In “Metrics” we described how to determine what metrics to capture by using a top- down approach to analyzing your process goals, and then  determining the metrics that serve to validate that those.

After you ensure that your metrics align with process goals, you can start to  analyze your process for areas of improvement. Now we can begin to describe typical improvement indicators.

Most processes have typical improvement indicators that you can focus on to  determine when and what to change in your process.

The last four indicators are what are talked about when people begin to focus on  process improvement indicators. All of these indicators require that you know what you want to measure. Even with cycle time, which is a fairly simple measure requiring no configuration, the process owner or someone needs to know what  the goal is to have a baseline to measure against.

We are going to focus on the  first typical indicator of the “Process not contributing to project/program goals.” The other  four are fairly obvious.

The metrics that you define in your initial and ongoing analysis work should help  you make decisions that align with project/program and corporate goals. If you have done your groundwork correctly, your metrics align with project/program and corporate goals. It is critical that these goals are aligned if you expect the metrics that you  glean from your process to point you toward a “true north” in improving your  process.

While this situation is a simple representation of what goes on when analyzing your process for improvement, it plays an enforcing function. The analysis hierarchy makes you focus on metrics and process issues from a process and project/program goals perspective.