BPI Technique - Company Baselining - CB

Description

The analysis of internal organizational data to understand the performance, goals and internal dynamics of the business.

When to Use

• Gathering and analyzing this type of information is important at several points throughout a BPI initiative. It can be used to:

• ”Awaken” a client to problems and issues they should confront (Case for Change);
• Understand information required to create a vision (Confirmed Business Vision);
• Focus on the areas of opportunity; and Assess/analyze “As-Is” processes (“As-Is” Process Assessment).

• The trade-off between spending additional time and resources to analyse company data in detail must always be weighed against the benefit of working with accurate baseline data.

Approach

This information can be gathered using several approaches.

• Research: performing literature searches, gathering internal documents, etc.
• Interviews: meeting with individuals or groups to gather information
• “Walk-throughs”: spending time in the operations locations to view the processes and question individuals

Once the information is gathered, it is put in a format that can be analyzed.

• Prepare for company baselining
• Before undertaking data collection, understand what is required to know and why it is needed to know, and then identify what information will fulfill those needs.
• Identify baseline objective(s)
• Identify information requirements

Collect the data

• Establish where the data will be collected, by whom and by what deadline.
• Identify what data are not available.

• Assess options: develop the data; identify alternative data; find another source.

Organize and analyze the information

• Organize the data to show results, prove theories or identify areas of further investigation. One approach is to answer the question: “How do we look at the data (i.e. compared to what)?”
• Draw preliminary (or final) conclusions from the information to complete the analysis. One approach is to answer the question: “What do these data tell us?”
• Summarize and confirm conclusions.

• Validate conclusions with the source of information (if appropriate)
• Summarize the data
• Present the results to senior management for approval, as required.

Guidelines

• Ensure that the amount of time spent on data collection and analysis is in line with the scope of the exercise. For example, organizations undertaking BPI have a tendency to spend too long analysing current performance. This analysis should be “just in time” and “just enough” to complete other deliverables.
• Baselining is not simply about compiling data. Set theories and hypothesis and draw conclusions, so that information gathered provides substance to the analysis.

Examples

Templates