Beware of Metrics Overkill

silicon.com on May 02, 2006

IT managers are a little too in love with their metrics, this columnist opines. While measurement definitely has its place in effective management, too many metrics these days use irrelevant or conflicting requirements and targets, he says. Worse, they are sometimes applied to processes or activities that do not require management at all. In some cases, managers end up spending more time reporting than doing, which drives up administrative costs while reducing efficiency. He recommends establishing sensible and minimal performance metrics, and then using an automated system to track them. Unlike humans, he says, machines are never tempted to tweak results.