Validating a Best Practice: A Tool for Improvement and Benchmarking

Sharing Best Practices across industries and functions is an accepted approach to continuous improvement. The Benchmarking trend of the 1990s has evolved with the help of competitive analysis, performance excellence awards, and other corporate recognition programs into an ongoing documentation of what works. Bob Camp introduced benchmarking against a Best Practice based on his work at Xerox in the 1980s. Case studies abound documenting Best Practice functions and processes. Some case studies use the words “Best Practice” without evidence that the process, results, or methods are, indeed, superior. What is missing is a comprehensive model for assessing and writing a Best Practice that provides sufficient information to use as an effective benchmark. This book provides that comprehensive model.

Today’s consumers expect products and services to be of high quality, reliable, and user-friendly. This is the result of years of continuous improvement and innovation by producers. Although many organizations strive for excellent results, there is still room for improvement. Unfortunately, leaders don’t always have methods and tools to measure or assess that degree of excellence. If leaders could use a tool to discover how good their approaches and methods are, and how excellent their achieved results are, they could plan further improvements. The goal is to achieve excellent results. The tool described in this book guides leaders to achieve that excellence.

Yves Van Nuland, PhD

After his studies of PhD Chemistry at the University of Leuven (Belgium) (1977), Yves worked at the Belgian FDA (1978). Next, he was laboratory and quality manager at PRB (chemical industry) (1979-1988) and quality manager at UCB Chemicals in Brussels (1989-1994). As a self-employed consultant-trainer, he gives support to his customers on subjects like excellence models (EFQM and MBA), Business Process Management, KPI’s and company culture. He is coauthor and editor of the book Excellent: A Guide for the Implementation of the EFQM Excellence Model.

Grace L. Duffy, President Management and Performance Systems

Grace provides services in organizational and process improvement, leadership, quality, customer service and teamwork. She designs and implements effective systems for business and management success. She is author of The Quality Improvement Handbook, The Executive Guide to Improvement and Change, Executive Focus: Your Life and Career, The Public Health Quality Improvement Handbook, QFD and Lean Six Sigma for Public Health, Modular kaizen: Dealing with Disruption, Tools and Applications for Starting and Sustaining Healthy Teams, The Encyclopedia of Quality Tools, The Quality Improvement Pocket Guide, and Modular Kaizen: Continuous and Breakthrough Improvement.

Ms. Duffy has over 40 years experience in successful business and process management in corporate, government, education, healthcare, not for profit, and small business. She is a recognized specialist in leadership and executive performance. Grace uses her experience as President, CEO and senior manager to assist organizations and individuals in performance excellence. She is a frequently requested keynote and conference speaker on organizational and professional performance. She is an active coach and mentor to senior leaders in large corporations as well as entrepreneurs, focusing on strategic alignment of individual skills to organizational outcomes.

Grace holds a Masters in Business Administration fromGeorgiaStateUniversityand a Bachelor’s in Archaeology and Anthropology fromBrighamYoungUniversity. She is an American Society for Quality (ASQ) Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence, Certified Quality Improvement Associate, and Certified Quality Auditor. Grace is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and Manager of Process Improvement. Grace is a member of ASTD, ISPI and ASQ. She is an ASQ Fellow and Past Vice President within the ASQ Office of the President and 2014 recipient of the ASQ Distinguished Service Medal.