Importance of quantitative measurements

Kishore C.S. (Oct 2000)

For the past one month my two wheeler speedometer was not working. I found it difficult to assess my vehicles performance. Suddenly I felt I was refilling petrol before it is due. I didn’t whether my vehicle is operating at its regular efficient giving me optimum mileage.

This is the instance I felt that knowing quantitative results is very important for judging efficiency, productivity and performance.

Now that I got the speedometer repaired, I am at ease. I know at what speed I am traveling and what distances I am covering and also will definitely know my vehicle’s efficiency. It will help in making right decisions at whether I should reduce my speed or increase the speed. I would also definitely know I am getting my worth for the fuel expenditure. I would also know whether my vehicle needs any fine tuning to ensure it is delivering its required efficiency.

It is my real experience I am sharing and definitely this has hit a nail in my head that qualitative measures don’t help organizations in measuring performance and they need to be supplemented by quantitative measurements also.

Working in IT industry, I have seen Capability Maturity Model (CMM) gaining popularity and organizations striving to reach levels in the same. This basically necessitates organizations to develop metrics and benchmark their performance over a period of time. Though I have not given any serious thought, I suddenly realized necessity of such tool. If as an individual I am unable to manage, definitely an organization cannot hope to increase its efficiency and effectiveness unless the quantitative measures are taken up.

It has been a good lesson I have learned and definitely this would help in my personal management style.

• In activities I take up I should necessarily have a quantitative goal so that I can benchmark results.
• I should have necessary tools to be able to measure the results
• Then analyze the data and take corrective action if there is any deviation from goal.

The above three steps would enable me to improve continuously and adapt best practices to become ‘the best’.