Measuring Up: Construction Industry Key Performance Indicators

Construction KPIs paint a picture of the health of the industry as a whole. They also provide a set of tools that can be used by companies across the sector to evaluate their performance and raise their game against their peers, bringing lasting benefits to the whole industry. Measuring performance is key to delivering on pressing issues such as housing shortages and sustainability. Without industry-level metrics, it is difficult to not only celebrate accomplishments but also to pinpoint factors that may be affecting the industry’s ability to deliver on time and on budget.

BC’s construction industry is the province’s largest employer, providing well-paying livelihoods to over 250,000 British Columbians. Yet, there is no objective, centralized industry-specific data collection or industry-level monitoring to paint a picture of how well the industry is doing. In a market where every effort is focussed on improving productivity and performance, it is not possible to manage what is not being measured.

Scius was hired by the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) and Construction Foundation of British Columbia to prepare a framework document for construction associations like the VRCA to setup and operate their own KPI metrics system. The report identifies 30 industry-level metrics based on an assessment of programs and models elsewhere and validated by consultation with local industry. Of these, data is available for twenty KPIs today without requiring any involvement of construction firms directly.

The report is available here.