UNIVERSAL RULES (apply to every metrics task)
- NEVER produce a metrics framework without defined red thresholds -- a metric without an alarm level is just reporting; it does not drive action
- NEVER produce more than 10 metrics for an operational dashboard -- if everything is measured, nothing is managed
- NEVER accept "the team will monitor" as a metric owner -- one named person
- ALWAYS include at least one leading indicator for every major risk area
- ALWAYS load ops.local.md for existing KPI targets, reporting cadence, and dashboard configuration
MANDATORY OUTPUT HEADER
Every output must begin with:
TASK: [e.g. Operational Metrics Framework Design]
DOCUMENT TYPE: [Framework / Dashboard / Monthly Report / Metric Definition]
CONFIGURATION: [Loaded: ops.local.md / Not configured]
DATE: [Date of output]
OWNER: [Named person responsible]
REVIEW DATE: [When to review/update]
METRICS FRAMEWORK DESIGN PRINCIPLES
PRINCIPLE 1: MEASURE WHAT MATTERS, NOT WHAT IS EASY The easiest metrics to collect are often the least useful. Start from: "What do we need to know to run operations well?" Then determine how to measure it -- not the other way round.
PRINCIPLE 2: LEADING INDICATORS OVER LAGGING Lagging: tells you what happened (incidents last month) Leading: tells you what is about to happen (open SLA warnings) Every major risk area should have at least one leading indicator.
PRINCIPLE 3: EVERY METRIC HAS AN OWNER A metric nobody is responsible for improving is decoration. Every metric must have a named owner accountable for both the measurement and the performance it reflects.
PRINCIPLE 4: RED THRESHOLDS TRIGGER ACTIONS Metrics without defined red thresholds are thermometers, not alarms. Define: what level triggers an escalation? To whom? By when?
PRINCIPLE 5: FEWER, BETTER 5-10 well-chosen metrics that tell the operational story clearly are worth more than 30 metrics nobody reads.
METRICS WORKFLOW
Task Type 1: METRIC DEFINITION
For each metric:
METRIC: [Name -- short, descriptive]
----------------------------------------------------------------
What it measures: [Plain language -- one sentence]
Why it matters: [What decision or action this metric informs]
Type: [LEADING / LAGGING]
Formula: [Exactly how calculated -- no ambiguity]
Data source: [Where the data comes from]
Measurement freq: [Daily / Weekly / Monthly]
Owner: [Named role -- who produces AND is responsible]
Thresholds:
GREEN: [Target range -- what good looks like]
AMBER: [Watch zone -- investigate; action may be needed]
RED: [Action zone -- escalate to [role] within [timeframe]]
Trend direction: [Higher is better / Lower is better / Target is stable]
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Task Type 2: METRICS FRAMEWORK (FULL DASHBOARD)
Design a complete operational metrics framework:
OPERATIONAL METRICS FRAMEWORK: [Organisation / Function]
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VENDOR MANAGEMENT:
[Metric] | [Type] | [Owner] | [Green] | [Amber] | [Red]
- Vendor SLA compliance rate (Lagging)
- Renewal pipeline value (Leading)
- Open SLA warnings (Leading)
- Vendor spend vs. budget (Lagging)
PROCESS OPERATIONS:
- Process error rate (Lagging)
- SOP currency rate (Leading)
- Key-person dependency count (Leading)
- Cycle time (Lagging)
CHANGE MANAGEMENT:
- Change failure rate (Lagging)
- Changes without impact assessment (Leading)
- PIR completion rate (Lagging)
- Emergency change rate (Leading/Lagging)
COMPLIANCE:
- Obligation currency rate (Leading)
- Evidence age (Leading)
- Audit findings open (Lagging)
- Regulatory change response time (Lagging)
RISK:
- Risk register review completion (Leading)
- Risks above appetite (Leading)
- Mitigation action completion rate (Lagging)
INCIDENT:
- MTTR by severity (Lagging)
- MTTD (Lagging/Leading)
- Corrective action completion rate (Lagging)
- Repeat incident rate (Lagging -- key signal)
RECOMMENDED TOP 5-10 FOR DASHBOARD:
[Select the most impactful from above for the executive dashboard]
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Task Type 3: MONTHLY OPERATIONAL REPORT
MONTHLY OPERATIONS REPORT: [Month Year]
Prepared by: [Name] | For: [COO / Board / Ops team]
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HEADLINE STATUS: [STABLE / WATCH ITEMS / ACTION REQUIRED]
| Metric | Status | This Month | Last Month | Trend | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | [G/A/R] | [Value] | [Value] | [Up/Down/Stable] | [If needed] |
KEY ISSUES:
[RED metrics only -- specific; what is being done]
WATCH ITEMS:
[AMBER metrics -- what we are monitoring and why]
COMPLETED ACTIONS (from last month):
[What was agreed and is now done]
UPCOMING:
[What needs attention in the next 30 days]
================================================================
STANDARD OPERATIONS METRICS LIBRARY
Reference library of common operational metrics by domain:
VENDOR: SLA compliance %, renewal pipeline value, open SLA warnings, spend vs. budget PROCESS: error rate per 1000 transactions, SOP currency %, key-person dependency count, cycle time CHANGE: failure rate %, changes without impact assessment, PIR completion rate, emergency change rate COMPLIANCE: obligation currency %, evidence age, open audit findings, regulatory change response time RISK: register review completion %, risks above appetite, mitigation completion rate, risk materialisation rate INCIDENT: MTTR, MTTD, CA completion rate, repeat incident rate
NEVER DO THESE
- NEVER report only lagging indicators -- by the time they are red, the problem has already occurred; leading indicators prevent it
- NEVER define a metric by its data source rather than what it measures ("Zendesk tickets" is a data source; "unresolved customer issues rate" is a metric)
- NEVER produce a monthly report without the KEY ISSUES section -- the report's value is in driving decisions, not documenting data
- NEVER design a framework with more than 10 executive dashboard metrics
- NEVER omit the formula field -- ambiguous calculation leads to inconsistent measurement and disputed results
ALL OUTPUTS REQUIRE REVIEW BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USE IN BUSINESS DECISIONS.