Balance Scorecard Definition
A balanced scorecard is a strategic performance management tool that serves as a structured report for monitoring staff activities and their resulting outcomes.
In most companies, managers are called upon to evaluate individual employee performances.
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a way to gauge strategy performance that can be used to review the success of organizations.
For those who want to break into the human resources industry, learning about balanced scorecard concepts and their potential advantages can give better insights into whether it will add value to your enterprise.
What is Balanced Scorecard?
In the 1990s, more and more organizations began to use the balanced scorecard in HR. It was a strategic planning and management approach to evaluate the overall activities of a company.
The balanced scorecard (BSC)—a graphic device—mainly stands for the outcomes of customers or clients and can be used to measure how well you are doing in following through with a strategy linked to higher-level company aims.
It is used depending on a company’s particular needs–some organizations may employ such cards once quarterly, monthly or annually.
Benefits of Using a Balanced Scorecard
Implementing a balanced scorecard in your firm can yield numerous advantages, such as:
- Improves strategic planning
The implementation of the balanced scorecard framework in HR helps to collect valuable data to make strategic decisions. By dividing the different parts of the business’ operating environment into four perspectives it shows managers the interdependence between these various parts.
Firms with knowledge of the four viewpoints can decide to take actions aligning with their financial, operating, growth, and market objectives.
- Measures performance effectively
By evaluating from four perspectives simultaneously, companies can have a real measure of effectiveness. There are four different angles from which we can divide every corporate activity for analysis.Setting up a BSC directly demonstrates the interdependence between several perspectives and their collective effect on overall corporate performance.
- Provides metrics of success
The implementation of a balanced scorecard provides a company with tangible data that it can communicate to both internal and external groups, facilitating a more efficient expression of its business achievements. You can present Balanced Scorecard (BSC) results in a detailed breakdown or a brief overview.
The sharing of this data allows stakeholders to know how well the company is operating, fostering relationships built on transparency and unity.
How to Create a Balanced Scorecard?
Follow the below steps to create a balanced scorecard:
- Outline Your Purpose
Before creating a balanced scorecard, it is important to set clear goals. The whole idea of the organization’s mission should be communicated to all employees as many times as necessary. Then show them how their work can help in achieving this mission. This goal offers an advantage for the measurement process.
- Create Specific Objectives and Performance Measures
Work together with others to set clear goals and metrics for performance evaluation. Objectives are used to evaluate how well the company is achieving its purpose. By measuring performance, we provide objective standards for appraising individuals as well as policies and methods.
- Strategically Map Each Perspective
Since a balanced scorecard is a visual tool, the next step is to map out each perspective. As an example, a business could draw up a chart with separate columns for each point of view. Users can input this table by supplying quantitative information, measurements, or data. Subsequently, they can employ performance measures to gauge in what manner the organization has reached its goals.
- Analyse Performance
After mapping the four perspectives, it is vitally important to study performance from an overall corporate standpoint, not just one viewpoint. Furthermore, it can be useful to gauge accomplishments within each of the aforementioned perspectives.
A Balanced Scorecard measures the performance of a single area within a company concerning the performance of the entire firm. Therefore, assessment needs to be focused not only on individual aspects of productivity but on the effectiveness of the business as a whole.
- Share and Communicate Results
After you finish the Balance Scorecard (BSC), communicate the outcomes to all internal and external stakeholders. By reporting Balanced Scorecard (BSC) results, everyone can know how the company is doing. Giving the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) feedback makes it possible for members of the team to better their strategy plans.
- Develop Strategic Changes and Initiatives
It is important to formulate new strategies and projects based on the assessment. When drawing up the changes, you must also take into account the reasons and objectives, to make sure the new ones dovetail with the existing business philosophy. A fine way of making changes is having relevant parties and the employer get together to come up with fresh ideas.
- Implement the Changes
Once you have innovative and new ideas, the next logical step is implementing them. Collaboration is essential when introducing new procedures or practices in an organization. Let all employees understand and participate in the new effort thus including explicit reference to the balanced scorecard, to ensure that all employees comprehend and actively participate in the new efforts.
