Key performance indicators (KPIs) measure how well a business is achieving its objectives. KPIs should be simple, easy to interpret and show actual performance compared to targets. There are five categories of operational KPIs: safety, quality, delivery, cost, and motivation. A well-defined set of KPIs that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound can drive improvement and culture change within an organization to help it better target objectives and control performance.