The DON Benchmarking Model for Conducting a Benchmarking Study: The 10 Steps

Step 7: Communicate benchmarking findings.

"A man may well bring a horse to the water, but he cannot make him drink." (Heywood, c. 1540 )

Input to Step 7: The input to Step 7 is the output from Step 6:

• The final report on findings and recommendations of benchmarking effort.

A. Communicate the findings. Successful change will require a common understanding and a willingness to make the changes work. Communicate the findings of the benchmarking effort and gain acceptance and support widely and deeply throughout your organization and among your customers. For the internal customers of the process, prepare a presentation of the findings, analysis, and recommendations to achieve the desired goals and results. Be objective and as detailed as the intended audience requires. Have those who will actually be working in the process perform it and provide feedback. Some ideas to disseminate the information in a different way include:

• Make the benchmarking report a freestanding PC presentation in the lobby/cafeteria.
• Hold one-on-one sessions with key individuals.
• Provide presentations to small and/or large groups with a feedback form and/or a question-and-answer period.
• Have a facilitated discussion within each division.
• Display a flowchart or blueprint that illustrates the "as-is" and "will-be" process.

Evaluate who else should be informed. External customers and stakeholders may also have a need to know and could possibly contribute positively to the changes in your process. It is extremely valuable to compare feedback data from your customers gathered both before and after the changes are made to help measure success.

Collecting the feedback in a formal way can be as simple as setting up an E-mail address for the benchmarking initiative or adding a survey to your home page. And Don't forget to let your benchmarking partner(s) know the output and outcome of your study. Allow them to share in your success stories.

B. Collect and analyze any input/feedback.

Allow the BMK Team, QMB, and ESC to gather and review any feedback data received from internal/external customers, stakeholders, and benchmarking partners. Not every suggestion needs to be implemented, but they should all be discussed and considered. Some helpful and important information on the process itself and on the chances of successfully implementing changes to the process can be found there.

A Word of Advice: The changes may affect budgets, organizations, and positions. As a result, the findings may receive mixed reviews. .Rice bowl. issues may ensue. To counter attempts at sabotage, proceed carefully but confidently. Use objective language. Your research will validate and justify your proposed changes. And try not to take criticism personally. Change stirs up fears.

Output of Step 7: The output from Step 7 in the input for Step 8.

Feedback on the recommended process changes.

Quality Advisor's Checklist

Before moving to the next step, the quality advisor should review the following checklist:

• Have the findings been communicated throughout the organization in a way that promotes understanding and acceptance?
• Has the feedback been looked at and considered by all the BMK Team and QMB members?
• What is the comfort level for support of these changes to the process?
• Was there consensus and commitment to the findings at every level of the organization? z Was the data collected used to validate and justify the changes?

Source: USN Benchmarking Handbook

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