Learn the key ideas behind KPIs in LeanSuite: indicators and KPIs, targets, RAG ranges, Pareto categories, calculated KPIs and KPI trees.
Understanding them first makes it much easier to set up KPIs that report the way you expect.
Indicators and KPIs
An indicator is a measure at the lowest level, for example scrap on one workstation or line.
A KPI can roll several indicators up, for example scrap for the whole plant.
KPIs are defined under KPI → Indicators.
Targets
The target on the KPI is the standard target. You can set one target for the whole year or a different target for each month.
When you enter a value, the target field is optional and only overrides the target for that date. Leave it blank to use the KPI's target.
Set "lower is better" for measures such as scrap or downtime.
RAG ranges
Set red, amber and green ranges. Values and dashboard tiles are colored automatically.
Example: Below 80 red, 80–90 amber, and above 90 green.
Categories (Pareto)
Turn on Enable Pareto for this KPI and add categories, such as downtime reasons or shifts.
When someone enters a value, they pick a category, and you can view a Pareto chart of the reasons.
Sum or average
Choose how values combine over a period: sum for counts such as parts produced, or average for rates such as percentages.
Calculated KPIs
Build a KPI from others. Edit the KPI, open Advanced Details, and use Select options to build the formula.
Example: Attainment = parts built ÷ parts planned.
KPI trees
Trees roll KPIs up the organization, for example line → department → plant → company.
A tree averages the KPIs below it. For ratios such as OEE, calculate them at the lowest level rather than relying on the tree to add them up.
On charts, show the indicators rather than the tree KPI itself.
Across plants: each plant can share its KPIs with a corporate or "global" facility, which builds a parent KPI over them. Plants don't see each other's KPIs.
On the KPI Dashboard, the All KPIs tab lists Indicator KPIs and Tree KPIs separately. The How to Build KPI Trees panel sums up the steps:
Open the KPI Builder.
Create indicators, or build trees by adding children to nodes.
View roll-ups, where parent values calculate automatically from their children.
One KPI with categories, or several KPIs?
If you want to track and target things separately, for example scrap by shift, create separate KPIs and show them together on one Lean Studio chart.
Use categories when you mainly want to see why a value was off.