As the year draws to a close, performance measurement becomes more critical than ever. The final quarter is not only about closing results, but it is a decisive period for validating strategic priorities, identifying performance gaps, and setting a solid baseline for the year ahead. At this stage, organizations rely heavily on well-defined key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure financial discipline, operational stability, and informed decision-making.

The fourth quarter of 2025 placed a strong emphasis on controlling costs, strengthening incident response capabilities, and optimizing inventory levels. The featured KPIs for October, November, and December reflect key performance areas that help organizations finish the year with clarity and confidence, while also preparing for a smooth transition into 2026.

KPI of October: $ Cost of goods sold (COGS) – tracks the expenses directly associated with producing the goods a company sells, providing visibility into manufacturing and procurement spending. This KPI supports organizations in monitoring cost structures and maintaining control over production-related expenditures.

Effective monitoring of $ COGS helps leaders identify cost inefficiencies, optimize supplier and production decisions, and protect margins—making it essential for maintaining competitiveness and accurate pricing, especially at year-end. Download the free digital poster, via the TKI Marketplace, to learn more about how to define, measure, and apply the $ COGS effectively within your organization.

KPI of November: # Mean time to resolve (MTTR) –  measures the average duration required to identify, resolve, and prevent the recurrence of a security incident. It is used to evaluate an organization’s ability to respond to incidents efficiently and effectively and is one of several essential KPIs in incident management.

# MTTR offers insight into how quickly teams can detect issues, coordinate responses, and restore operations, and should be tracked alongside related indicators for a more complete view of incident response performance. Explore this indicator further by downloading the digital poster from the TKI Marketplace.

KPI of December: % Slow moving inventory – measures the share of inventory items that have remained unsold for a specified period (e.g., 90 or 180 days) compared to total inventory. This KPI helps organizations identify stock that may be at risk of becoming obsolete.

Monitoring slow-moving inventory enables organizations to make informed decisions on markdowns, promotions, redistribution, or discontinuation of underperforming items. Proactive management of this KPI supports healthier cash flow, leaner operations, and more accurate demand planning as organizations prepare for the new year. Download the digital poster from the TKI Marketplace to learn more.

These digital posters are part of the KPI of the Month series by The KPI Institute. It is a free infographic series designed to provide practical insights into the application of key performance indicators. Each edition focuses on one specific KPI, offering clear explanations of terminology, addressing common challenges in its use, and outlining essential details such as its definition, calculation, balanced scorecard relevance, data profile, typical targets, and actionable recommendations. Explore the other featured KPIs from the past quarters, visit the TKI Marketplace today!

Now preparing for its fourth edition, The KPI Institute’s Government Services Index (GSI) continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most trusted, data-driven assessments of public service excellence. Over the past three years, the GSI has evolved into a global reference point for governments seeking to understand not only how they perform, but why certain public systems excel and how others can improve.

To ensure a comprehensive and reliable framework, the development of the GSI involved an extensive research process. Over 100 articles and 40 global indices were analyzed, together with more than 900 indicators reviewed, to streamline the most relevant dimensions for evaluating government service quality and the availability of consistent global data. Moreover, the GSI 2025 report covers 126 countries, expanding from 122 in the previous edition and spanning five global regions: America (22 countries), Europe (38 countries), Asia and Oceania (26 countries), Africa (29 countries), and Middle East (11 countries).

More than a ranking, the GSI functions as a comparative benchmarking platform, offering policymakers, researchers, and practitioners a systematic approach to assessing government effectiveness across diverse contexts. Its robust methodology is built around 30 indicators across five key dimensions: Future Readiness, Digitalization, Governance, Society Welfare, and Citizen Experience. Together, these pillars capture both a government’s present capabilities and its preparedness for the challenges of tomorrow.

As the 2025 edition approaches, the GSI continues to serve as both a mirror and a guide—reflecting regional performance while highlighting the emerging standards of agile, sustainable, and citizen-centered governance.

