Key Performance Indicators and Managerial Analysis for Forensic Laboratories

Abstract

Abstract Forensic laboratories generate a great deal of data from casework activities across investigative areas, personnel and budget allocations, and corresponding expenditures. This paper investigates ways in which laboratories can make data-driven managerial decisions through the regular extraction of key performance indicators from commonly available data sources. A laboratory's performance indicators can then be compared to peer laboratory performance to search for best practices, determine in-house trends, manage scarce resources, and provide quantitative support for the justification of additional resources.