The balanced scorecard is a management system that translates an organization's mission and vision into measurable goals in four key areas: financial, customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth. It provides a framework for strategic planning and management by defining objectives and measures in each area. The balanced scorecard allows organizations to track financial and non-financial metrics together to monitor performance and make informed decisions. It helps align business activities to the organization's strategic goals and assess progress over both the short and long term.