AMA INTERNATIONAL AMA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY- BAHRAINUNIVERSITY- BAHRAIN

September 2010September 2010

BENCHMARKING BENCHMARKING Dr. Emelin Molo MagadaDr. Emelin Molo Magada

Academic Affairs OfficeAcademic Affairs Office

What is Benchmark ? What is Benchmark ?

What is Benchmarking ?What is Benchmarking ?

“ “ As defined in the QAAET-HERU As defined in the QAAET-HERU Program Handbook “Program Handbook “

Benchmark / Reference pointsBenchmark / Reference points : :

Benchmark statements represent Benchmark statements represent general expectations about the general expectations about the standards of achievement and standards of achievement and

general attributes to be expected general attributes to be expected of a graduate in a given academic of a graduate in a given academic

field or subject. field or subject.

Reference standards may be Reference standards may be external or internal.external or internal.

External reference points External reference points allow comparison of the allow comparison of the academic standards and academic standards and

quality of a programme with quality of a programme with equivalent programmes in equivalent programmes in

the Kingdom and the Kingdom and internationally.internationally.

Internal reference points Internal reference points may be used to compare may be used to compare one academic field with one academic field with another, or to identify another, or to identify

trends over a given time trends over a given time periodperiod..

“ “ From the paper presentation From the paper presentation during the 4th International during the 4th International Benchmarking Conference, Benchmarking Conference,

Bahrain, 27-28 October, 2009, Bahrain, 27-28 October, 2009, of DR. Robin Mann , Director, of DR. Robin Mann , Director,

Centre for Organizational Centre for Organizational Excellence Research (COER ) Excellence Research (COER )

and Chairman , Global and Chairman , Global Benchmarking Network Benchmarking Network ( GBN ) , New Zealand “( GBN ) , New Zealand “

BENCHMARKING : BENCHMARKING :

Benchmarking is much Benchmarking is much more than performance more than performance comparisonscomparisons..

- - Benchmarking focuses on Benchmarking focuses on “learning from the experience “learning from the experience

of others” and is defined as of others” and is defined as “identifying, adapting, and “identifying, adapting, and implementing the practices implementing the practices

that produce the best that produce the best performance results”performance results”

- - Benchmarking is a Benchmarking is a powerful method for powerful method for

breakthrough thinking, breakthrough thinking, innovation, improvement innovation, improvement

and for delivering and for delivering exceptional bottom-line exceptional bottom-line

resultsresults

- - New benchmarking New benchmarking methodologies aim to methodologies aim to

ensure that benchmarking ensure that benchmarking projects result in major projects result in major

benefits (financial and non-benefits (financial and non-financial).financial).

- - New website tools make New website tools make benchmarking easier.benchmarking easier.

“ “ Organisations including Universities / Organisations including Universities / Higher Education Institutions are constantly Higher Education Institutions are constantly looking for new ways and methodologies to looking for new ways and methodologies to

improve their performance and gain a improve their performance and gain a competitive advantage. As they seek competitive advantage. As they seek improvements to their own business improvements to their own business

processes, many organisations recognise the processes, many organisations recognise the importance of learning from best practices / importance of learning from best practices / good practices that have been achieved by good practices that have been achieved by other organisations. By removing the need other organisations. By removing the need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ and providing the to ‘reinvent the wheel’ and providing the

potential to adopt proven practices, potential to adopt proven practices, benchmarking has become an important benchmarking has become an important methodology for providing a fast-track to methodology for providing a fast-track to achieving organisational excellence. ”achieving organisational excellence. ”

Types of Types of benchmarkingbenchmarking

It is useful to distinguish It is useful to distinguish between the main types of between the main types of

benchmarking.benchmarking.

Firstly, there is Firstly, there is

““Informal Informal Benchmarking”Benchmarking”. .

““Informal Benchmarking”Informal Benchmarking”.. This is a This is a type of benchmarking that most of us type of benchmarking that most of us do unconsciously at work and in our do unconsciously at work and in our

home life. We constantly compare and home life. We constantly compare and learn from the behavior and practices learn from the behavior and practices of others – whether it is how to use a of others – whether it is how to use a

software program, how to cook a software program, how to cook a better meal, or play our favourite better meal, or play our favourite sport. In the context of work, most sport. In the context of work, most

learning from informal benchmarking learning from informal benchmarking comes from the following:comes from the following:

• • Talking to work Talking to work colleagues and learning colleagues and learning from their experience from their experience

(coffee breaks and team (coffee breaks and team meetings are a great meetings are a great place to network and place to network and

learn from others)learn from others)

• • CConsulting with experts onsulting with experts (for example, business (for example, business consultants who have consultants who have

experience of implementing experience of implementing a particular process or a particular process or

activity in many business activity in many business environments)environments)

• • Networking with other Networking with other people from other people from other organisations at organisations at

conferences, seminars, conferences, seminars, and Internet forums.and Internet forums.

• • On-line databases/web On-line databases/web sites and publications sites and publications

that share benchmarking that share benchmarking information provide quick information provide quick and easy ways to learn of and easy ways to learn of

best practices and best practices and benchmarks.benchmarks.

Secondly, there is Secondly, there is “Formal “Formal

Benchmarking“ Benchmarking“ of which of which there are two types – 1there are two types – 1. .

Performance Performance BenchmarkingBenchmarking and 2.and 2. Best Best

Practice BenchmarkingPractice Benchmarking..

