Unit 1 assignment

Benchmarking provides opportunities to learn of and use industry “best practices” to increase competitiveness, while improving quality, cost, and delivery. Innovative organizations use benchmarking to compare their processes to other organizational processes, sometimes competitors. An effective benchmarking program can improve any company’s performance. Watch this one-minute video (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for a quick definition and examples of benchmarking.

Most organizations have several “out of the box” thinking people, sometimes called “change agents,” and/or network with other organizations that agree to share best practices. When visiting other organizations, they view processes to determine if they could be used to improve or modify their processes.

Benchmarking works both ways. Organizations not only visit other organizations, but they also host visiting organizations. Effective benchmarking enables industry leaders to gain exposure and sometimes more customers by allowing other organizations to conduct benchmarking activities. Most organizations required “nondisclosure agreements” so those visiting and viewing their processes don’t disclose proprietary information.

Instructions:

Assume you work in a clinic. You have noticed a bottleneck in the flow of patients. On many days, there are not enough seats for waiting patients. The “take a number” isn’t working. You know there must be a reason for the delays that have worsened over the last 12 months. You seize the opportunity and ask the office manager to let you conduct a benchmarking trip to a clinic where you have been a patient. Your office manager approves your trip. Now you need to set up the benchmarking trip, conduct the visit, and develop a benchmarking report.

Download the benchmarking template. Identify the possible reasons for the bottleneck/delays at your clinic. Assume you have visited another clinic that doesn’t have the bottleneck/delays. Complete a benchmarking report using the template. If you use outside resources or your textbook, provide citations using APA style.

Your benchmarking report should include each of the following:

• Benchmarking Topic
• Action Required
• Improvement Opportunities (minimum 2)
• Recommendation Summary
• Benchmarking Employee(s) Name: