With growing demands for increased operational efficiency and process improvement in organizations of all sizes, more and more companies are turning to benchmarking as a means of setting goals and measuring performance against the products, services and practices of other organizations that are recognized as leaders.
The Benchmarking Book is an indispensable guide to process improvement through benchmarking, providing managers, practitioners and consultants with all the information needed to carry out effective benchmarking studies.
Covering everything from essential theory to important considerations such as project management and legal issues, The Benchmarking Book is the ideal step-by-step guide to assessing and improving your company’s processes and performance through benchmarking.
PART I: What is Benchmarking?
1. What is Benchmarking?
2. Methods of Benchmarking
PART II: The Benchmarking Process
Phase 1 - Internal Preparation
3. Selecting a Project and Commissioning a Team
4. The Team Begins Work
5. Identifying and Selecting Benchmarking Participants
6. Metrics and Data
7. Normalization: How to compare apples with pears
8. How to Identify Benchmarking Metrics
9. Reviewing and Finalizing Metrics
10. The Importance of Operational Definitions and How to Create Them
11. Finalizing the Project Plan and Gaining Management Support
12. Inviting and Working with Participants
Phase 2 - Benchmarking Performances
13. Effective Acquisition of Complete Accurate Data
14. Turning Data into Recommendations
15. Finalizing the Report and Other Deliverables
Phase 3 - Improving Performance
16. From Report to Improvement
17. Beyond the Numbers: Gathering Information from Participants
18. Implementation Considerations
19. Copying with Understanding
PART III: Managerial and Organizational Aspects of Benchmarking
20. Management Roles and Responsibilities
21. An Introduction to Legal Issues and Working with Consultants
PART IV: Case Studies
22. Benchmarking IT at Citigroup
23. The Drilling Peformance Review - The Evolution of a Benchmarking Club
24. Benchmarking Local Goverment Services
25. The Best Practice Club
Bibliography
Biography
Tim Stapenhurst
