Monday, 6 April 2015

Keeping up with key performance indicators (KPIs)

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are specific financial and non-financial measures that a company, governmental agency or NGO uses to determine whether its marketing strategy is moving the organisation in the direction of its short- and long-term goals.

Different industries rely on different KPIs to assess marketing performance. Banks--including Metro Bank, based in London--want to increase the number of account-holders, increase the number of services utilised by each customer, increase deposits and retain customers for years. Performance is measured by KPIs that indicate progress towards those goals.

Metro Bank, a 'challenger bank' competing with long-established banks on the high street, differentiates its neighborhood 'stores' on the basis of responsive, in-person service while offering online and mobile banking for customers who want tech options. Measuring the results of Metro's marketing strategy requires KPIs that link back to the goals, such as growth in customer deposits. Another KPI is profitability--so far, a goal that Metro Bank is moving towards but has yet to achieve.


What about KPIs for retailers? Online grocery retailer Ocado seeks to increase customer spend, among other goals, which translate into KPIs such as growth in average order size. As the above table from Ocado's recent results indicates, other KPIs include average number of orders per week, average deliveries per van per week and on-time delivery performance. Product wastage is not just a financial measure--it affects Ocado's sustainability performance, as well.