Whether
it is for further success or simple survival, any organisation
needs to constantly improve its performance. But how? For
many NZ organisations, any method that achieves such constant
improvement needs to be not only effective but also practical,
easy to use, and affordable. In 2000, to answer this question,
Dr Robin Mann at Massey University designed the first self-assessment
pack with the support of the New
Zealand Benchmarking Club members and the NZ business
Excellence Foundation. The design of this tool, Benchmarking
and Performance Excellence Self-Assessment (BPES)
is based on the Criteria for Performance Excellence (CPE,
otherwise known as the Malcom Baldrige Model), an internationally
recognised and proven effective methodology for assessing
organisational performance. To reflect the successful management
practice identified in high performing organisations, the
CPE is annually updated by the US Department of Commerce
– the government department responsible for the acclaimed
US Baldrige National Program and the Award. Accordingly,
the BPES is also updated every year to correspond to the
annual review of the CPE, and to be of specific help to
NZ organisations.
The BPES
is designed for use by all organisations whatever their
size, structure or industry type. To prove its versatility
and effectiveness, members of the NZ Benchmarking Club,
currently consisting of 18 prominent NZ organisations, has
been using this self-assessment on an annual basis as a
key tool for diagnosing its own state of operation and identifying
improvement opportunities, to a considerable success.
