diff --git a/src/main/java/org/etsi/osl/tmf/metrics/reposervices/GeneralMetricsRepoService.java b/src/main/java/org/etsi/osl/tmf/metrics/reposervices/GeneralMetricsRepoService.java
index 00276eff2fa9e824d4792b0f95b81ef49c9a2218..e1fa49a7b603b617b52f8e21cb6e9699f2cea51e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/etsi/osl/tmf/metrics/reposervices/GeneralMetricsRepoService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/etsi/osl/tmf/metrics/reposervices/GeneralMetricsRepoService.java
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@ package org.etsi.osl.tmf.metrics.reposervices;
 
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.pm632.repo.IndividualRepository;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.rcm634.repo.ResourceSpecificationRepository;
-import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.model.ServiceCandidate;
+import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.model.ServiceCategory;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.repo.CandidateRepository;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.repo.CategoriesRepository;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.time.OffsetDateTime;
 import java.util.List;
 
 @Service
@@ -25,22 +27,33 @@ public class GeneralMetricsRepoService {
     @Autowired
     CandidateRepository candidateRepository;
 
+    // Cached values for performance optimization
+    private static Integer cachedPublishedServiceSpecCount = null;
+    private static OffsetDateTime lastRetrieved = null;
+    private static final Duration CACHE_DURATION = Duration.ofMinutes(15);
+
     public int countRegisteredIndividuals() {
         return individualRepository.countAll();
     }
 
     public int countPublishedServiceSpecifications() {
+        OffsetDateTime now = OffsetDateTime.now();
+
+        if (cachedPublishedServiceSpecCount == null || lastRetrieved == null ||
+                Duration.between(lastRetrieved, now).compareTo(CACHE_DURATION) > 0) {
 
-        List<ServiceCandidate> serviceCandidates = candidateRepository.findAll();
-        int count = 0;
+            int count = 0;
+            List<ServiceCategory> serviceCategories = categoriesRepository.findByOrderByName();
 
-        for (ServiceCandidate serviceCandidate : serviceCandidates) {
-            System.out.println("ServiceCandidate Category: " + serviceCandidate.getCategoryObj());
-            if (serviceCandidate.getCategory() != null) {
-                count += 1;
+            for (ServiceCategory serviceCategory : serviceCategories) {
+                count += serviceCategory.getServiceCandidateObj().size()
+                        + serviceCategory.getServiceCandidateRefs().size();
             }
+
+            cachedPublishedServiceSpecCount = count;
+            lastRetrieved = now;
         }
-        return count;
+        return cachedPublishedServiceSpecCount;
     }
 
     public int countRegisteredResourceSpecifications() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/etsi/osl/services/api/metrics/GeneralMetricsApiControllerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/etsi/osl/services/api/metrics/GeneralMetricsApiControllerTest.java
index af13cb39e75dbd9453d995778398b0eb4285939f..3776c5c7ddd101c2f65c8244123cbbbe6c7a8db9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/etsi/osl/services/api/metrics/GeneralMetricsApiControllerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/etsi/osl/services/api/metrics/GeneralMetricsApiControllerTest.java
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ import org.etsi.osl.tmf.OpenAPISpringBoot;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.pm632.model.IndividualCreate;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.pm632.reposervices.IndividualRepoService;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.rcm634.reposervices.ResourceSpecificationRepoService;
-import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.model.ServiceCandidate;
+import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.model.ServiceCategory;
 import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.reposervices.CandidateRepoService;
+import org.etsi.osl.tmf.scm633.reposervices.CategoryRepoService;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -58,6 +59,9 @@ public class GeneralMetricsApiControllerTest {
     @Autowired
     CandidateRepoService candidateRepoService;
 
+    @Autowired
+    CategoryRepoService categoryRepoService;
+
 
     @Before
     public void setup() throws Exception {
@@ -96,13 +100,11 @@ public class GeneralMetricsApiControllerTest {
 
         int totalSpecs = JsonPath.read(response, "$.publishedServiceSpecifications");
 
-        List<ServiceCandidate> serviceCandidates = candidateRepoService.findAll();
+        List<ServiceCategory> serviceCategories = categoryRepoService.findAll();
         int count = 0;
 
-        for (ServiceCandidate serviceCandidate : serviceCandidates) {
-            if (serviceCandidate.getCategory() != null) {
-                count += 1;
-            }
+        for (ServiceCategory serviceCategory : serviceCategories) {
+            count += serviceCategory.getServiceCandidateObj().size() + serviceCategory.getServiceCandidateRefs().size();
         }
 
         assertThat(totalSpecs).isEqualTo(count);