Presentation on "Views on 2030" by Dr. Robin Mann during the 6th International Benchmarking Conference organized by Dubai Quality Group from 6-7 March 2012 at Al Bustan Rotana Dubai

1. Views on 2030
Dr. Robin Mann,
Director
Centre for Organisational Excellence Research
New Zealand
March 2012

2. Introduction
1. Mega Challenges
2. Professional Benchmarking
3. Technology and Benchmarking
4. Conclusion

3. In 2009/11 a comprehensive study was
undertaken on business excellence in 5 countries
India, Japan,
Singapore, Taiwan
& Thailand
CEO Interviews
Section 3 - Business Excellence Profile
3.1 Which statement most accurately describes your knowledge of business excellence?
If the survey is being completed by a team substitute “I” for “we”.
Tick the one that applies
A Low understanding - My company has undertaken an assessment against a business excellence
framework but I (we) had little involvement in the process.
B Basic understanding - My company has undertaken an assessment against a business excellence
framework and I was (we were) involved in the process.
C Good understanding - My company has undertaken an assessment against a business excellence
framework and I was (we were) involved in the process. I have (we have) attended a training course
on business excellence.
D Very good understanding - My company has undertaken an assessment against a business
excellence framework and I was (we were) involved in the process. I am (we are) trained business
excellence assessors.
Discussion groups
E Other – please specify:
Survey
at workshops

4. The study researched the value and
impact of business excellence in Asia

5. What are the main current and
emerging challenges facing
companies in your country?
• Meeting requirements of multiple standards (country, regional and
international) adds to our costs base. In many cases these standards
could be integrated/reduced. (Japan)
• Demand reduction is facing Japan through a shrinking population and
changing demographics (Japan)
• World financial crisis (Singapore)
• Cultural and social integration/harmony/race/nationalities/mobile
workforce/aging population (Singapore)
• Diseases (Swine flu/epidemics) (India)
• Fraud/Money laundering (India)
• Cost of energy (Thailand)
• Lack of skilled workers (Thailand)
• Government Policy and trade tax (particularly with China) (Taiwan)
• Environmental issues (Green house effect, CO2 eliminated, climate,
green products, recycling)) (Taiwan)

6. Will BE help companies to meet these
challenges? If not, how does the BE
model or use of the model need to
change?
Business excellence is appropriate for addressing all challenges as it helps companies to identify
what are the main issues/problems they are facing so that they can then be addressed. The models
provide an objective means to identify key challenges. (Japan)
Business excellence helps companies to address macro challenges at the
micro level. Therefore Category 2, Strategic Planning helps to address the
financial crisis, Category 4, People, helps to address cultural and social issues,
Category 5, Processes, helps to address legal requirements and international
standards, and Category 1.3, Leadership and social responsibility, helps to
address environmental issues. (Singapore)
Yes, business excellence helps companies to address these challenges via prompting them to
address such issues in their strategy. Business excellence is all encompassing (India)
The challenges are addressed through business excellence as it provides a strategic framework for
addressing them. Through its emphasis on benchmarking it encourages best practices to be found
to help companies to progress (Thailand)

7. Which business excellence support services
that are not currently provided (or which
need to enhanced) would be of tremendous
benefit to companies?
• Not a well structured and coordinated benchmarking/best
practice sharing activity. Requires a central body - at the moment
it is just left to individual companies (Singapore)
• Require best practice examples that are both business excellence
category and industry specific (Japan)
• Benchmarking data and services are required (India)
• We want a website for knowledge sharing (India)
• National benchmarking (Thailand)
• Need to have a forum for sharing business excellence knowledge/
lessons learned/ best practices from all award winners (Taiwan)

