Graham Francis

Best practice benchmarking in the UK

Reflects on a three‐year project examining the evolving nature of “best practice” benchmarking in UK‐based organisations. The findings describe the current state of benchmarking and some of its advantages across a wide variety of public and private sector organisations. Also investigates the disincentives to benchmarking activity experienced by practising benchmarkers, as well as the factors which inhibit the initial take‐up of this technique. In addition, the notion that a maturity curve exists for organisations engaged in benchmarking is explored.

The benchmarking of airport performance

This paper examines how benchmarking is being used by airport managers as a means of internal performance comparison and improvement. Drawing on interviews with airport managers and a questionnaire survey of the worlds top 200 busiest passenger airports, the paper discusses the nature, prevalence and consequences of current benchmarking practices in airports. The authors also include a review of the literature on airport benchmarking and a discussion of the characteristics and relevance of Best Practice Benchmarking.

The evolution of benchmarking in UK local authorities

Explores issues surrounding the recent evolution of benchmarking in the UK public sector with particular regard to local authorities. Argues that what is being done in the name of benchmarking in UK local authorities is fundamentally different to the current understanding of benchmarking practice in the private sector. Despite these differences, and somewhat ironically, the development of benchmarking in the public sector pre‐dates its popularity in the private sector. In the public sector, benchmarking is frequently in response to central government requirements, or is used for defensive reasons rather than striving for performance gains. These themes are captured in two new benchmarking typologies: compulsory and voluntary models of benchmarking. Concludes that: the reasons for benchmarking in the public sector are confused; pressures for accountability in the public sector may militate against real performance improvement; and an appropriate balance between the use of benchmarking for control and improvement purposes is yet to be achieved.

A vehicle for change?: A case study of performance improvement in the “new” public sector

This paper critiques the notion that a single approach to performance improvement can alone be responsible for significant organisational transformation. We draw on phenomenological case study evidence, placed in the context of an ongoing series of studies of the nature and prevalence of best practice benchmarking in the UK, including large‐scale questionnaire surveys and longitudinal case studies of the rich experiences of a number of practitioners and organisations. We argue that complex approaches to performance improvement such as benchmarking, however technically powerful they may be, are only as effective as the people who apply them and their compatibility with the organisational context in which they are used. The contribution of such methods is often difficult to separate from other variables. In addition to internal organisational characteristics, external contextual factors play an important part both in establishing a need to use such approaches, and encouraging commitment to their use. Some of the clearest examples of the distortion of the potential impact of new management practices by the wider policy context can be found in public services such as the National Health Service, from which examples are drawn in this paper.

Benchmarking as a Tool for the Modernisation of Local Government

This paper examines benchmarking as a tool of the modernisation process in local government and the contradictory tensions in the Best Value scheme are explored. Benchmarking is shown to encapsulate the dichotomous nature of a modernising philosophy which espouses innovation and local solutions alongside the government’s centralising tendencies. One consequence is the advancement of ‘compulsory’ and ‘defensive’ modes of benchmarking with local authorities benchmarking for external accountability reasons; issues of tangible improvement are secondary concerns. These tensions are viewed as irreconcilable, the implication is that local government will need to carefully manage and evaluate its benchmarking activities.

BEST PRACTICE BENCHMARKING: A ROUTE TO COMPETITIVENESS

This paper examines the use of best practice benchmarking as an approach to performance improvement in the airline industry. The case study draws upon phenomenological evidence from the aircraft maintenance section of Britannia Airways. A range of benchmarking issues, which could be applied to different divisions of an airline are highlighted. In particular, inter disciplinary team building, employee involvement, relationships with other industry players and identification of `best in class. Airline alliances and the global trend towards economically deregulated air transport are identified as factors likely to increase the adoption of benchmarking as a route to competitiveness.

Airport Regulation: Reflecting on the Lessons from BAA plc

This article discusses the implications of airport privatization and regulation with reference to the case of BAA plc. It concludes that regulation should be implemented in a coordinated manner which is consistent with wider policy goals and which respects the outcomes for all stakeholders. The need for countries to have a strategic airports policy to guide development towards national economic and environmental goals is highlighted. The implications of the regulation of BAA to protect public interest is both timely and topical given that the next government airports policy is due to be released in 2002 and current plans for the privatization of air traffic control. Regulation may be the only policy lever to shape a privatized and commercialised airport system and its role within a wider integrated transport strategy.

Beyond comparisons the role for the operational researcher in benchmarking

This paper explores the possible roles for the operational researcher in best practice benchmarking. It describes the range of activities which are carried out in the name of benchmarking, locates this approach in the broader context of performance improvement, and notes some critical concerns including the need to adopt a contingency approach to performance improvement. The paper concludes by encouraging operational researchers to contribute their professional skills to enhance the effectiveness of benchmarking.