KPI

/ˌkeɪ piːˈaɪ/
key metric for performance

The company tracks monthly KPIs to measure sales team productivity.

The company uses specific performance indicators to evaluate how well the sales team is performing each month.


Business
formal

A quantifiable measure used to evaluate the success of an organization, employee, or project in meeting objectives.

Customer satisfaction scores are a critical KPI for our customer support team.

The team's performance is judged partly by how satisfied customers are with the service they receive.

The marketing department's KPIs include website traffic and lead conversion rates.

Marketing success is measured by how many people visit the website and how many of those visitors become potential customers.

KPIs are often tied to business goals and used in performance reviews or strategic planning.

Collocations

set KPIsestablish measurable targetstrack KPIsmonitor performance metricsmeet KPIsachieve established targetsKPI dashboardvisual tool displaying performance metrics

Related Phrases

OKR (Objectives and Key Results)phrase
goal-setting framework that complements KPIs
balanced scorecardphrase
strategic planning tool that includes KPIs across financial, customer, internal process, and learning/growth perspectives

Pro Tip

How to choose effective KPIs

Focus on metrics that directly align with your organization's strategic goals. For example, if customer retention is a priority, track churn rate rather than just website visits.

Gold Rule

KPIs vs. metrics

All KPIs are metrics, but not all metrics are KPIs. A KPI must directly measure progress toward a critical business objective.

Avoid vanity metrics

Metrics like social media followers may look impressive but don't necessarily indicate business success unless they correlate with revenue or customer retention.

Word Origin

Acronym formed from 'Key Performance Indicator' (first recorded in business contexts in the 1980s). The term gained widespread use in management literature and corporate strategy frameworks.

Usage Notes

KPIs should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Avoid setting too many KPIs—focus on the most critical ones that directly impact business success.

Word Breakdown

K
Key
abbreviation
+
P
Performance
abbreviation
+
I
Indicator
abbreviation
English Dictionary