EFQM Benchmarking

In this article we will focus on the comparison of EFQM processes, products or services and explore how the EFQM Model can be used to facilitate benchmarking opportunities with other organisations.

Why Benchmarking?

The main purpose of a benchmarking exercise is to identify where there are differences, to explore the reasons behind the differences and then to implement improvements.

Benefits of EFQM Benchmarking

One of the benefits of conducting a benchmarking exercise with another organisation that is also familiar with using the EFQM Model is that both parties find they share a common language.

This makes communication much easier, even if the organisations are completely different. For example, at EFQM we often receive requests to help an organisation connect with other organisations that perform well under a specific criterion part of the EFQM Model.

We will now look a little deeper into this possibility.

Your task

Think carefully about how you attract, engage, develop and retain the people who work for your organisation. Make a list of some of the things that your organisation does that would fall under this heading.

Please download the file Benchmarking criterion 3.2. Transfer your list of ideas from above to the first column of the table (approach). Next you can add some information about how each approach has been deployed in your organisation. You can also state whether there is any evidence of assessment and refinement.

The final two columns provide space for you to say what you think is good about the approach, deployment or assessment and refinement. You can also add your thoughts about what could be improved.

Once you have filled in the first table, move on to the second page. This is where you can think about how benchmarking could help you.

• From the list of potential improvements, which would be your priority?
• What would you want to learn from others?
• Who does this really well?
• Who might be a suitable benchmarking partner organisation?