A PSF (old equation) Look at Super Bowl XLIII

Feb 5

As a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers I was thrilled by the great game played by both teams on Sunday. The final score 27-23, Steelers. But let's look at the game a little closer from the perspective of a old equation firm. Their analysis would look something like this:For the Cardinals

Total Net Yards - 407
Total Rushing/Passing Plays (includes Sacks) - 57
Average Gain per Offensive Play - 7.1
Net Yards Rushing - 33
Total Rushing Plays - 12
Average Gain per Rushing Play - 2.8
Net Yard Passing - 374
Gross Yards Passing - 377
Pass Completions/Attempts - 31/43 = 72%
Average Gain per Passing Play (includes Sacks) - 8.3

For the Steelers

Total Net Yard - 292
Total Rushing/Passing Plays (includes Sacks) - 58
Average Gain per Offensive Play - 5.0
Net Yard Rushing - 58
Total Rushing Plays - 26
Average Gain per Rushing Play - 2.2
Net Yards Passing - 234
Gross Yards Passing - 256
Pass Completions/Attempts - 21/30 = 70%
Average Gain per Passing Play (includes Sacks) - 7.3

In virtually every offensive category (in italics above) the Cardinals come out ahead. Do you notice something about these stats? They are all effort based, even those that measure efficiency — average gain per offensive play, average gain per rushing play, pass completion percentage, and average gain per passing pay. Measuring and using these statistics to determine the outcome of a game is nonsensical.The same thing is true about professional firms that measure billable hours, utilization, and realization. They are all effort based, not result based. A billable hour is not a result, it is not a touchdown. It is an effort, it is a pass attempt.As with any analysis of data, while you can measure based on efforts, you cannot judge or determine the outcomes based on them. What is true for sports teams is true for professional service firms. Stop measuring the efforts, start judging (better yet have your customers judge) the results!