It is a truism that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Largely those who have practiced measuring and then managing for improvement have done well, Toyota with their TPS have taken over the world auto industry, and 6 Sigma, first embraced by GE has driven huge benefits to many. 

However, it can be taken too far, the measurement mania that I have seen taking hold can be counter productive.

Two rules:

Measure only what ,matters

Use the measurement to improve .

 

Too many measure everything as a routine, but with no improvement strategy, nothing really  matters as no improvement takes place, others measure stuff that is irrelevant in the scheme of things because it is easy,  leaving unmeasured and unimproved the drivers of value.