Today, operating figures not only provide information about the performance of a company, because they rather act as instruments for management, controlling up to motivation. They therefore need to be embedded in the company's strategy. Traditional performance measurement systems (PMS), mainly based on financial figures, do not meet the requirements of high performance companies anymore. For the development of modern PMS it is essential to define key performance indicators (KPI). They are agreed metrics from various domains reflecting the organization's strategy and are key to operational success. The objective of this diploma thesis is to theoretically develop and empirically apply a model that can be used to define KPI. Based on the research of management information needs, the model combines two methods: a strategic- driven top-down approach as well as an experienced-driven bottom-up approach. This leads to a well-balanced selection of KPI and as a second objective, detects potentials in a more efficient way of reporting KPI.