5-7 metric scorecards by function with sample targets.
October: the scorecards that drive next year are designed in October.
Refreshes on the 1st of every month
As you draft the annual plan, draft the metrics that prove the plan is working. Skip this and you'll spend Q1 inventing measurement instead of executing.
| Metric | Sample target | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified meetings booked / week | ≥ 12 | Earliest leading indicator |
| Pipeline coverage (3-month) | ≥ 3.0x quota | Predicts hitting plan |
| Win rate (qualified opps) | ≥ 25% | Quality of pipeline |
| Average deal size | Trend up | Pricing discipline |
| Sales cycle (days) | Trend down | Process maturity |
| Bookings vs. plan (MTD) | 100% | Lagging confirmation |
| Metric | Sample target | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| On-time delivery % | ≥ 95% | Customer experience |
| Quality escapes / 1k units | ≤ 5 | Cost of poor quality |
| Utilization % | 75-85% | Below = waste, above = burnout |
| Cost per unit vs. standard | ≤ +2% | Margin protection |
| Backlog (weeks) | 4-8 | Capacity planning signal |
| Metric | Sample target | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Days to monthly close | ≤ 10 | Decision velocity |
| AR > 60 days % | ≤ 5% | Cash quality |
| DSO (days sales outstanding) | Industry median | Working capital |
| Gross margin by line | Within band | Pricing/cost drift |
| Cash days on hand | ≥ 60 | Resilience |
| Forecast accuracy (revenue) | ±5% | Planning credibility |
| Metric | Sample target | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary turnover (annualized) | ≤ industry median | Engagement signal |
| 90-day new-hire retention | ≥ 90% | Hiring/onboarding quality |
| Open roles aging > 60 days | 0 | Recruiting capacity |
| % with current scorecard + role description | 100% | Clarity of seat |