Toyota Fills a Metrics Gap

As one of many pain points, the Toyota Value Action Program team identified a strong need for metrics, since there were no formal metrics processes within IS. So Deborah West, who became the metrics business manager during the restructuring, developed a digital dashboard that now illustrates four key areas of the health of Toyota Motor Sales’ IS: new investments (project scope, time line, budget and quality), operational performance (how IS is doing on day-to-day activities), financial performance (monthly burn rate of dollars) and workforce management (HR and people aspects). Every metric, however, is specially tailored to the business and put into terms the business understands. The online dashboard is available to all managers, and numbers are updated monthly. “The divisional information officers work with the business managers to help them understand what they are spending their money on,” West says.

Another Web-based tool, called Management Financial Reporting, also allows the business to see graphical trend reports on IS projects, forecast reports, variances in IS department costs, fiscal year budgeting reports as well as other financial data on IS department activities.