In customer experience (CX), we often talk about being “data-driven.” But let’s be honest—just having data doesn’t mean much unless we know what we’re looking at, what we’re measuring, and how it connects to outcomes that matter. That’s where a clear understanding of measures vs. metrics and the distinction between leading and lagging indicators becomes mission-critical.
Whether you're trying to justify your budget, rally support from the C-suite, or just prove that all those journey maps are actually making a difference—this is the conversation you want to be having. And spoiler alert: JourneyTrack’s Journey Impact feature was designed to help CX professionals do exactly that.
Let’s start with a distinction that often trips up even seasoned CX pros: measures vs. metrics.
Measures are the raw values you collect—think of them as the quantifiable building blocks. These are objective observations, like the number of calls to customer service, time spent on a webpage, number of form fills, or survey responses on a 1–10 scale.
Metrics are what you do with those measures. A metric is a calculated figure or performance indicator derived from one or more measures. Think: Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), or churn rate.
👉 In short: Measures are the data; metrics are the meaning.
Why does this matter? Because if you're trying to assess CX performance, you need more than just a pile of numbers—you need context, consistency, and insight. Together, measures and metrics tell the complete story.
It's important to note that measures capture specific, immediate data points, while metrics aggregate those measures over time to reveal trends. Both are essential for accurately assessing impact.
According to Gartner, 81% of marketers expect to be competing mostly or completely on the basis of customer experience, yet many still lack clarity on which metrics truly matter to the business.
Now, let’s add another layer. Once you've established your metrics, it's time to understand whether they’re leading or lagging indicators.
Leading Indicators
These are your early warning systems. Leading indicators are predictive—they give you a glimpse of what’s likely to happen based on current behavior or sentiment.
Examples of leading CX indicators include website engagement (e.g., time on page, bounce rate, etc.), Customer Effort Score (CES), speed of onboarding, first contact resolution, and sentiment analysis from open-ended feedback, among others.
Why they matter: Leading indicators help you course-correct in real time. They allow you to address friction points before they become full-blown problems. They're your GPS, rerouting you before you hit traffic.
Lagging Indicators
These are the results—they show you what has already happened. Lagging indicators confirm whether a particular strategy or initiative worked.
Examples of lagging CX indicators include Net Promoter Score (NPS), churn rate, customer retention, revenue per customer, and support ticket volume trends, among others.
Why they matter: Lagging indicators are essential for accountability and post-mortem analysis. They validate your approach (or tell you it's time to pivot).
Forrester notes that companies that effectively link CX improvements to business outcomes see stronger revenue growth—sometimes up to 2.4x higher than their competitors.
Here’s the real kicker: CX teams are often flooded with data but still struggle to demonstrate impact. You might know that improving onboarding reduced call center volume by 25%, but if you can’t link that to cost savings, improved loyalty, or growth, you’ll have difficulty getting buy-in.
Collaborating with other departments within the organization is crucial to gather data and secure organizational support and buy-in for the results.
And this is where too many well-meaning CX initiatives go to die: in the gap between activity and impact.
According to McKinsey, only 6% of companies say they are very satisfied with their ability to measure the return on CX investments.
At JourneyTrack, we understand that CXers don’t require yet another inconsequential dashboard—they need better visibility into what’s working. That’s why we created Journey Impact, a feature designed to help teams connect the dots between CX initiatives and business outcomes.
Map your CX initiatives directly to metrics that matter.
Whether you're trying to improve loyalty, increase retention, or reduce churn, Journey Impact allows you to define and track the metrics that align with your goals.
Distinguish between leading and lagging indicators.
Journey Impact makes it easy to monitor different kinds of metrics, so you track both short-term and long-term success.
Visualize progress compellingly.
Say goodbye to spreadsheets. Journey Impact brings your data to life, making it easier to tell the story of your success—whether you’re reporting to stakeholders or showcasing wins to your broader team.
Track the business case for journey improvements.
By linking journey improvement to measurable outcomes, Journey Impact helps CX leaders prove ROI—a critical capability in times of economic uncertainty or when CX budgets are on the chopping block.
Customer experience has long fought the perception that it’s more “art” than “science.” However, with the right structure around measures, metrics, and impact analysis, CX becomes an essential part of business strategy. It stops being a “nice to have” and starts being a force multiplier across product, marketing, operations, and beyond.
IBM research found that companies that prioritize CX outperform their peers in customer satisfaction by 20% and in profitability by 60%.
Here’s the bottom line: If you want CX to be taken seriously, you need to speak the language of the business. That means understanding not just how customers feel but how that feeling translates into measurable results.
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