Abstract: A method and device is provided that uses historical process data for an industrial process run by an industrial process control and automation system having processing equipment and identified by tag names. The tag names and process data are stored in a database, and a processor and a memory implement a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) tag system, that identifies primary and secondary KPIs from the list of tag names and data values stored in the database and extracts a set of KPI tags from the primary and secondary KPIs storing the extracted KPI tags in the memory. In another embodiment the KPI tag system imports all of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) display files used in the industrial process and identifies the display file tag names and links to other HMI display files. Using an asset model of the process plant and the links to the other HMI displays, the Level 1 HMI displays are identified and KPI tag system generates and stores the KPI tags for the identified Level 1 HMI displays.