Promoting Business Excellence… PROBE

The research work carried out by the Centre for Operations and Technology Management has led to the development of major international databases of practice and performance in manufacturing, engineering and service. In addition, over the course of these projects, skills have been developed in the design of research questionnaires that can be adapted for use by companies for internal self-assessment and benchmarking.

One such product is...
   
PROBE ... for PROmoting Business Excellence
   
PROBE is set of four diagnostic tools that enable organisations to evaluate, compare and improve their performance and practices. One of these, Service Probe based on the results of the International Service Study looks at the components of world-class excellence in the services industry:

  • Business leadership

  • Service processes

  • People

  • Performance management

  • Results

The process is facilitated self-assessment. Companies receive a briefing pack and a self-assessment booklet, guidelines for completion and information on how to set up a multi-function, multi-level team. The team-based assessment takes approximately half a day and enables companies to analyse areas such as organisation and culture, quality, cycle times, plant and equipment, and logistics. A trained facilitator visits the site and meets with the team, processes and analyses the results and provides feedback on the findings. The output includes positioning of the site on a practice performance graph against the full sample and its industry, analysis of the major gap areas in practice and performance, and an outline positioning. Agendas for improvement action are then developed.
 
For further information on PROBE contact  Mindy Wilson at the Confederation of British Industry                   
Telephone:       +44 (0)20 7395 8190
Email:                benchmarking@cbi.org.uk
  
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE STUDY

The same methodology used in PROBE is employed in the current International Service Study. The international database presently includes about 250 organisations. The service is not offered commercially at the moment, but all participants in the service study receive the same feedback that can enable them to position themselves against international best practice and to target improvement areas.
 
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Promoting Business Excellence