Most reporting projects fail for the same reason: the indicators measure activity instead of outcomes. Before adding a metric to a dashboard, ask who will read it, what decision it supports, and what they will do when it moves.
Start from the objective, not the data. Write the business goal in one sentence, then define the two or three indicators that would tell you whether that goal is being met. Only then look at which systems can supply the numbers.
Give every indicator an owner, a target and a comparison period. Without those three, a number on a screen is decoration. With them, the same number becomes a conversation about variance and next steps.
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