Skip to main content

Set Up Manual & Custom KPIs

How do I set up and configure a Manual or Custom KPI in Salesforce?

Overview

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the metrics that are tracked around rep behavior and utilized by the PowerStandings system. A KPI may be Dials, Appointments Set, Contracts Closed, etc.

Some KPIs are set up to work automatically (like dials and voicemails), but some require a Salesforce Workflow Rule to be created. In the Key Performance Indicators section of the InsideSales tab, the Setup Type column displays if a KPI is Auto or Manual. We refer to the Manual type as custom KPIs.

Activate or Modify KPI Settings

  • Activate checkbox: By default, all KPIs are active. It is recommended to deactivate unused KPIs so that agents do not see these options when sending Throwdowns.
  • Points: Adjust the points for a KPI to match your gamification program. Consider awarding more points for KPIs that you want to focus on for that month.
  • KPI Label (Singular, Plural, and abbreviation): You can change the label of a KPI here to match your sales nomenclature. For example, if your sales organization uses the term “Contract Won” instead of “Opportunity Won”.

Creating Workflow Rules for Custom KPIs

In order to create workflow rules for custom KPIs in Salesforce, you’ll need to complete two steps: 1) set up the rule criteria and 2) add the workflow action. These steps will be explained in detail throughout the next two sections.

Note: Work with your Salesforce administrator to create workflow rules. Sales operations teams should also be included in the conversation to identify correct criteria.

Setting Up Rule Criteria

Rule criteria should be precise in timing and designation so that the correct rep is awarded credit at the right time.

To Set Up Rule Criteria

  1. In Salesforce, go to Setup, then search Workflow Rules in the Quick Find/Search box.
  2. Click on Workflow Rules in the Create section of the sidebar, then click New Rule.
  3. Select the Object this workflow rule applies to from the drop-down. For example, if the KPI is to track closed contract values, select Opportunity. Then click Next.
  4. Give the Rule a descriptive name that pertains to the KPI. Consider also adding “InsideSales” or “PowerStandings” to keep track of all your PowerStandings related workflow rules. (This makes searching easier too.) Adding a description is also a good idea for at-a-glance information.
  5. Specify when to run the rule. The most commonly used evaluation criteria is “created, and any time it’s edited to subsequently meet criteria” so that reps are given credit at the right time.
  6. Specify your criteria in the drop-downs (i.e. which field value(s) tell you that the KPI was met.) Common criteria include checking record status (lead status, opportunity status, etc.), dial counts, ownership of a record, and time stamp information (created date and time, modified date and time, etc.)
  7. Click ‘Save & Next’

Adding the Workflow Action

This next step will send a notification to the PowerStandings services that a metric has been met and which rep should get credit.

Note: In nearly all cases you’ll want to create an Immediate Workflow Action, NOT a Time Dependent action.

To Add the Workflow Action

  1. Click ‘Add Workflow Action’ and choose ‘New Outbound Message’ from the drop-down.
  2. Give the action a name. Suggestion: use the same workflow rule name.
  3. Obtain the Endpoint URL (aka Post URL). This can be gathered from the KPIs page of the InsideSales tab. For example the Qualified Opportunity Post URL is: https://powerstandings.insidesales.com/kpi/qualopp.
  4. Change the User to send as field to the InsideSales Access user/Integration user in order to avoid disruption of service is the Salesforce admin creating this workflow rule leaves the organization.
  5. Fields to send: By default this area will always include the record ID, leave that as is. Now select the user lookup field that identifies the person you are awarding the KPI to. For example, OwnerID, or LastModifiedByID are commonly used. If the KPI measures an amount (ex: contract value) you should also move that field to the Selected Fields box.
  6. Click Save, then click Done, then remember to Activate your new rule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I have more than 27 KPIs?
A: Because Post URLs are hardcoded into our application, you cannot add more than 27 KPIs. However, you can re-purpose an unused KPI. For example, if you don’t need to track faxes, you can rename the Fax KPI label, create a workflow rule with the criteria you need, and use the fax Post URL.

Q: What does the Voicemail Auto KPI track?
The Voicemail KPI only tracks pre-recorded messages.

Q: What does the SMS Auto KPI track?
A: This KPI will auto track only if your PowerDialer is setup and configured to send SMS messages from the dialer panel.

Q: When is the Set Callback Auto KPI triggered?
A: This KPI is activated when a user completes a Callback from the dialer panel.

Q: When is the Email Auto KPI triggered?
A: The Email KPI will auto track if a user sends an email from the dialer panel. If the Send Email button was not added to the dialer panel, then you could create a custom KPI and workflow triggered by completed email activities.

Q: When are the Contact and Correct Contact Auto KPIs triggered?
A: When a rep completes a call log and enters the Call Result value of “Contact” or “Correct Contact”.

Was this article helpful?