Benchmarking - Carol J. McNair

Praise for Benchmarking "Benchmarking provides a practical, hands–on approach by a team that has been there." ?Susan Anderson–Khleif, Group Education Manager, Digital Equipment Corporation "Benchmarking continuously focuses on developing meaningful action plans to become ?Best–in–Class? in your business." ?Rolf E. Soderstrom, Corporate Vice–President, Motorola, Inc. Praised as the most effective, thorough book on the subject today, Benchmarking shows you how to benchmark every aspect of your business, from new product development to operations and "back office" functions. You?ll see how to use benchmarking successfully to achieve a competitive edge, target specific areas for maximum results, and further continuous improvement goals. Seasoned advice from the authors covers such topics as:

• Creating value from the customer?s perspective
• How to develop both qualitative and quantitative benchmarks
• How to identify key performance drivers
• Realizing the most effective methods for implementing and managing a benchmarking initiative

Numerous examples from companies such as Avon Products, AT&T, and Janssen Pharmaceutica are included to illustrate the power and diversity of successful benchmarking initiatives.

C. J. McNAIR is a professor of accounting at Babson College, Massachusetts, and author of Beyond the Bottom Line and Crossroads : A JIT Success Story. She lectures extensively on accounting and manufacturing topics for associations such as the National Association of Accountants, the Financial Executives Institute, and the American Production and Inventory Control Society, and also consults for such companies as Digital, Polaroid, and Caterpillar. KATE LEIBFRIED is the Managing Associate responsible for the Coopers & Lybrand International Benchmarking Center of Excellence. Since 1987 she has managed numerous benchmarking engagements for companies such as AT&T, Avon, United Technologies–Carrier, Equitable, Janssen Pharmaceutica, and Philip Morris. She has also developed and conducted benchmark training for a number of companies, associations and educational institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia.