Measuring Delivery Process Performance

The focus on reengineering in the early 1990s, and the more recent emphasis on process management and change management have increased both practitioners and researchers interest in the issues of measuring processes. The contradictory results of process change projects reported in the literature and our observations from research suggest conflicting requirements for measurement systems. In this article, we review process measurement schemes with particular emphasis on the measures of time, quality, costs and efficiency. With five case studies, we illustrate process structures and related measurements for both customized and standardized deliveries. A framework for setting objectives for different process types is proposed. The result is a normative scheme for different processes that suggests ways to set meaningful objectives for time, quality, costs and efficiency. Finally, conclusions and implications are presented.