Critical success factor

Also called: CSF, critical success factor(CSF) or key result area(KRA)

Critical success factors are characteristics and actions that are critical to the success of an organization, project or activity. The term critical success factor or critical success factor is abbreviated as CSF or CSF. Whereas key performance indicators (KPIs) are yardsticks for measuring the degree of success, critical success factors are what an organization must do well to be successful.

Describing critical success factors helps an organization or project implement and achieve its mission and goals, for example, in a business plan. These factors can also be used to determine in retrospect why a business is doing well or not doing well.

The factors can be formulated in general terms (such as hiring the right employees and managers, acquiring customers and increasing profits, ensuring quality and customer satisfaction) and then worked out in more detail.

The existence of clarity as to what the goals are and through what factors they can be achieved is itself a critical success factor.