Performance Performance benchmarking describes benchmarking describes

the comparison of the comparison of performance data performance data

obtained from studying obtained from studying similar processes or similar processes or

activities.activities.

Performance Performance benchmarking benchmarking describes the describes the comparison of comparison of

performance data performance data obtained from studying obtained from studying

similar processes or similar processes or activities.activities.

Comparisons of performance Comparisons of performance may be undertakenmay be undertaken between between

companies – or internally companies – or internally within an organisation. It is within an organisation. It is

useful for identifying useful for identifying strengths andstrengths and opportunities opportunities

for improvement.for improvement.

Performance benchmarking may involve Performance benchmarking may involve the comparison of financialthe comparison of financial measures measures

(such as expenditure, cost of labour, cost (such as expenditure, cost of labour, cost of buildings/equipment, cost of energy,of buildings/equipment, cost of energy,

adherence to budget, cash flow, revenue adherence to budget, cash flow, revenue collected) or non-financial measures collected) or non-financial measures

(such as(such as absenteeism, staff turnover, the absenteeism, staff turnover, the percentage of administrative staff to percentage of administrative staff to

front-line staff, budgetfront-line staff, budget processing time, processing time, complaints, environmental impact or call complaints, environmental impact or call

centre performance). centre performance).

Best Practice Best Practice BenchmarkingBenchmarking describes describes

the comparison of the comparison of performance data performance data

obtained from studying obtained from studying similar processes or similar processes or

activities activities and identifying, and identifying, adapting, and adapting, and

implementing theimplementing the practices that produced practices that produced the best performance the best performance

results.results.

Best practice Best practice benchmarking is the benchmarking is the

most powerful type of most powerful type of benchmarking.benchmarking.

It is used for “learning It is used for “learning from the experience of from the experience of others” and achieving others” and achieving

breakthrough breakthrough improvements in improvements in

performance. performance.

Best practice benchmarking Best practice benchmarking focuses on “Action” – i.e. doing focuses on “Action” – i.e. doing something with the comparison something with the comparison

data and learning why other data and learning why other organisations are achieving organisations are achieving

higher levels of performance. higher levels of performance. Best practice benchmarking Best practice benchmarking projects typically take from 2projects typically take from 2to 4 months to identify best to 4 months to identify best

practices. practices.

The practices then need to be The practices then need to be adapted and implemented. The time adapted and implemented. The time

taken for the whole project varies taken for the whole project varies dependent on the project’s scope, dependent on the project’s scope, importance, and resources used. importance, and resources used.

Projects are usually resource Projects are usually resource intensive (in terms of the project intensive (in terms of the project

team’s time) and so care needs to be team’s time) and so care needs to be taken that they focus on issues of taken that they focus on issues of high strategic importance that will high strategic importance that will deliver major bottom-line benefits.deliver major bottom-line benefits.

Methodologies Methodologies for Best Practice for Best Practice BenchmarkingBenchmarking

There is no single benchmarking There is no single benchmarking methodology that has been methodology that has been

universally adopted. The wide universally adopted. The wide appeal and acceptance of appeal and acceptance of

benchmarking has led to various benchmarking has led to various benchmarking methodologies benchmarking methodologies

emerging.emerging.

TRADETRADE is one such is one such methodology. The methodology. The TRADE TRADE

benchmarking methodology benchmarking methodology focuses on the exchange (or” focuses on the exchange (or”

trade”) of information and best trade”) of information and best practices to improve the practices to improve the

performance of processes, performance of processes, goods and services.goods and services.

TRADE consists of five TRADE consists of five stages as follows :stages as follows :

• • TTerms of Reference erms of Reference (plan the project - aims, (plan the project - aims,

objectives, scope, objectives, scope, resources, cost/benefit resources, cost/benefit

analysis)analysis)

• • RResearch esearch (research current (research current

state/ performance)state/ performance)

AAct (undertake data ct (undertake data collection & analysis collection & analysis – to compare against – to compare against

others)others)

• • DDeploy eploy (communicate and (communicate and

implement best implement best practices)practices)

EEvaluate (evaluate the valuate (evaluate the benchmarking process benchmarking process

and outcomes to and outcomes to ensure the project has ensure the project has

met its aims)met its aims)

AMAIUB AMAIUB

BENCHMARKING BENCHMARKING

LEVEL OF FOCUSLEVEL OF FOCUS

( RECOMMENDATION )( RECOMMENDATION )

WHOLE OF WHOLE OF INSTITUTIONINSTITUTION

FOCUS :FOCUS :

STANDARD-BASEDSTANDARD-BASED

Thru Partnership / MoU’s and Thru Partnership / MoU’s and ACCREDITATIONACCREDITATION

COLLEGE LEVELCOLLEGE LEVEL

FOCUS : FOCUS : - DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC- DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC

- DEPARTMENT / - DEPARTMENT / SPECIALIZATION SPECIFICSPECIALIZATION SPECIFIC

- COURSE SPECIFIC- COURSE SPECIFIC

Program DescriptionProgram Description

ILO’sILO’s

Graduate AttributesGraduate Attributes

Etc…Etc…

COURSE DESCRIPTIONCOURSE DESCRIPTION

ILO’sILO’s

Teaching – Learning Teaching – Learning StrategiesStrategies

Assessment ToolsAssessment Tools

etcetc

Note : All College are Note : All College are required to develop required to develop

BENCHMARKING PLAN BENCHMARKING PLAN

in all recommended Levels / in all recommended Levels / FocusFocus

THANK YOU.THANK YOU.