Building a balanced scorecard for a product launch

The balanced scorecard, introduced by Kaplan and Norton, is a framework for measuring performance from 4 perspectives:

• Financial results
• Customer value
• Internal business processes
• Learning or innovation

Unlike traditional approaches that focus mainly on revenue, it integrates short-term outcomes with the drivers of long-term success. For a product launch, this means tracking not only sales but also how satisfied customers are, how efficient internal workflows remain, and whether the team continues to improve.

To apply it, start by identifying one goal for each perspective. A financial goal might be reaching a revenue target, while a customer goal could involve achieving a high satisfaction score. Internal process goals may include reducing support response time, and learning goals could focus on developing new release capabilities.

Assign a specific metric to each goal. This structure ensures that product teams balance immediate performance with future growth and resilience.^[1]