Set Of KPIs Research Articles

Shaping Sustainable Practices in Italy’s Construction Industry: An ESG Indicator Framework

The construction industry is one of the most environmentally sensitive sectors, significantly impacting the adoption of sustainable development practices. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pillars are essential for assessing corporate sustainability performance, revealing risks, and guiding improvement. Despite the widespread use of indicators, a notable gap exists in ESG frameworks oriented to assess company performance within the sector, with limited research on achieving standard tools. This study proposes a practical standardized framework of indicators for the European construction industry and provides a set of KPIs for the Italian context, serving as a tool to measure and report ESG performance. The methodology consists of the selection of indicators from established protocols for assessing and reporting ESG criteria, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB). The selection process resulted in the identification of 118 indicators, categorized into 44 environmental, 54 social, and 20 governance indicators, enabling construction companies to comprehensively measure and report their ESG performance in accordance with disclosure regulations. The result of this work serves policymakers seeking to develop standardized frameworks specific to the construction industry, for defining expert panels to evaluate mandatory disclosures from companies, and as guidance for companies who need guidelines to assess their sustainability performance and ensure compliance and alignment with existing frameworks.

Green Web Meter: Structuring and Implementing a Real-Time Digital Sustainability Monitoring System

The central aim of this paper is to present the Green Web Meter software, which is designed to support the measurement of the digital ESG performance of websites and web apps, as well as providing sound-based analytic tools for improving their overall quality. In this work, we will discuss the process our research team adhered to in order to provide a basic structure to the general framework of our tool, select a consistent set of KPIs that are suitable for automated real-time tracking, and determine the proper calculation methods to compute the final scores on which the ESG assessment is based. Specifically, we began from the analysis of the UNI PdR 147 guidelines on digital sustainability, highlighting the relevance of the quality construct, and subsequently selected three quality assessment models (E-S Qual, Sitequal, and Webqual 4.0) to define the core references to structure the basic framework. Starting from this general perspective, we proceeded to define the eight related KPIs and the individual scores based on the automatic calculations.

The comparison of the selected key performance indicators between the primary health care centers in Belgrade

Introduction/Objective. The purpose of the article is to analyze the efficiency of primary health care centers (PHCCs) in the city of Belgrade, using key performance indicators (KPIs). The main objective is to present the potentiality of the application of KPIs for improving primary health care services, in order to increase efficiency. Methods. As a tool for measuring the efficiency of PHCCs in Belgrade, this article defines a set of KPIs. Based on defined KPIs, a comparative analysis of PHCCs? efficiency is conducted. Results. According to the values of the overall average efficiency rating according to all observed KPIs, the best-rated, i.e., the most efficient PHCC in Belgrade is Rakovica, and the lowest, i.e., the least efficient is the PHCC Zvezdara. It was noticed that the PHCCs Novi Beograd and Vracar are among the least efficient. Conclusion. The efficiency of primary health care can be measured by applying KPIs, and the observed results can be used as a basis for increasing the efficiency of health care services in the PHCCs in Belgrade. Based on the results, recommendations to PHCCs to improve the efficiency of health care services are: appropriate distribution of patients to selected physicians, measuring patient satisfaction, improving internal processes by engaging professional managers, increasing the ability and opportunities to apply new technologies and new knowledge, increasing the accuracy of the data used for detailed analyzes, motivate physicians to raise the level of awareness of their patients about the importance of preventive examinations.

Key Performance Indicators in the Emergency Medical System: barriers and facilitators

