38 Real Balanced Scorecard Examples and Templates

The Balanced Scorecard is one of the most popular¹ frameworks for strategy execution. In this article, you will find:

• A brief explanation of what the Balanced Scorecard is,
• Examples of real Balanced Scorecards for different business domains, and
• Downloadable PowerPoint templates.

August 2024 Update: An example of a third-party vendor risk management scorecard has been added.

What is the K&N Balanced Scorecard?

Here is an executive summary of the Balanced Scorecard framework:

• Balanced Scorecard is a strategy execution framework developed by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton².
• It suggests projecting business strategy on four perspectives – the “drivers” (Learning and Internal perspectives) and the “outcomes” (the Customer and Stakeholder perspectives)³.
• Rather than merely grouping objectives and metrics into the four perspectives, the framework emphasizes showcasing the cause-and-effect relationships between the goals.
• The goals are further detailed into leading and lagging⁴ performance metrics (KPIs) and initiatives (action plans).
• Following the rationale of involving employees in strategy execution, it suggests “cascading” or “alignment” of strategy⁵.

• The Balanced Scorecard is designed to cover the strategy of the entire organization. In practice, this is achieved⁶ by cascading the overall strategy into aligned strategic and functional scorecards that form a comprehensive strategy.
• The framework combines various approaches to strategy decomposition and is positioned in the ecosystem⁷ of strategic planning frameworks in the strategy execution sector.

38 Balanced Scorecard Examples

Below are examples of Balanced Scorecards for various domains. Each example includes an article with details and a link to the live Balanced Scorecard.

Scorecards for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

Corporate Governance KPIs

KPIs for a typical corporate governance system that is formed by the board of directors and board committees. Article | Live Example.

Cybersecurity Strategy

An example of how the findings of data breach studies can be combined into a cybersecurity strategy. Article | Live Example.

Compliance Scorecard

Holistic view of compliance: stakeholders, training, audit, and alignment. Article | Live Example.

Diversity and Inclusion KPIs

Use this strategy scorecard as a starting template to describe and execute a Diversity and Inclusion strategy of your organization. Article | Live Example.

Leadership Effectiveness

Measure leadership effectiveness with KPIs grouped into three perspectives – Strategy, Team, and Leader’s Growth. Article | Live Example.

Digital Transformation

Successful digital transformations should give priority to customer needs, not the technology. Article | Live Example.

Evaluation Scorecard

A template for an evaluation scorecard used in compliance, procurement, governance, and cybersecurity assessments. Article | Live Example.

Business Continuity Strategy

Use this template as a starting point for your business business continuity strategy. Article | Live Example.

GRC Library

An example of a library of GRC controls for organization. Article | Live Example.

AI Governance Scorecard

AI Governance and Risk Management Scorecard Template Article | Live Example.

Vendor Risk Management

A functional scorecard for evaluating third-party vendors and associated risks. Article | Live Example.

General Business Balanced Scorecards

Safety Scorecard

Safety KPIs can be divided into the lagging ones that help to quantify something that has already happened and leading metrics that help to prevent future safety events. Article | Live Example.

Customer Service Scorecard

An example of a customer service scorecard that demonstrates how similar scorecards can be designed starting with business challenges and proceeding to mapping strategies. Article | Live Example.

IT KPIs

IT is not only about maintaining servers. This scorecard template for IT explores metrics that help to keep IT accountable for early warning signals about potential problems. Article | Live Example.

Quality Scorecard

How to quantify, measure, and predict quality? This Balanced Scorecard is an example, of how quality strategy can be described on strategy map and measured with KPIs. Article | Live Example.

Project Management KPIs

Learn how to focus project management on what is important and track the progress with KPIs. Article | Live Example.

CEO Scorecard

This example of a scorecard template explores four of the most important strategies for any CEO: improving product or service, focusing on team, business systems, and stakeholders’ goals. Article | Live Example.

Functional Scorecards for Supply Chain

Supply Chain

Achieve resiliency, transparency, and align supply chain with other functions of organization. Article | Live Example.

Warehouse KPIs

A warehouse today should adapt to the fast pace of stock turnaround, new technological and logistical challenges. Learn about the best KPIs to focus on; use the strategy map template for a warehouse as a starting point. Article | Live Example.

KPIs for Procurement

Learn how to focus the strategy of a procurement department and measure its effectiveness, using such KPIs as compliance and ROI. Article | Live Example.

Logistics Strategy

Logistics Strategy: Navigating in Uncertain Environment Article | Live Example.

Scorecards for Sales and Marketing

Sales KPIs

A template for sales scorecards where we balance three levels of sales KPIs: the process-oriented metrics, result-oriented indicators, and KPIs that link sales to the company's strategy. Article | Live Example.

Marketing Scorecard

Most marketing scorecards are limited to internal metrics only. Use this template to map your marketing activities and align them with the overall strategy of organization. Article | Live Example.

Social Media KPIs

Any organization wants to stand out in social media. This scorecard is an example of a social media strategy map where business goals are aligned with relevant KPIs to track. Article | Live Example.

