Create and manage a KPI

A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a metric your team tracks over time against a target — for example right-first-time percentage, on-time delivery, or scrap weight. In Bulk, a KPI is a reusable definition: it says what the metric is called, how it is measured, where its numbers come from, and which sites report it. Once a KPI exists, you can set targets for it, enter or calculate values for it, and show it on teamboards and dashboards.

This article covers the full lifecycle of a KPI definition: creating one with the guided wizard, editing it, and deleting or restoring it. Setting targets, entering values, and reviewing results each have their own guides, linked at the end.

Before you start

To create, edit, or delete KPIs you need a role that grants the KPI management permissions. In the default role set, three roles have them: Super user, Entity admin, and Manager. The Operator role can only enter values for existing KPIs, and the Dashboards role can only view them, so neither can add or change a definition.

Two pieces of setup must already exist before a KPI can be saved:

• At least one KPI category. Every KPI must belong to a category, which groups related metrics together. If no category exists yet, create one first — see Manage KPI categories.
• At least one active unit of measurement. The wizard asks for a unit (such as percent, kilograms, or a count) to control how the value is displayed and rounded. Units are defined in your master data.

An entity in Bulk is a reportable place in your organization — a plant, a production line, or a team. A KPI is reported for one or more entities that you choose while creating it.

Where to find it

Open Settings → KPI → Management. The KPI Management page lists every active KPI with its name, category, unit, aggregation, operator, and display format. A filter bar lets you search by name, filter by category, and switch between active KPIs and the Deleted view.

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Create a KPI

Select Add KPI to open the Create KPI wizard. The wizard has five steps, shown in the rail across the top. You move forward with Continue; the button stays disabled until the current step is valid. A short uppercase code is generated automatically from the name (shown in the wizard header and on the Basics step) and is used to reference the KPI in formulas and exports.

Step 1 — Basics

Set the KPI's identity:

• Name (required) — what the metric is called, for example Scrap Weight. If you end the name with an abbreviation in parentheses, such as Right First Time (RFT), that abbreviation becomes the code.
• Description (optional) — a short explanation shown on the KPI card and in reports so everyone knows exactly what it measures.
• Category (required) — the group this KPI belongs to.

Step 2 — Measurement

Choose how the metric is quantified:

• Unit (required) — determines how the value is displayed and rounded.
• How values are combined — the aggregation used when several daily values roll up into a weekly or monthly figure. The options are Combined total (add all values), Average value (the mean), Peak value (the highest), and Lowest value (the lowest).
• Goal is achieved when — the direction that counts as good: Higher is better, Lower is better, or Exact match. Each option shows a worked example so you can confirm the outcome you picked.

Step 3 — Data Source

Choose where the KPI's numbers come from. This is what makes a KPI automatic or manual:

• Manual — enter values by hand each period.
• Audits — count or score results from an audit template.
• Production — pull a production metric (such as on-time delivery or right first time) with optional filters.
• Incidents — count incidents by status and type.
• Formula — combine other KPIs with a formula. This source is newer than the others; a formula KPI can only be reported at entities where every input KPI also exists.

Each source except Manual reveals its own settings once selected — for example an audit template and metric, a production metric with filters, or the formula builder.

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Step 4 — Entities

Select the entities (sites, lines, or teams) this KPI is reported for. At least one is required. Start typing to add more. For a formula KPI, Bulk shows a coverage note here: it confirms when every selected entity has all the formula's inputs, or warns you which entities are missing which inputs.

Step 5 — Review

The Review step summarizes the definition: category, unit, aggregation, goal, data source, and entities. For a formula KPI it also shows a live preview of the current result. When everything looks right, select Create KPI. The new KPI appears in the list immediately and a confirmation message is shown.

Example: a scrap-weight KPI at Granite Peak

Suppose Granite Peak Manufacturing wants the Leeds Fabrication Plant to track how much material it scraps each week. A quality lead with the Manager role opens Settings → KPI → Management, selects Add KPI, and works through the wizard:

1. Basics — Name Scrap Weight, Category Quality, description "Total weight of material scrapped on the fabrication line."
2. Measurement — Unit Kilograms (kg), combine values as Combined total (weekly scrap is the sum of each day), goal Lower is better.
3. Data Source — Manual, because a supervisor weighs and records the scrap at the end of each shift.
4. Entities — Leeds Fabrication Plant.
5. Review — confirm the summary and select Create KPI.

Scrap Weight now appears under the Quality category. The team can set a weekly target for it and start recording daily values, and it can be added to the plant's teamboard.

Edit a KPI

In the active list, select the Edit KPI (pencil) action on a KPI's row. The same wizard opens as Edit KPI with every step pre-filled, and you can jump directly to any step. Change any field — including the data source — and select Save. Edits apply everywhere the KPI is used. In edit mode the code is shown as stored and is not re-derived when you rename the KPI, so an established code stays stable.

Bulk blocks one change: you cannot switch a KPI's data source to Formula if that KPI is already used as an input by another formula KPI, because formula inputs must not themselves be formulas. Bulk names the formulas that reference it so you know what to adjust first.

Delete and restore a KPI

Deleting a KPI is a soft delete — it is reversible. Select the Delete KPI (trash) action on a row and confirm. The KPI is removed from the catalog and from teamboard widgets, but its targets, records, and annotations are kept. Deleted KPIs move to the Deleted view, where each row offers a Restore KPI action that returns the KPI to the active catalog.

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Expected result

After creating a KPI it appears in the active KPI Management list and is available to set targets for, enter or calculate values for, and add to teamboards and dashboards. After editing, your changes apply everywhere the KPI is shown. After deleting, the KPI leaves the active list and moves to the Deleted view, from which it can be restored with its history intact.

Feature state and limitations

This capability is generally available. A few behaviors are worth knowing:

• KPIs measure daily and roll up. Each KPI collects a value per day; the How values are combined setting controls how those daily values become the weekly or monthly figure. There is no separate weekly-only or monthly-only frequency to choose.
• The Formula data source is newer than Manual, Audits, Production, and Incidents. A formula KPI can only be reported at entities where all of its input KPIs exist, and it cannot be used as an input by another formula.
• Deletion is a soft delete, not a permanent one. Definitions move to the Deleted view rather than being erased, and their history is retained.

Troubleshooting

• You do not see an Add KPI button, or Edit and Delete actions. You are either viewing the Deleted view (which only offers Restore) or your role lacks the KPI management permissions. Switch the filter back to the active view, or ask an administrator for a role that can manage KPIs (Super user, Entity admin, or Manager).
• The Category dropdown is empty. No KPI category exists yet. Create one first in Settings → KPI → Categories, then return to the wizard — see Manage KPI categories.
• The unit you want is not listed. Only active units appear. Add or reactivate the unit in your master data, then reopen the wizard.
• Deletion is refused. The KPI is used as an input by one or more formula KPIs. Bulk lists them; adjust those formulas first, then delete.

Related guidance

• KPIs overview — how KPIs fit together across categories, targets, and reports.
• Manage KPI categories — create the categories a KPI must belong to.
• Set KPI targets — give a KPI the target it is measured against.
• Review KPI detail and reports — enter values and review results over time.
• Use AI assistance with KPIs — create and edit KPIs with the built-in assistant.