What is the difference between a KPI and a metric?
A metric is any quantifiable measure of something, like page views or order count, while a KPI (key performance indicator) is a metric specifically chosen to track progress toward a business goal, usually with a target. Every KPI is a metric, but only the goal-critical metrics are KPIs.
The terms overlap, but the distinction is about intent. Metrics are the raw measures you can compute; KPIs are the handful that actually matter for your objectives.
- Metric any measurable value: sessions, average order value, tickets closed.
- KPI a metric tied to a goal, with a target and an owner: 'monthly recurring revenue growth of 10%'.
A business tracks many metrics but should focus on a few KPIs, otherwise everything looks important and nothing gets prioritised. KPIs usually come with context: a target, a timeframe, and a comparison.
iDBQuery helps with both. You can ask for any metric in plain language and get a cited answer instantly, and you can build live dashboards that keep your KPIs in view with their targets and trends. Because iDBQuery works across all your connected sources at once, a KPI that depends on data from several systems, say, revenue from billing against costs from finance, can be computed in one query and cited back to its source rows. That makes it easy to define, monitor and drill into the specific KPIs that drive your goals, not just accumulate metrics.
Updated 2026-06-22