Digital key performance indicators in corporate decision making: integrating institutional performance management to fix innovation culture in commercial agriculture

The commercial agriculture sector (CAS) can significantly benefit from targeted research and development (R&D) efforts aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ‘Zero Hunger.’ To meet these objectives, R&D institutes must overcome key performance challenges in R&D management. Effectively translating effort into impact requires companies to adopt strategic interventions, such as digital technologies, to modernize their Performance Management Systems (PMSs). This transformation ensures that innovative ideas are efficiently managed and developed into market-ready products that align with customer demands promptly. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a systematic review of KPI frameworks with qualitative insights from 32 senior administrators in Sri Lanka’s R&D institutes. Institutional reports and literature reviews informed Phase One, while Phase Two involved conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic coding in MAXQDA. Methodological triangulation ensured cross-validation of findings, revealing fragmented KPI structures and the lack of real-time adaptability. A proposed AI-driven digital KPI system prioritizes high-impact indicators, optimizes commercialization pathways, and ensures R&D efforts are demand-driven, socially relevant, and aligned with CAS’s socio-economic and environmental objectives. Policy recommendations include adopting AI-enhanced KPI frameworks to improve research commercialization, fostering cross-sector collaboration through real-time data sharing, and integrating predictive analytics to enhance decision-making efficiency. These advancements will strengthen the strategic alignment of R&D with market and sustainability goals, ensuring that research investments translate into tangible economic and societal benefits.