It really matters that you know where you are.

Key performance indicators (KPI’s) can inform the business about the overall health of activities across business silos and through political boundaries.

Establishing coherent KPI's is critical for being able to establish over a period of time where the issues are in a project. Especially where there are multiple areas where you can use the same measures to deliver information that is meaningful and comparable.

There is no point deploying a dashboard of KPI’s that doesn’t give you this kind of business context or al you will deliver is up to the minute information about things you know you know.

Here are my simple generic starter KPI thought. Its not a rulebook but you might find them useful : -

• Must be the same KPI’s across project or similar areas
• How long has the project been running 
  • Over 9 months = red
  How many people
  
  • Over 28 in an enterprise = red
  • Over 9 in a startup = red
• What is the revenue plan?
  • If revenue plan is not greater than overhead cost = red
• Is the management qualified and credible?
  • Some objective scoring metric
• Is technology bias a factor?
  • Some objective scoring metric
• Is everybody doing it?
  • Yes = red
  Is somebody doing it by way of validation?
  • No= red
• Are other groups doing the same thing internally using different technology 
  • Yes = red
  Is there a software technology and hardware bias in teams
  
  • Yes = red unless deliberate strategy