Benchmarking: University and Target Organizations Essay

What is bench marking? Benchmarking is an approach for departments to total and compare themselves with higher-performing departments with the goal of identifying work processes, products, services, or strategies that will lead to improvement. Benefits of benchmarking rate best practices that increase schoolchild satisfaction. Achieve efficiencies and increase productivity. Helpful during time of budget growth and reduction. Broaden perspectives and overcome resistance change. Demonstrate the tonus and efficiency of your programs and services. Origins of benchmarking Emerged in 1980s as a survival dig for Xerox. In 1990, first university benchmark study conducted by the Council for the Advancement and underpin of Education. In 1992, the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) conducted a national benchmark study on administrative services. Since 1992, hundreds of schools have participated in NACUBOs benchmark studies on topics rangi ng from admissions to purchasing. Today many higher education associations conduct benchmark studies. Opportunities for benchmarking in higher education Admissions process of reviewing of applications Registrar processing likeness requests .Center for schoolchild Involvement processing the registration of assimilator organizations Student Health Services scheduling doctor appointments Campus Recreation signing students up for recreation classes Career Services registering employers in job fairs Crafts Center registering students in workshops Human Resources processing timesheets and payroll Transportation Services arranging for additional event parking services Police computer aided murder services Facilities Design project design review process volt steps to benchmarking 1. Planning 2. Identifying rate organizations 3. Data order.4. Analysis 5. Implementation note 1. Planning Limit the study to what is vital to the performance of your department. C onsider exceedingly regarded practices or services that can be made even better. realize into practices or services that students and supply regard as broken. comprehend intensive, time consuming processes with suspected waste Services or processes that generate dissatisfaction with students. Processes that affect different key processes in your department or another(prenominal) departments. Processes with poorly defined objectives or frequent errors requiring corrections. Prioritizing your benchmarking projects .Potential for improvement in student satisfaction or staff productivity, Extent to which the process or service is broken, Feasibility of re-engineering the service or product. Selecting benchmark study team up Involve staff members who are most familiar with the processes or services. If processes or services extend to other departments, involve their staff as well. accommodate a staff member who can successfully recruit the manoeuvre organizations to pa rticipate in the study. measuring stick 2. Identifying target organizations Identify recognized leadership based on awards, conference presentations, articles in association publications, and leaders in your field. Target organizations can be departments internal to the university that perform similar processes or offer similar services. with similar processes or services at other universities. outside of higher education with similar functions, products, or services. Step 2. Identifying target organizations To ease the recruiting the process look for institutions that affiliate with one another in some manner. They still need to be top performers Secure their cooperation by Ensuring confidentiality of the results. Making their participation easy by minimizing their investment of time in the study. Promising to share the results. Step 3. Data collection The objective of data collection is to examine processes or services, resources devoted to processes or services, and me asure performance. Step 3. Data collection Use methods such as tele address interviews, on line surveys, collection of department information (e. g. , organizational charts, procedure manuals) exposit flowcharts of internal processes interviews during meetings at conference, interviews and observation during site attends Step 3. Data collection Measuring performance involves developing metrics such as character student satisfaction surveys,  cleverness number of transactions completed per departmental FTE, or departmental cost per transaction processed. Examples of metrics Benchmarking study of tutelar services in Student Centers QUALITY Staff and student ratings of the appearance of various spaces in the quick-wittedness (e. g. ,bathrooms, dining spaces, meeting spaces, lounge spaces). EFFICIENCY Number of FTE dedicated to custodial services divided by facility square footage Number of FTE dedicated to custodial services divided by the number of people who visit the facility each day totality of supplies and expenses budgeted to custodial services divided by the number of people who visit the facility each day. Step 4. Analysis Your analysis may focalise on Differences in gauge and efficiency levels. Factors that contribute to the differences in quality and efficiency including Organizational structure, Leadership and mission Organizational stability and staff experience, Policies, Work flows and internal processes, Use of technology such as the web, email, phone Staffing levels, Training of staff, Division of job responsibilities, Funding, Use of assessment to receive student feedback Step 5. Implementation Analysis phase culminates in a attested action plan and recommendations Identify strengths and weaknesses relative to benchmark partners, Recommendation may include changing processes, job responsibilities, staff involved, use of technology and tuition of software tools. Resources American Society for Qual ity http//www. asq. org Student Voice http//www. studentvoice. com educational Benchmarking Inc. http//www. webebi. com Has national benchmark studies on first year experience, housing, Greek life, student centers, student organization leaders. International Benchmarking Clearinghouse http//www. apqc. org