The Balanced Scorecard is one of today's hottest management topics. And for good reason...it works. The concept is very simple: Organizations need to know - thoroughly - how they are doing now, and what their prospects are for the future. They need to pick indicators that will give them a good idea of the organization's fitness and performance. They need to watch the indicators. If the indicators go south, the organization needs to react.

Interestingly, the balanced scorecard uses the same tools that managers have been harnessing for years: charts, databases, team tools, project management tools, planning tools. There really aren't new building blocks here; but rather a new emphasis on getting an overview, on monitoring, and on balance - making sure you are tracking indicators in key areas.

PathMaker makes it easy to deploy an effective, and cost-effective, balanced scorecard system. A Balanced Scorecard template is available form SkyMark. It facilitates the development of a set of indicators in each of the key areas. The Data Analyst tool, with its many-to-one relationship between charts and data, and its data import and live-link utilities, is ideal for tracking indicators. Control charts are easy to set up and maintain. Finally, some processes will be earmarked for improvements. PathMaker is, again, the most complete tool for executing a systematic process improvement project.

To discuss the deployment of a Balanced Scorecard system using PathMaker, please call SkyMark's corporate office, at +1.412.371.0680, or send email to balanced_scorecard@skymark.com