Abstract Background Within the EASY-NET research program (NET-2016-02364191), we developed and calculated a set of KPIs on time dependent conditions (trauma, acute myocardial infarction, stroke) to analyse the Emergency Medical System (EMS) of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (FVG, 1.2M inhabitants), Italy. The results were returned to health professionals by three annual written reports, a webinar, and a workshop (2019-2023). We aim to describe the major barriers and facilitators to the implementation, use and acceptance of those KPIs in FVG. Methods Barriers and facilitators were investigated in 2020 through an online survey (5 questions on the report's clarity, quality, and relevance) e-mailed to doctors and ward managers (Cardiology, Neurology, Intensive Care, Emergency Department) and in 2023 through a debriefing within the research team. Results The geographical reorganisation of the regional health service and the succession of different political and professional representatives were important barriers, which also made it difficult to have access to raw data. Moreover, metadata were rarely available and several changes in variable coding occurred. In addition, the KPI results were difficult to convey to professionals, especially with a text-only feedback (457 e-mails sent, 71 surveys completed; 21/71 knew the report, 4 had read it). On the other hand, since these were the first KPIs to be calculated on the EMS, professionals collaborated enthusiastically and found them useful (60/71 of the survey responders), the multimodal presentation being the most effective feedback (40 webinar users, 100 workshop participants, despite the pandemic). Last but not least, dealing with data was easier thanks to the unofficial help of former colleagues. Conclusions The implementation, use and acceptance of the KPIs are driven by close collaborations, but may be hindered by organisational rearrangements and a difficult access to raw data, especially when metadata are lacking. Key messages • KPIs are well accepted by the EMS professionals, although they are difficult to implement and introduce when political and organisational rearrangements take place. • A difficult access to raw data and the lack of metadata hinder the KPIs’ calculation but close collaborations among data professionals are precious to overcome the problem.

Ranking model to measure energy efficiency for warehouse operations sustainability

Implementing sustainable or green strategies in warehouse management has become increasingly important. The environmental impact can be assessed by evaluating resource usage and productivity. A proper method for assessing the sustainability of internal processes can provide a valuable tool for companies to understand what is being done correctly and what needs to be improved to comply with new guidelines. For this paper, a case study at Arvato warehousing provider for end consumer products was conducted, and a rating mechanism model for warehouses was developed. Data on energy consumption and productivity were collected from output of 13 warehouse units (modules). From the collected data, a set of KPIs, an index system, an automation categorization system, and a ranking system were created to help with decision making, problem identification, and solving. As result, this paper demonstrates the impact of different material handling systems on energy consumption and found that a higher level of automation does not always translate into operating more efficiently in terms of sustainability. Instead of reporting absolute numbers, this study created an index that displays relative values, making it much easier to identify the most efficient modules. Additionally, this study takes the automation index a step further by creating three categories of automation levels in addition to the percentage that indicates how advanced the technology in a warehouse is, allowing for the creation of groups of warehouses and the comparison of their performance.

Ensuring circular strategy implementation: The development of circular economy indicators for ports

Port clusters are expected to play a significant role in the transition towards a circular economy, both at the level of facilitating regional and global transport within circular production chains, as well as hosting circular activities in port areas. There is strong evidence that significant investments in the circular economy (CE) are being made in port areas, albeit without much knowledge on their impacts. To ensure an efficient use of port resources in view of this transition, these impacts should be adequately monitored. Research on circular economy indicators for ports is still in an exploratory stage, characterized by an absence of in-depth research on the development of port-related circular economy indicators. This paper focuses on the development of a comprehensive set of relevant and feasible CE indicators, which aim to support port managing bodies (PMBs) as well as port stakeholders to monitor the CE transition taking place. Through multimethod qualitative research, including content analysis, focus groups, a gap analysis and a qualitative survey, an actionable list of CE 12 indicators for ports was developed. Seven of which are highly feasible and five of which have medium feasibility in terms of stakeholder relevance and ease of implementation. Findings related to (1) the overall limited CE ambition levels of PMBs and (2) the difference in the values of some indicators for different port typologies are also discussed. The value of this study for practitioners lies in providing them with an actionable set of KPIs which can support their efforts and communication related to their CE transition.

Communication Project as a Tool of a Professional Communication Development: Case Study

Background. Applied bachelor's degree involves the training of practice-oriented graduates, and the main goal of training in this case is the acquisition of the most practical knowledge, skills and abilities that allow them to be involved in production processes straight after the graduation. In addition to the system of work placement the implementation of a communicative project at the graduation course is an important tool allowing graduates to work out their skills and abilities, and to form the basis of the student's thesis.Purpose. This study analyzes the pathways of the communication project implementation of such projects in the context of the educational activities of future specialists.Materials and Methods. The project is a multi-level practical activity for establishing partnerships between the “Dialogue of Hearts foundation” with the media and the commercial sector. The main research methods applied are analysis and a systematic approach. Classification and comparison methods were also used. The communication project implementation was based on a four-stage marketing model. The goal setting of the project was carried out according to the five-stage model of P. Drucker. The contractor had a crowdfunding task to raise funds for one of the fund's programs. The results of the project were monitored using the the set of KPIs (the number and quality of publications in the media, media coverage, the amount of funding raised).Results. The result of the project was a developed instruction for establishing communication support for the foundation's charitable activities, illustrating the development of the graduate's key competencies.Implications. The article may be of interest to teachers of communication disciplines, practitioners in the field of communication support for charity, and recent graduates in the field of crowdfunding, as it contains a description of the key mechanism for solving the problem of attracting funds to a charitable foundation.

