What is KPI?

KPI stands for key performance indicator. A KPI is a metric used to evaluate a company's or department's performance relative to its competitors and to its achievement of specific goals. Different KPIs are used in different departments and industries.

A KPI commonly used in most industries is sales growth. This compares the current sales of a company to the sales from a previous period and is often expressed as a percentage. In the mining sector, proven and probable reserve growth is a KPI that is not applicable to other industries. In call center departments and industries, KPI goals such as answering a percentage of calls within a certain amount of time are common.