Many people seem to have an aversion to tracking metrics related to business processes. Perhaps it's from a misunderstanding of the intent. After all, people use metrics all day long. How much money did I make, how much did I spend, how much do I weigh, etc. etc. The whole point of 'metrics'is to be able to quantify something you want to change.
If I want to lose weight, first I must know how much I weigh now. Then I go through a fitness program. If I come back at some point and my weight has not changed I can draw a conclusion that the fitness program is not helping me lose weight.
This viewpoint applies directly to business process improvement. If I want to decrease the amount of time it takes from the time a client calls in with a work request to the time I write up a contract, I first must know how long it currently takes.
Gary Comerford, in The Unseen side of Process Projects - Part Four:Measures, notes that implementing a new process without proper measurment is a 'fatal mistake'.
Of course, measuring data can become a process in itself that needs analysis and improvement. Do you have the resources to keep tracking your metrics as you work on the revised process? This is something to consider when choosing the technology you use to implement business improvements.
