Benchmarking: A Signpost to Excellence in Quality and Productivity - Hardcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Bengt Karlof is the senior partner and president of Karlof and Partners Consultancy, a Swedish-based strategy consultancy with worldwide interests. Renowned for his work in the area of strategic development, Bengt Karlof has acted as a consultant for numerous major organizations in both the public and private sectors over the past ten years. He lectures widely in both academic institutions and at management seminars on all aspects of strategy. He has written a number of books on the subject which have been translated into several languages. Always from a practical stance, Bengt Karlof's aim is to produce a business strategy which will make organizations work more efficiently.

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In the industrialized world, it is widely accepted that a free market leads to greater efficiency in terms of productivity and cost. But how can competition be introduced into situations where alternative suppliers cannot be used? Deliveries are made throughout the day between different departments within an organization. This is one example where standards are seldom questioned because no competition exists between suppliers. Benchmarking provides an effective substitute for competition. Benchmarking is a continuous, systematic process for comparing your own efficiency in terms of productivity, quality and practices with those companies and organizations that represent excellence. It has been demonstrated to have a profound effect in numerous situations where conditions of a ?planned economy? exist. Benchmarking: A Signpost to Excellence in Quality and Productivity explains the concept of efficiency and how benchmarking can be utilized to improve performance. The authors identify three categories of benchmarking:

• Internal: between units of an organization
• External: between competitors
• Functional: equivalent operations in different organizations

• Deciding what to benchmark
• Identifying benchmarking partners
• Gathering and analyzing information
• Implementing for effect

Aus dem Klappentext

The day-to-day procedures within an organization are unlikely to be influenced by market forces. Communications or deliveries are made between different departments to receivers who cannot turn to alternative suppliers. There is no competition, standards are accepted and inefficiencies arise. This is where benchmarking comes in. The effect of benchmarking on the development of an organization can be profound. With the use of practical examples, and drawing on the authors experience, Benchmarking: A Signpost to Excellence in Quality and Productivity illustrates how benchmarking can provide an enormous incentive to increased efficiency in an environment which previously operated as a planned economy . With a properly implemented benchmarking programme, it is possible to integrate education, leadership, development and organizational dynamics with the actual work being done, and to make that work more efficient in terms of quality and productivity. As this book illustrates, benchmarking is a continuous systematic process whereby a comparison is made between productivity, quality and practices in your own organization and a chosen similar organization which represents excellence. The process is:

• aimed directly at increasing operative and strategic efficiency, and
• leads to learning, skill enhancement and efficiency which in turn leads to development.