A KPI that can be met without improving the building is not a KPI. It is a reporting exercise.
Why KPIs get gamed
Contractors respond rationally to what is measured. If response time is measured from the moment a job is acknowledged, tickets are acknowledged late. If closure is self-certified, jobs close early.
Principles of robust KPIs
- Measure outcomes the occupant feels, such as availability and comfort, not just activity
- Start the clock at the point of the user's request
- Verify through independent sampling, not contractor self-reporting
- Balance speed with quality, such as first-time fix and repeat failures
- Link a meaningful share of payment to results
Make audit part of the design
A good framework states how each KPI is measured, by whom, from which data and how disputes are resolved. Independent audits of a sample each month keep everyone honest.
Keep it short
Ten well-designed KPIs outperform fifty that nobody reads. Fewer measures, clearly defined and consistently verified, change behaviour.
