes, often in Finance, herd these spreadsheets into a thick monthly business review

  • Each area reports things are “green”

  • There is more argument about which numbers are right than about setting new directions


Lots of numbers. Little meaning. It’s still hard to see the health of the business.

There's no spark to inspire decisive actions and new initiatives.

Instead, you can energize your management team:

  • A clear strategy on one page, with prioritized goals

  • Clear, simple dashboard accessible on any device.

    • 10 - 15 Key Performance Indicators, also on one page

    • Goals and “trip-wire” levels for all KPIs

  • Automated data pull and assembly.

    • No data warehouse project. Today’s Business Intelligence tools connect and consolidate data automatically

    • Reduced labor effort from your team. Free up those hours spent herding spreadsheets and manipulating databases

    • Consistent, documented definitions of data and calculations

Within 8 - 12 weeks, your leadership team will go from debating numbers to executing plans and setting new directions.

Imagine an executive team meeting with

  • A review of the 10-15 key performance indicators

  • Discussion of action plans to fix any metrics that are off track

  • Discuss strategic topics and new initiatives

  • No time spent debating data or flipping through dozens of pages

  • Less time in the boardroom, more time doing

Avoiding Dash-Boredom at a B2C Multi-channel Distributor

Read more about creating dashboards which motivate change on our blog.

This distributor knew they faced problems growing sales.

Our analysis showed they didn't need to get MORE customers, rather the RIGHT customers, who were more valuable over their lifetime. That meant a shift in channels, and categories, plus a concerted push to deepen customers into more categories. For repeat customers, we found that relationships either grew in the early days or not at all. That gave them a second focus to deepen relationships very quickly.

With that knowledge, they had to motivate change.

We can do that with 10 metrics, carefully chose to comprehensively reflect what the distributor needed to accomplish. That is, you can follow each metric back to part of their strategy. There are no extra or "interesting" metrics, just the essential ones. Every metric has monthly goals. Graphs are simple. We keep distracting details out. As they hit these goals, they will see success. If they miss some, revenue will remain unimpressive.