Developing and prioritizing lean key performance indicators for plastering supply chains

Paper aims The aim of this study was to propose a hybrid approach to develop and prioritize the indicators which should be used to monitor the development of plastering supply chains while using lean manufacturing practices. Originality This approach proposed the integration of a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) - a multi-perspective tool for performance evaluation and strategic planning, and FITradeoff for the ranking problematic – a multicriteria method that features a robust axiomatic structure and uses partial information. Research method The results showed that the approach provided a set of indicators to assist the company’s manager to monitor and improve the company's competitiveness and sustainability. Main findings The results showed that the approach was able to provide a set of KPIs to assist the company’s manager to monitor and improve the plastering company management in terms of competitiveness and sustainability. Implications for theory and practice The results allowed evaluation of important issues for the strategic, economic, and environmental stability in complex business environments.

Defining clinical pharmacy and support activities indicators for hospital practice using a combined nominal and focus group technique

Background Although clinical pharmacy is a crucial part of hospital pharmacist’s day-to-day activity, its performance is not usually subject to a holistic assessment. Objective To define a set of relevant and measurable clinical pharmacy and support activities key performance indicators (cpKPI and saKPI, respectively). Setting Portuguese Hospital Pharmacies. Method After a comprehensive literature review focusing on the metrics already in use in other countries, several meetings with directors of hospital pharmacies were conducted to obtain their perspectives on hospital pharmacy practices and existing metrics. Finally, five rounds with a panel of 8 experts were performed to define the final set of KPIs, where experts were asked to score each indicator’ relevance and measurability, and encouraged to suggest new metrics. Main outcome measure The first Portuguese list of KPIs to assess pharmacists’ clinical and support activities performance and quality in hospital pharmacies. Results A total of 136 KPIs were assessed during this study, of which 57 were included in the original list and 79 were later added by the expert panel. By the end of the study, a total of 85 indicators were included in the final list, of which 40 are considered to be saKPI, 39 cpKPI and 6 neither. Conclusion A set of measurable KPIs was established to allow for benchmarking within and between Portuguese hospital Pharmacies and to elevate professional accountability and transparency. Future perspectives include the use of both cpKPIs and saKPIs on a national scale to identify the most efficient performances and areas of possible improvement.

Transformation of Trolleybus Transport in Poland. Does In-Motion Charging (Technology) Matter?

Transport in cities is one of the most important sources of emissions. Electromobility is an essential element in the catalogue of activities of local authorities aimed at combating climate change. Over the years trolleybus transport has been characterised by both phases of development and regression and is still an essential component of zero-emission urban transport in about 300 cities worldwide. The development of electricity storage technology, especially in the form of a battery, has opened up new prospects for this mode of transport. A trolleybus equipped with a battery (in-motion charging technology) gains unique characteristics for operation independent of the catenary. This study presents the approach for assessing the development of in-motion charging for trolleybuses in all Polish cities operating this means of transport. A set of KPIs has therefore, been set and analysed. The analysis covers a comparison between 2014 and 2019, aimed at showing the development of technological innovations in this field. The results clearly show that in-motion charging technology leads to the development of trolleybus transport, although this development has mainly a qualitative dimension. A key factor determining the development of trolleybus transport using in-motion charging technology is progress in the development of traction batteries.

Developing key performance indicators for hospital facilities management services: a developing country perspective

PurposeKey performance indicators (KPIs) help to monitor performance, thereby revealing the gap between planned and executed results relative to organizational objectives. The purpose of this paper is to develop KPIs for performance measurement of facilities management (FM) services in public hospitals.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a comprehensive literature review of KPIs in FM, a set of KPIs were first selected. This was then subjected to content validation by experts. Thereafter a questionnaire survey was conducted to identify participants perception on the level of importance of the proposed KPIs. The main analytical tool used was SPSS factor analysis/principal component extraction.FindingsAdapting an expanded balanced scorecard typology, the paper identifies 17 KPIs, which are useful for performance improvement of FM. The study also introduces new financial dimensions beyond the traditional cost and profit-centered metrics.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was limited to three FM services. Although the results of the Kruskal–Wallis test shows no significant difference in the level of importance on more than 80% of the indicators, larger sample is required in future studies to examine indicator preference for the respective services. An empirical study to test the proposed indicators to measure FM performance could also be a next step.Originality/valueThe paper presents the first step to develop performance indicators, which are of relevance to FM performance measurement and could be utilized to improve performance. The indicators are largely generic and can easily be adapted by other FM service sectors for performance measurement.