8. The 2009/2010 APO study showed that a significantly greater proportion of award
winners used the tools shaded in yellow than non-award winners. These tools included
Knowledge Management and Benchmarking – both essential for effective best practice
learning and implementation.
Measurement,
Leadership Strategy Customer Workforce Operations Analysis &
Planning Focus focus Focus Knowledge
Management
Corporate Social Enterprise Risk Service & Employee Supply Chain Knowledge
Responsibility Management & Product Engagement Management Management
Programme Business Innovation Survey
Continuity Essential for best practice
Management learning & implementation
Corporate Customer Employee Lean
Governance Balanced Relationship Performance Benchmarking
Progressing
Management Scorecard Management Management
Customer Quality Business
Leadership Strategic Suggestion Excellence Self
Alliances Satisfaction Management
Development Survey Scheme Systems Assessment
Programme
Action Plan Service Training & Improvement Performance
Succession ( Resources, Measurement
Planning Standards Development Teams
Financial, HR)
Information
Management By SWOT Analysis Customer Employee Plan-Do-Check-Action Collection
Walking About Segmentation Induction (PDCA) Cycle & Analysis
(MBWA)
Strategy Process
Communication
Starting
Vision, Plan Market Recruitment & Mapping &
(Objectives/ Research Selection Platforms for
Mission and Documentation 8
goals) Staff
Values
& Non-Staff

9. return of
>$250,000
for 20% of
respondents
return of
<$10,000
for 28% of
respondents

10. Why do some projects fail?
• 25% had received no training in benchmarking
• 30% do not use a benchmarking methodology
• 30% do not develop a project plan e.g. poorly defined
aims, stakeholders not identified etc.
• 35% do not undertake a cost/benefit analysis

11. There needs to be a greater awareness and
understanding of benchmarking
Benchmarks showing the performance levels of other
organisations do not help other organisations to
understand what practices or innovations they need to
implement to improve.

12. Best practices. There is no point in
identifying “best practices” if they are
not going to be implemented
12

13. There are many types of
benchmarking services that can be provided
Assessment
Facilitated Benchmarking
obtaining ideas and best practices -
benchmarking surveys
surveys (not facilitated)
Awareness of
benchmarking
Best practice Benchmarking
Improvement
seminars
benchmarking certification
1-day
training – 2 days
Desk-top
Partnering Benchmarking
Best practice Best practice
sharing visits Benchmarking
workshops conferences
Consortium Benchmarking Benchmarking
-
studies clubs websites

14. Recommendation One –
There is a need for Professional Benchmarking
- Certified training providers
- Certified trainees
- Institute for benchmarking professionals

15. Recommendation Two –
We need to review how we can use technology
more effectively for benchmarking purposes
Years to reach 50 million users:
38 years
13 years
4 years
9 months to reach 100 million..

16. Informatics – how information is
managed – is the No1 technology issue
that needs to be solved
“The quantity of information now available is
unprecedented in human history, and the rate of information
generation continues to grow exponentially. Yet, the sheer
volume of information is in danger of creating more noise
than value, and as a result limiting its effective use.
Innovations in how information is organized, mined and
processed hold the key to filtering out the noise and using
the growing wealth of global information to address
emerging challenges”
Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies,
Global Agenda Summit 2011 in Abu Dhabi

17. Benchmarking websites can play a key part in sorting
through the noise and providing reliable and relevant
benchmark data and best practices to organisations.

18. The BPIR.com has databases rich with information that
can be searched by business excellence model criteria

19. However, users are now moving away from static information and
demanding instant answers through networking

20. Websites today and in the future need to facilitate best
practice sharing – e.g. Enable organisations to upload
their best practices as a text file, photo or video

21. Concluding Statements

22. The world is getting smaller...
Faster communication...
Faster travel...
People are becoming more global than national
More and more benchmarking will be undertaken at a national level.
Global competitiveness index, Quality of Life Index, Control of
Corruption, Political Stability, Government Effectiveness, Customer
Service in the Public Sector, Ease of Doing Business, Registering
Property, Obtaining Construction Permits, Paying Taxes.

23. Through benchmarking…
Rank Xerox took 8 years to
become world class in the 1980’s
Boeing Aerospace Support
took 3 years to become world class
2000 to 2003

24. Benchmarking can play a key part in addressing
today’s and tomorrow’s great challenges
poverty, pollution,
global warming,
terrorism, diseases,
aging population,
fraud…..
But…
We need to benchmarking effectively

25. Final message from Dr Robert Camp
– the father of benchmarking
Best practice pursuit through benchmarking is:
• A strategic strength when practiced
• A fatal weakness if not pursued
• A critical tool for how you run your organization