Kai Steuernagel

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Forward-looking metrics don’t have to be perfect—they just need to provide valuable foresight.

By incorporating them, you transform reports from passive records into proactive decision-making tools.

TL;DR
How to Get Started

- Audit Your Data: Identify schedules, trends, and historical patterns.
- Leverage Predictive Models: Analyze past incidents to estimate future risks.
- Collaborate with Stakeholders: Validate assumptions with compliance teams.

Using this insight, you can create a model to predict in which areas policy violations are likely to happen.

By analyzing the data for the existing metric:
- Departments with frequent past violations
- Specific policies that are often breached

By correlation with other metrics:
- Missed training sessions
- Scheduled trainings
- Overdue policy reviews

To make it forward-looking, you could transform it into:

"Predicted number of policy violations in the next quarter based on trends."

How?

Practical Example: Predicting Policy Violations

Let’s take the following metric as an example:

"Number of policy violations in the last quarter."

This is a backward-looking metric that tracks policy violations after they happen.

Understanding Metrics: Backward vs. Forward Looking

Most metrics are what is called backward looking, which means they count past events.

A forward looking metric aims to give a prediction of the future, which makes it possible to take preventive action.

Here is what I mean:

A problem with most metrics is, that they only show the past.

Wouldn’t it be great if your metrics could tell what will likely happen in the near future?

The key is to use forward looking metrics.

Here is what they are and how to use them.

Want more insights on building meaningful reports?
Follow me for ongoing tips on data-driven application development, and share your thoughts in the replies!

TL;DR

A metric should
- be purposefully chosen, to provide a clear context
- highlight why the change or trend matters
- point to what actions or decisions are required

Tip #3: Assign ownership and accountability

- A metric without ownership leads to inaction
- Make sure someone is monitoring it, analyzing changes, and driving improvements
- Define who has control over the outcome and what actions they can take

Tip #2: Add context to your metrics

- Provide a narrative together with the numbers
- What happened during the reporting period to put the change into perspective.
- This adds a “why” to your metric, and makes it easier to guide the corrective action.

Tip #1: Align Metrics with Business Objectives

- Every metric should be directly connected to a business objective
- Metrics are only useful if they measure progress towards a specific goal
- This sets the background for meaningful analysis and decision-making

Many metrics fail to show what they actually mean for the business and how to respond.

Numbers alone are not enough.
For the reader there has to be a “so what”, to tell him what the next step is.

Here are 3 tips to make your metrics “tell a story”:👇

Bonus tip:

Keep your documentation updated and accessible.
Maintain a decision log with rationales and track open questions and their project impact.

While this process can feel daunting, the connections you make today will become your greatest asset in future projects.

3. Once you start finding people, proper stakeholder management becomes important.

Take your time to understand for each stakeholder:

- What do they gain or lose from this project?
- How much influence do they have?
- What are their concerns and priorities?

2. Now comes the hard work

- Look at the organizational chart, if one exists, and contact HR for guidance
- Ask people in the relevant businesses or functions for help and referrals
- Don't hesitate to reach out to business heads and senior managers
- Examine existing material from similar projects

1. Before even starting your search for the right people, prepare your "papers":

- The Project Mandate with project goal and sponsor
- A clear list of questions you need answered
- Any existing documentation you've identified

These will support the conversations with the people you approach.

Software projects are never only about writing code.

There is one problem every project manager has before the project can even begin:

Involving the right people.

Here are 3 steps to get you started:

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When defining metrics, ask:

- Does this metric answer a critical question?
- Is it clear, relevant, and trustworthy?
- Will it guide action?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What challenges have you faced with metrics, and what’s worked for you?

Why It Matters

Good metrics help you understand WHY something is happening and what to do next. They enable stakeholders to focus on what matters most, whether it’s regulatory compliance or business growth.

6. Aligned: Good metrics connect directly to business goals. In compliance, tracking "Completion rate of mandatory training" ties to risk reduction. For other industries, alignment might focus on customer retention or revenue growth.

5. Accurate: Accuracy begins with validated data and transparent processes. Without it, even the clearest metric loses credibility.