What are service metrics and KPIs?
Metrics are measures that provide you with the quantifiable information you can use to track service performance or progress. In order to obtain metrics, you need to clearly define what you want to measure, and then have a method for doing so. For example, you can measure client satisfaction through surveys. Google Analytics can be used to track the number of visits to your service website. ServiceNow can provide reports detailing the number of incidents your service has experienced in the last month.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a special subclass of metrics that are most closely aligned with your critical business objectives. For example, if you have an objective of achieving 99.995% service uptime (as is common in infrastructure services such as voice and data), the following are examples of KPIs that would measure your success towards achieving this goal:
- Service Availability: Availability of IT Services relative to the availability agreed to in Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operating Level Agreements (OLAs)
- Number of Service Interruptions
- Duration of Service Interruptions: How long the service was unavailable
Why do I need to establish Service Metrics and KPIs?
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it! Metrics and KPIs provide quantifiable information about the health of your service, identify opportunities for service improvement and provide a measure of the progress toward achieving your business goals.
How do I establish my service metrics and KPIs?
Define your business objectives for the service and then identify the metrics and KPIs that will measure progress towards achieving these goals. Doing so prior to service launch is important, in order to serve as a baseline for future measurements. The Service Development team can assist with defining meaningful metrics and KPIs and then how to measure them.
| I want to: | Here’s how: | When: | Who is responsible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Define meaningful metrics and KPIs | Submit a request | During the development phase and before launch | Business and Service Owners and Service Manager |