Brand KPIs and Strategy

Brand is a perceived value of the product. Learn what KPIs brand manager can use to quantify and measure it on the level of awareness and coherence. Article | Live Example.

Graphic Designer KPIs

Is creativity measurable? Learn what KPIs managers can use to track and improve the performance of a creative team. Article | Live Example.

Event KPIs and Scorecard

Attending an event implies significant financial and time investments. Let’s discuss the metrics to track before, during, and after the event to maximize its positive impact on your business. Article | Live Example.

Scorecards for Talent Management

HR Scorecard

In this scorecard, we analyze emerging HR trends and focus on four key priority strategies that any organization needs to have on their performance scorecard for HR. Article | Live Example.

Training Scorecard

This scorecard is an example of how training effectiveness can be measured. The training strategy map shows how to match learning goals with overall strategy. Article | Live Example.

Remote Team KPIs

More highly qualified talents prefer to work remotely. Learn what KPIs will help to track the performance of remote team. Article | Live Example.

Strategy Scorecards for Business Growth

Innovations Scorecard

Are innovations measurable beyond budget metrics? This is an example of the strategy scorecard that maps innovation challenges and quantifies the main innovation processes. Article | Live Example.

Sustainable Strategy

Sustainable growth is a key theme of most corporate strategies today. Learn about three pillars of sustainability and use a template to formulate sustainable strategy. Article | Live Example.

Balanced Scorecards for Different Business Verticals

Startup Scorecard

Does a startup company need a strategy scorecard? It is a good idea if the company wants to showcase their strategy to potential investors. Check out how such a scorecard might look like. Article | Live Example.

Nonprofit Scorecard

An example of how non-profit organizations can use the Balanced Scorecard approach. The financial indicators should be replaced with metrics that quantify stakeholders´ interests. Article | Live Example.

Hotel Scorecard

An example of the scorecard for a hotel where we discuss step-by-step how the strategic hypothesis can be mapped and validated with performance metrics. Article | Live Example.

Energy Scorecard

Optimizing old practices is no longer an option for organizations from the energy sector. This scorecard is an example of sustainable strategy and relevant indicators. Article | Live Example.

University Scorecard

An example of the scorecard for university that helps to create an environment for the best academic staff and aligns activities needed to prepare students for future challenges. Article | Live Example.

Bank Balanced Scorecard

An example of the bank Balanced Scorecard that captures emerging trends in financial domain and propose ways to address new challenges. Article | Live Example.

Construction Company KPIs

Track KPIs for a construction company to ensure a rapid response to the growing demand for speed and quality. Article | Live Example.

Facility Management Scorecard

Effectively document and execute a facility management strategy, including stakeholders, strategic analysis, and performance tracking. Article | Live Example.

Hospital Scorecard

An example of KPI and strategy scorecards for healthcare organizations. Article | Live Example.

Getting Started Tutorials

Get your scorecard started by learning the best practice experience.

Balanced Scorecard Step by Step

Learn how to create your own maps or check out live examples of the Balanced Scorecard below.

Practical Example of Creating a Balanced Scorecard

The examples of the Balanced Scorecard discussed above were created using the specialized software BSC Designer. You can sign up for a free plan on the platform to start creating your own Balanced Scorecard.

• To get started, you can use one of the templates we discussed or start from scratch.

In this section of the product tutorial, we explain how to create a simple scorecard:

Four Perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard Framework

The perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard help to establish a cause-and-effect logic for the strategy map. Learn how to properly map business goals into the Finance, Customer, Internal Processes, and Learning and Growth perspectives.

Part 1: Understanding Balanced Scorecard

Why these four perspectives? What do we map inside? How to come up with the relevant goals? Part 1 >

Part 2: Four Perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard

The difference between perspectives. Examples of the goals and indicators for each perspective. Part 2 >

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Balanced Scorecard Framework

Any business framework has its area of recommended application, its advantages and drawbacks. Check out the details of the analysis.

Balanced Scorecard Audit Checklist – 12 Control Points

Even the best business systems need to be revised and updated regularly.

Use the checklist below to audit your Balanced Scorecard, find possible problems, and fix them during the early stages before they result in bigger issues.

We divided possible situations into the green, yellow, and red zones so that you can quickly learn if your Balanced Scorecard is at risk and how to fix it. Continue to the Balanced Scorecard checklist.

Balanced Scorecard in Practice

As a part of free strategic planning course we discussed how to describe a strategy using Balanced Scorecard framework and its key components – strategy map, business goals, KPIs, and initiatives. Find below a complete video of the Lesson 6:

Templates for Balanced Scorecard

Alexis Savkín

Alexis is a Senior Strategy Consultant and CEO at BSC Designer, with over 20 years of experience in strategic planning. Alexis developed the “5 Step Strategy Implementation System” that helps companies with the practical implementation of their strategies. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and has published over 100 articles on strategy and performance management, including the book “10 Step KPI System”. His work is frequently cited in academic research.