Principles over tools

The KPI Frame Method

We build KPI systems that owners can explain, teams can run, and numbers can be trusted. Minimal metrics, durable definitions, and a model that links actions to outcomes.

Core belief

Dashboards expose clarity. They don’t create it.

We start with the business model and the constraint. Then we install monitoring infrastructure.

Outcome

Owners stop guessing. Teams stop debating numbers. Decisions get faster.

Principles

How we keep KPI systems effective

Many KPI efforts fail due to over-measurement, drifting definitions, and misalignment between KPIs and economics. These principles keep the system small and durable.

1) Tie KPIs to unit economics

KPIs must reflect how margin is created and destroyed: pricing, delivery cost, utilization, churn, and rework.

  • Define contribution drivers, not vanity metrics
  • Reconcile to financial statements

2) Identify the constraint

Without a constraint model, teams push random levers. With one, effort concentrates where it matters.

  • Quantify the bottleneck’s impact
  • Choose KPIs that move the bottleneck

3) Keep it minimal

Owners need a decision set. Teams need operational views. Start with the owner set.

  • 6–12 KPIs for owners
  • Build additional views only when needed

4) Durable definitions

Drifting metric definitions destroy trust. We formalize definitions and data lineage.

  • Explicit KPI formulas
  • Single source of truth for each KPI
Choosing the right entry point

Diagnostic vs Dashboard

If you want an owner dashboard and already trust your numbers, Dashboard Setup may be enough. If you want to understand why results look the way they do (and what to do next), start with the KPI Diagnostic.

Common outcome

Clients typically leave with a smaller KPI set than they started with — and far more confidence.