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BENCHMARKS for BEST PRACTICES

According to The American Construction Industry Institute (CII) ''A CII Best Practice is a process or method that, when executed effectively, leads to enhanced project performance'' and presently there are 14 CII Best Practices which have been proven through extensive industry use and/or validation (Ref. CII Best Practices). The CII Best Practices (which are linked to the CII Products that support that Best Practice when clicked) are: Alignment, Benchmarking and Metrics, Change Management, Constructability, Design Effectiveness, Disputes Prevention & Resolution, Implementation of CII Research, Materials Management, Partnering, Planning for Startup, Pre-Project Planning, Quality Management, Team Building and Zero Accidents Techniques. ''The Knowledge Structure also contains Other Practices that provide process and methodologies for project improvement and Information Topics that reveal important CII research findings of value to industry.''

Ref. CII Website; info and links are added to The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN Website on 24.Jun.07

European Construction Institute (ECI)'s Benchmarking Steering Committee, as part of  the process of continuous improvement, regularly review best practice development and identify additional practices which can have a significant impact on project outcome. Documents produced by ECI providing summaries of the above Best Practices may be accessed through its Publications List.

Ref. ECI Website; info and links are added to The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN Website on 24.Jun.07

APQC (American Productivity & Quality Center) delivers Benchmarks and Best Practices in all industries;

- Data and Best Practices helps solve problems, improve processes, and design succesful programs,

- Process Classification Framework (PCF)  which may be downloaded provides a roadmap forward.

As stated in APQC's website ''Effective benchmarking requires common definitions and processes: Organizations need to make comparisons using standardized processes, definitions, and values.  APQC's Process Classification Framework PCF serves as a generic enterprise model that spans activities of enterprises from a process viewpoint. Built on the PCF, APQC and its advisory council developed  standardized measures for more than 1,200 processes found in organizations today. APQC's Knowledge Base contains a wealth of information across all process areas. Among the articles, frameworks, and best practices, you will find APQC publications that include books, reports, and case studies on Performance Improvement, Measurement, Customer Focused, Supply Chain Management, Product Development, Sales & Marketing,  EH&S, Knowledge Management, Information Management, Finance&Accounting, Education K16, External Relationships,  Organization & Management, People Management, HR and Operations.''

Ref. APQC Website; info and links are added to The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN Website on 24.Jun.07

EFQM, a not-for-profit membership foundation, is the primary source for organisations in Europe looking to excel in their market and in their business. EFQM describes Excellence as the ''outstanding practice in managing the organization and achieving results'' and the following are just some examples of what you can find in EFQM Website;

- Fundamental Concepts: ''Being Excellent requires total leadership commitment and acceptance of the Fundamental Concepts, a set of principles on which the organisation bases its behaviours, activities and initiatives. When the organisation turns them into practice it opens the access to Sustainable Excellence''.

- EFQM Excellence model: ''To help guide an organisation to improve its performance, EFQM created the EFQM Excellence Model'',

- Frameworks: ''In 2003 EFQM developed a set of Frameworks (CSR, Risk Management, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Managing External Resources) to respond to the needs of organisations that were seeking to concentrate their improvements on specific segments of their management system''.

- Excellence One is a comprehensive, online knowledge base for Performance Excellence.The learning platform gives access to learning sets, best management practices and other networking opportunities free of charge to EFQM members.

- Best Practice Insights : ''Benchmarking is a powerful tool in the quest for continuous improvement and performance breakthroughs.

Best Practice Insights are documentations of the role model approaches to excellence that have been implemented in EFQM Excellence Award Winning organisations or organisations that have reached the level of finalist''.

Ref. EFQM Website; info and links are added to The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN Website on 24.Jun.07

There are many other resources on the internet which are easily accessible, but The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN strongly recommends reference to the approaches, practices and the results of the Leading Construction Companies which may be taken as models and benchmarks, and therefore provided links and data (as applicable) through the pages listed on the left column for the convenience of those willing to refer to those information. The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN wishes to refer to JACOBS'  BUSINESS MODEL as a very good example of what can be learned from others;

''The success of a company’s business model can be measured in many ways; sustained growth is one very telling yardstick. Our net income has grown substantially since 1988, as evidenced by the growth curve below. Our ability to grow our business stems from a combination of merger/acquisition activity plus continued improvement of our market share in the diversified sectors we serve. The business we operate in is very fragmented; no one competitor has significant market share. Through our strategic diversification, we believe our long-stated growth objective of 15 percent per year at the bottom line is quite realistic.

We attribute this successful growth and expansion to our unique business model—a relationship-based approach with approximately 65 percent of our work derived from long-term relationships. This differs dramatically from the conventional industry model that relies heavily on discrete and transactional projects, as shown in the chart below. Working in tandem with our clients rather than as adversaries, our relationship model supports their continued growth, improved profitability, and market advantage in brutally competitive industries. This in turn reinforces the value of our business model and ensures our continued growth and success. For us, consistent earnings growth, manageable risk, lower sales costs, and a more predictable revenue stream have resulted.......''

Ref. JACOBS Business Model; info and link added to The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN Website on 24.Jun.07

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Disclaimer : Please note that The CONTRACTORS BULLETIN does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy and correctness of  the data provided as benchmarks for those involved/interested in the construction sector and therefore assumes no responsibility for any reason as a consequence of use of the data as specified in the Indemnification Paragraph of the TERMS of USE. The visitors which intend to use the data are requested to check the information directly through the related parties.

Notice : The visitors are also kindly requested to refer to the NOTICE at the Bottom of the Left Column regarding the information provided.

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