Early findings reveal a clear trend: the governments setting today’s global benchmarks are those that anticipate future needs, embrace digital transformation, foster inclusive governance, safeguard societal welfare, and deliver equitable citizen experiences. Their progress underscores a crucial insight—lasting excellence depends on integrated, long-term strategies, not isolated reforms.

With the 2025 GSI on the horizon, the question for public leaders is sharper than ever: Is your government raising the bar?

Be the first to get a copy of the Government Services Index 2025 report. Follow The KPI Institute on LinkedIn for exclusive updates and release announcements

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Editor’s Note: Explore the previous Government Services Index reports for deeper insights and year-to-year comparisons. Get your digital copy for free!

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The 2025 Global Trends Brief by The KPI Institute outlines the key forces—geopolitical, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental, and legal—shaping organizational strategy. While the first four dimensions are transforming the workforce and operations, the environmental and legal factors add further complexity to strategic planning.

According to the brief, investment in energy and natural resources is set to reach record levels in 2025, surpassing $1.5 trillion—about 6% higher than in 2024. This growth is closely tied to the accelerating focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG), which is driving sustainable business practices, green mobility initiatives, and the adoption of circular economy models. Organizations are increasingly viewing ESG as essential to long-term resilience, supported by innovations like green AI that help reduce energy use and carbon emissions, even as rising AI-related energy demands renew interest in nuclear power.

The report also highlights that investors see government policy as a critical factor in clean-energy profitability, with about 64% of global energy transition investors citing measures such as carbon taxes as key to investment attractiveness. And despite the sharp drop in ESG inflows in 2023, global ESG assets are still expected to exceed $53 trillion by 2025—nearly one-third of total assets under management.

On the final force, legal and regulatory pressures are expected to intensify in 2025. The KPI Institute’s 2025 Global Trends Brief notes that extending U.S. tax cuts could generate over one million small business jobs annually and boost manufacturing and investment in underserved regions. At the same time, local policies and stricter AI regulations are reshaping how businesses operate, with regulators focusing heavily on cybersecurity, privacy, and national security risks.

Rising data center spending—up nearly 35% in 2024 and expected to grow by another $50 billion in 2025—comes alongside escalating fraud, identity theft, and AI-driven deepfakes, which are anticipated to push U.S. consumer losses past $10 billion per year. Financial crime enforcement is also tightening following the Financial Action Task Force’s updated standards. To keep up, organizations are increasingly adopting AI governance tools, while 76% of small business owners support government efforts that help them integrate new technologies responsibly.

Strategic priorities for organizations

To remain competitive, organizations need to prioritize operational efficiency, talent development, and risk management. The 2025 Global Trends Brief identifies key areas where strategic focus will be essential:

• AI skills and talent: Enhance AI capabilities and retain top talent to meet evolving technological and market demands.
• Supply chain resilience: Diversify suppliers and expand local sourcing to navigate ongoing geopolitical tensions.
• AI risk management: Strengthen controls to safeguard sensitive data and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Automation benefits: Leverage AI to reduce routine administrative tasks, freeing managers to focus on strategic initiatives.
• Employee engagement: Prioritize employee experience and engagement to attract and retain top talent.

Looking ahead, organizations need proactive strategies that combine agility, technology, and sustainability to thrive in a rapidly evolving environment. The 2025 Global Trends Brief key recommendations include:

• Agile performance systems: Implement frameworks that adapt quickly to geopolitical shifts and supply chain disruptions.
• Integrated analytics: Use advanced data platforms to monitor trends and adjust strategies during economic turbulence.
• Digital twin simulations: Model supply networks to test resilience against potential disruptions before they occur.
• Circular economy initiatives: Adopt IoT-enabled resource tracking to align profitability with sustainable practices.
• AI governance boards: Establish cross-functional teams to ensure innovation is balanced with regulatory compliance and workforce readiness.

The 2025 business landscape brings both challenges and opportunities. Organizations that embrace agility, sustainability, and employee engagement will be best positioned to navigate geopolitical, technological, and operational complexities for long-term success.  End the year strong and start 2026 with the right guidance—download the full 2025 Global Trends Brief on the TKI Marketplace.