Evidence-based medical equipment management: a convenient implementation

Maintenance is a crucial subject in medical equipment life cycle management. Evidence-based maintenance consists of the continuous performance monitoring of equipment, starting from the evidence—the current state in terms of failure history—and improvement of its effectiveness by making the required changes. This process is very important for optimizing the use and allocation of the available resources by clinical engineering departments. Medical equipment maintenance is composed of two basic activities: scheduled maintenance and corrective maintenance. Both are needed for the management of the entire set of medical equipment in a hospital. Because the classification of maintenance service work orders reveals specific issues related to frequent problems and failures, specific codes have been applied to classify the corrective and scheduled maintenance work orders at Careggi University Hospital (Florence, Italy). In this study, a novel set of key performance indicators is also proposed for evaluating medical equipment maintenance performance. The purpose of this research is to combine these two evidence-based methods to assess every aspect of the maintenance process and provide an objective and standardized approach that will support and enhance clinical engineering activities. Starting from the evidence (i.e. failures), the results show that the combination of these two methods can provide a periodical cross-analysis of maintenance performance that indicates the most appropriate procedures.Graphical abstractThe left side shows a block diagram of the process needed to calculate the proposed set of KPIs, starting from technological, organizational and financial data. On the upper right it is shown an example of scheduled maintenance analysis for a specific class of equipment (legend in the article body). The bottom right part shows how the KPIs can be implemented in a business intelligence dashboard.

Frame work for the Development of Occupational Safety and Health Assessment Model for Libyan Iron and Steel Industry

The aim of this study is to find an efficient method for assessment of occupational health and safety management (OHSM) practices which focused on the complexity of the iron and steel industry. Indeed, there are several method used in process management assessment but unfortunately, it does not hold the interaction that can exist between the health and safety risks management process and the complexity of iron and steel industry. To remedy this disadvantage, this study proposed reducing the number of indicators down to several or major KPIs. In order to achieve the selection of small set of KPIs from the larger set of PPIs, a SMART criteria and AHP in the domain of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) analysis is proposed to be employed for developing a model for the assessment of OHSM practices in Libya iron and steel industry. The enterprises’ safety performance index would benefit from the new assessment model.

Comparative analysis of thermal energy storage technologies through the definition of suitable key performance indicators

The importance of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) inside efficient and renewables-driven systems is growing. While different technologies from traditional sensible TES are entering the market or moving towards commercialisation, a common basis for fair comparison and evaluation of these systems is lacking. Aim of the present paper is the definition of a set of KPIs that can be used for the comparative analysis of different TES. A review of methodologies used for the definition of KPIs in different sectors was realised and a novel methodology, based on the comparative assessment of literature analysis and evaluation of technology roadmaps was proposed. According to this methodology, the technical, socio-economic and environmental constraints defined by researchers and policy makers were identified and translated into KPIs. The set of parameters suggested was then applied to different cases studies within the same application, namely covering heating demand in residential buildings. The different technologies were compared and the results evaluated: a significant non-uniformity in the data available and the way they are presented was found, mainly linked to the different level of maturity of the technologies investigated. This strongly confirmed the need for a shared framework of data definition and reduction. Nonetheless, it was possible to calculate the majority of parameters and derive some general trends, thus proving the effective usefulness of the KPIs defined.

An integrated mathematical model for the optimization of hybrid product-process layouts

The layout of a manufacturing process plays a significant role to maintain a profitable production and make competitive a company. Product-oriented layouts aim to minimize the distance travelled by the manufactured units; the process-oriented approach attempts to maximize the saturation of the facilities. However, in many cases a hybrid approach may be necessary to achieve a compromise between the two objectives. This paper aims to present a mathematical model capable to define a hybrid product-process layout by autonomously: (i) defining the process cells and, for each of them, evaluating the number of machines necessary for stability; (ii) identifying the position of the machines within each cell; (iii) determining the best position for the cells in a given shop-floor area; (iv) evaluating a set of KPIs for the obtained layout proposal. The numerical implementation of the model led to obtain a layout proposal within 10 seconds for a process made of 30 distinct operations. The approach is validated through case-studies taken from the automotive industry; the obtained results show that the model is an effective tool to support the activities of designers of manufacturing processes.

