Some say that what cannot be measured, cannot be improved. There are those who are obsessed with metrics, to the point of tracking and checking even the smallest change in very short periods of time. However, there is an essential nuance in all this. What we measure well, we know well, and that is why we can improve and it is easier.
When it comes to productivity in SMEs, things get a little more complicated, because there is no standard metric that suits everyone, so sometimes it is better not to measure at all than to measure badly.
Why is not measuring better than measuring wrong?
Sometimes, our eagerness to measure something that we cannot value directly, often makes it counterproductive. Measuring something that is really useful is a long and costly process that requires all the attention we can muster. What if it results in something we were not interested in? There is also another reason why we are interested in measuring the right thing, and that is that we often lose perspective on what we are looking for, and this can result in us trying to change and improve something that was not necessary.
Keys to measuring productivity
According to what we have seen so far, the basic question to be able to measure productivity well in your SME lies in being clear about the purpose of the measurement. The first step to measure productivity correctly is to define the purpose of the measurement. What do we want to know?
Once this is established, we must find out the variables that, within our control, are directly influencing the outcome and try to control them. Then we have to measure these variables at regular intervals to control the changes. Once all these steps have been taken, we can measure productivity in our SME, and change and improve what needs improvement.
And you, how do you measure productivity?
