# OPS04-BP01 Identify key performance indicators
OPS04-BP01 Identify key performance indicators

 Implementing observability in your workload starts with understanding its state and making data-driven decisions based on business requirements. One of the most effective ways to ensure alignment between monitoring activities and business objectives is by defining and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs). 

 **Desired outcome:** Efficient observability practices that are tightly aligned with business objectives, ensuring that monitoring efforts are always in service of tangible business outcomes. 

 **Common anti-patterns:** 
+  Undefined KPIs: Working without clear KPIs can lead to monitoring too much or too little, missing vital signals. 
+  Static KPIs: Not revisiting or refining KPIs as the workload or business objectives evolve. 
+  Misalignment: Focusing on technical metrics that don’t correlate directly with business outcomes or are harder to correlate with real-world issues. 

 **Benefits of establishing this best practice:** 
+  Ease of issue identification: Business KPIs often surface issues more clearly than technical metrics. A dip in a business KPI can pinpoint a problem more effectively than sifting through numerous technical metrics. 
+  Business alignment: Ensures that monitoring activities directly support business objectives. 
+  Efficiency: Prioritize monitoring resources and attention on metrics that matter. 
+  Proactivity: Recognize and address issues before they have broader business implications. 

 **Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** High 

## Implementation guidance
Implementation guidance

 To effectively define workload KPIs: 

1.  **Start with business outcomes:** Before diving into metrics, understand the desired business outcomes. Is it increased sales, higher user engagement, or faster response times? 

1.  **Correlate technical metrics with business objectives:** Not all technical metrics have a direct impact on business outcomes. Identify those that do, but it's often more straightforward to identify an issue using a business KPI. 

1.  **Use [Amazon CloudWatch](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html):** Employ CloudWatch to define and monitor metrics that represent your KPIs. 

1.  **Regularly review and update KPIs:** As your workload and business evolve, keep your KPIs relevant. 

1.  **Involve stakeholders:** Involve both technical and business teams in defining and reviewing KPIs. 

 **Level of effort for the implementation plan:** Medium 

## Resources
Resources

 **Related best practices:** 
+ [OPS04-BP02 Implement application telemetry](ops_observability_application_telemetry.md)
+ [OPS04-BP03 Implement user experience telemetry](ops_observability_customer_telemetry.md)
+ [OPS04-BP04 Implement dependency telemetry](ops_observability_dependency_telemetry.md)
+ [OPS04-BP05 Implement distributed tracing](ops_observability_dist_trace.md)

 **Related documents:** 
+ [AWS Observability Best Practices ](https://aws-observability.github.io/observability-best-practices/)
+ [ CloudWatch User Guide ](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html)
+ [AWS Observability Skill Builder Course ](https://explore.skillbuilder.aws/learn/course/external/view/elearning/14688/aws-observability)

 **Related videos:** 
+ [ Developing an observability strategy ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub3ATriFapQ)

 **Related examples:** 
+  [One Observability Workshop](https://catalog.workshops.aws/observability/en-US)