Saturday, October 07, 2006
Metrics get results
Here are 12 Steps to use metrics to get to the heart of your business, in a Ready, Aim Fire approach:

Ready

1. Democratize – standardize the data and give open access to the data or reports to the masses.
2. Focus – what are the killer metrics / levers in the business? Does everyone know what these key metrics are?
3. Own – give people ownership for key metrics. Someone who pulls together the team to drive the metric, educate, evangelize, report.
4. Partner – put goals in performance plans of cross-functional partners.

Aim

5. Define – Define your metrics in ways people can understand. Use industry standards. Describe definitions in laymen’s terms, and educate the masses.
6. Report – Create an easy to read, regularly updated, consistent report that is distributed widely.
7. Co-habitate – Merge your analytics with standard business reporting. Where are the eyes on the business? Put your metrics there. Put them at the top. Don’t reinvent reports and channels.
8. Visualize – Show some meaning behind the numbers. Connect emotionally, create internal buzz and sound bytes.

Fire

9. Causate – Show the connections of what causes what: Y=f(x). This is a Six sigma methodology. Do A/B testing and pilots to show what moves these metrics people are now paying attention to.
10. Extrapolate – Show what if scenarios. If we do this, this lever changes, makes this customer or P&L impact. Then extrapolate to larger number (a quarter of a year of impact) to get a lot of attention.
11. Compete – Create internal competitions to improve metrics. Inspire people with stretch goals with a “Results Rabbit” for people to go after.
12. Share – Present results of business impact related to web metrics. Show the impact to the business.

Via here