You run your floor with numbers, targets, indicators, dashboards. You know exactly when a machine isn't performing at full capacity.

Why would a digital project be any different?

The reality is that a lot of companies invest in a tool and measure success with a single question: does it work? But "it works" is not a key performance indicator (KPI).

The real indicators to look at

A digital tool should have a measurable impact on your operations. Here are the kinds of questions to ask yourself depending on what you've put in place:

An operations management tool: has order processing time gone down? Have data entry errors decreased? Are your teams spending less time hunting for information?

An internal communication tool: has the number of unnecessary calls or emails dropped? Have response times between departments improved?

A dashboard or visibility tool: are you making decisions faster? Are you catching problems before they get expensive?

If you're struggling to answer those questions, it's a sign that the indicators were never properly defined. And without that, there's no way to know if your investment was worth it.

Define your metrics before you start

And yet, this is what happens most of the time. You invest, you deliver, you hope something will change. But if you haven't defined your success indicators before you begin, you won't be able to tell if you've actually succeeded.

Before kicking off a digital project, ask yourself these questions:

1. What's the specific problem I'm solving?
2. Why do I want to make this change?
3. What does it cost me not to make it?
4. What's the indicator that will tell me it's been solved?
5. How long before I expect to see a difference?

Those answers are the foundation of your return on investment (ROI). And they're what let you hold your partner accountable.

Measure along the way, not just at the end

A good digital project gets measured throughout the process, not just when it's done. Are users actually adopting it? Are the early versions solving what we thought they'd solve? Have priorities shifted along the way?

A good partner tracks impact alongside you and shows you progress regularly. They validate as often as possible to keep the option of changing course open when it's needed.

What changes when you start with the right indicators

When the metrics are clear from the start, you begin with an advantage. It's like installing new equipment on your floor: if you don't measure performance before and after, how do you know if it was worth it?

At Devsights, it's one of the first conversations we have with our clients. Because we don't just want to deliver a tool. We want to deliver an impact.

Have questions? Want to learn more? Come talk to us!

-ÈL