KPIs, Dashboards & Reporting Basics

Business analytics is about using data to make better decisions, not just collecting numbers. A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a specific, measurable figure that tells you whether things are going well.

• Good KPIs are specific: "Number of new clients this month" is a KPI; "how the business is doing" is not.
• Leading vs lagging indicators: Leading indicators predict future results (e.g. number of sales calls made); lagging indicators report what already happened (e.g. last month's revenue).
• A dashboard brings several KPIs together on one screen so decision-makers can see the full picture at a glance.
• Choose KPIs that connect directly to a real decision someone will make — tracking a number nobody acts on wastes effort.

Practical Skill: For a real or fictional small business or NGO program, define 3 KPIs that would genuinely help its manager make decisions, explaining why each one matters.

=== KPI DEFINITION WORKSHEET === Business/Program: [e.g. "Community Health Outreach Program"] KPI 1: ________________________________________________  Why it matters: ______________________________________  How often measured: [ ] Daily [ ] Weekly [ ] Monthly KPI 2: ________________________________________________  Why it matters: ______________________________________  How often measured: [ ] Daily [ ] Weekly [ ] Monthly KPI 3: ________________________________________________  Why it matters: ______________________________________  How often measured: [ ] Daily [ ] Weekly [ ] Monthly Example (Health Outreach):  KPI: "Number of households visited per week"  Why: Shows whether outreach targets are being met in time  Frequency: Weekly