Overall material usage effectiveness (OME): a structured indicator to measure the effective material usage within manufacturing processes

A rational use of production resources has been catalysing the attention of researchers and practitioners for several years. A number of indicators have been proposed to assess the effective and efficient use of the various production factors. A widely known example of these metrics is the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), which applies to machines and equipment. This paper proposes a novel methodology that seizes upon OEE’s straight forward and easy-to-use structure to address the problem of measuring the effective use of materials within a factory. An inclusive structure of material loss and a methodology to calculate a novel performance indicator called overall material usage effectiveness (OME) is given. The proposed set of KPIs not only permits the comprehension of material-related issues but also the identification of viable countermeasures. A real-life application to demonstrate the practical usefulness of the methodology and illustrate the capability of its KPIs is described.

Developing Emergency Room Key Performance Indicators: What to Measure and Why Should We Measure It?

Emergency Room (ER) performance has been a timely topic for both healthcare practitioners and researchers. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia worked on developing a comprehensive set of KPIs to monitor, evaluate and improve the performance of the ER. A combined approach using quantitative and qualitative methods was used to collect and analyze the data. 34 KPIs were developed and sorted into the three components of the ER patient flow model; input, throughput and output. Input indicators included number and acuity of ER patients, patients leaving without being seen and revisit rates. Throughput indicators included number of active ER beds, ratio of ER patients to ER staff and the length of stay including waiting time and treatment time. The turnaround time of supportive services, such as lab, radiology and medications, were also included. Output indicators include boarding time and available hospital beds, ICU beds and patients waiting for admission.

A pervasive computing system for the remote management of hospital waste

Waste generated by health care activities includes a broad range of materials, from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, medical devices and radioactive materials. As a result of poor practice and large volumes, only a very small percentage ofmedical waste is actually disposed of properly in final reception units while the rest is unaccounted for potentially exposing the community at large to infection, toxic effects and injuries, and risking polluting the environment.This paper discusses, Greenactions, a novel Pervasive Computing system for the remote end-to-end management of hazardous medical waste. Greenactions provides real-time trace-ability for 100% of medical waste, by continually monitoring the full life cycle of each waste container, from their delivery to the hospitals, through to their collection and disposal, and providing remedial action in real-time, whenever an incident occurs. This is achieved by employing both fixed and handheld RFID and sensortechnology, supported by a state-machine model that knows at any time the current and next state of each waste container. Deployed together with a small fleet of appropriately modified vehicles for waste collection, Greenactions provides an integrated solution can be applied in any waste collection and tracking scenario, without requiring any costly, proprietary infrastructure thus alleviating the burden of medical waste management fromhealth-care units. A prototype system was developed using open source technology that is ready to be deployed to pilot healthcare units in Athens, while a set of KPIs were implemented for evaluating the efficiency of the system.

Indicators for measuring performance of building construction companies in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Slow economic growth, high competition, and construction industry restructuring have put a strong pressure on construction companies to continually improve their productivity and performance. Many studies on performance measurement have been carried out at the project level. However, recently, the demand for performance evaluation and management at the company level has increased. This paper aims to identify a set of KPIs that can be implemented by construction executives in measuring the performance at the company level in Saudi Arabia. List of 47 potential performance indicators have been identified through the literature review. A survey questionnaire was conducted on a randomly selected sample of large construction firms in Saudi Arabia. The statistical analysis of the collected responses was provided in 10 significant KPIs. Findings indicate that the traditional financial measures can no more be the sole determinant of firm success. Other performance indicators such as external customer satisfaction, safety, business efficiency, and effectiveness of planning are increasingly becoming important. The results of the study is a set of KPIs that are useful as a first step in developing a national benchmarking system for enhancing the performance of construction firms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Developing KPIs at Southern Company

In early 2004, Southern HR’s team began examining the links between its business and workforce strategies. Here, HR strategy director Howard Winkler explains how a set of KPIs was developed to monitor success and focus both HR and management on high‐priority issues.