Since 1992, a number of books have been written about the Balanced Scorecard and its impressive power in helping organizations both measure and manage their progress toward achieving their strategic goals. Today, over half of the Fortune 1,000 companies are using the Balanced Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard is:

• A vital few set of measures derived from -- and aligned with -- the organization's strategy
  
  
• Balanced because it balances measures of outcomes with performance drivers and it balances the needs of the organization's stakeholders, both internal and external
  
  
• A management tool to help move the organization from deciding its strategy to doing its strategy
  
  
• A communications device representing a comprehensive agenda for periodic review