Remarks about the use of symbol indicators for logistics and manufacturing process evaluation

One of the most critical aspects in operations management is making firm goals representable. This is usually done by translating the organization results and objectives in "performance indicators". The scientific literature shows many applications in different fields such as quality, production, logistics, marketing, etc.... The aim of the present paper is to explore the world of symbol indicators, starting from the basic concepts expressed by the representational approach. A mathematical structure to the concept of indicator is presented, grounded on the Representational Theory of Measurement. Focusing the discussion on typical aspects concerning logistics and manufacturing fields, we explore the general properties of symbol indicators, their characteristics, and the conditions for their usability.