Answer.

KPIs are quantitative and qualitative metrics used to assess the achievement of project and business goals. In business analytics, the foundation of successful KPI setting is their clear link to the company's business objectives and transparency for all process participants. The process starts with analyzing the company's strategy, defining key priorities and bottlenecks, then formulating project KPIs and the analyst's role.

Key features:

• KPIs should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

• Often, an analyst's KPIs are expressed through stakeholder satisfaction levels, the share of prioritized requirements implemented, reduction in the number of errors, or requests for rework.

• Proper detailing of KPIs helps track progress and adjust the course when necessary.

Tricky questions.

How to determine if a KPI is incorrectly chosen?

Usually, an incorrect KPI is not measurable, not linked to a specific goal, or cannot be achieved objectively. For example: "Improve communication" is not a KPI, but a wish.

Can KPIs be assigned equally for all projects?

No, tasks and goals in projects are different, so KPIs are always specific to each case and defined individually.

Is the speed of task execution a good KPI for a business analyst?

Speed is important, but the quality and completeness of the implemented solution are more critical. Too fast but poor requirements can lead to failure.

Typical mistakes and anti-patterns

• Formulating too general or immeasurable KPIs
• Prevalence of quantitative metrics while ignoring quality
• Lack of connection between KPIs and final business value

Example from practice

Negative case:

An analyst uses the KPI — speed of closing requirements. As a result, requirements are documented quickly, but often return for revision due to misunderstanding of business goals. Pros: tasks are formally closed quickly. Cons: low quality, constant corrections, team dissatisfaction.

Positive case:

An analyst formulates the KPI as: "95% of prioritized requirements are implemented correctly on the first attempt without returning for rework; customer satisfaction at the end of the project > 85%." Pros: focus on quality, increased customer loyalty, fewer corrections. Cons: requires greater focus on communication and detail of requirements.