A common practice in managerial and public service contexts is to quantity, calculate, and use numbers and metrics which provide a presumption of scientificity, a sense of measurability, objectivity, reliability, and precision upon which smarter decisions can be made. Besides providing a theoretical background, we analyze counter-productive effects of over-relying on numbers and metrics, notably in public administration. We discuss the following traps: preferring what is measurable over what is important, replacing the strategy by a measure and dehumanizing the decision making. We suggest some practical ways to facilitate a more parsimonious, smarter, and adequate use of numbers.

管理和公共服务环境中的常见做法是量化、计算和使用数字和指标，这些数字和指标提供了科学性假设、可衡量性、客观性、可靠性和精确性，可以据此做出更明智的决策。除了提供理论背景外，我们还分析了过度依赖数字和指标的适得其反的影响，尤其是在公共行政领域。我们讨论以下陷阱：偏爱可衡量的东西而不是重要的东西，用衡量标准代替战略，并使决策非人性化。我们提出了一些实用的方法来促进更简洁、更智能和更充分地使用数字。