Benchmarking

Engineering            

Managed process assessment for an engineering and construction firm.  Assignment was integrated with technology review and involved mapping process inconsistencies across a nationwide firm with over a dozen offices and numerous job sites.  Assignment resulted in a complete review of company’s business practices, management structure, and performance measurement system.

Engineering             

Managed technology assessment for engineering and construction firm.  Assignment was first phase of long-range effort to restructure both business processes and technologies for designer and constructor of highways, tunnels, bridges, and civil infrastructures.  Findings resulted in major program by Client to redefine basic business processes, particularly project management, and to make proactive investments in specific enabling technologies.  Effort also involved an industry-wide benchmark of process and technology usage that was sponsored by the AEC/Systems Conference.

Computer System            

Managed concept and product specification for new low-end fault-tolerant computer system.  Assignment produced new product specification while simultaneously introducing new product development process based on competitive benchmarking and Quality Function Deployment.  Client team members were taken to various remote locations for competitive product tear-downs and mechanical packaging brainstorming.  From these benchmarks and a Customer Survey activity, extended House of Quality was developed defining key product characteristics and performance metrics.

Engineering            

Managed the A/E/C Systems sponsored industry-wide benchmarking study on business process and technology usage by AEC firms.  This assignment involved detailed investigation into over two dozen engineering and construction firms, as well as, over a dozen “best practice” non-AEC organizations.  Results have been presented at several A/E/C conferences and used for a number of AEC strategy workshops with specific companies.

Consumer Goods             

Conducted extensive product benchmarking for silver-halide based photographic product.  Benchmarking included evaluation of competitive offerings, as well as, product tear-downs of alternative product features.  Assignment resulted in several patentable product concepts delivered to.

Computer System          

Managed computer system benchmarking for mid-range computer manufacturer.  Assignment involved one of the most extensive system evaluations in the industry.  Scope included mid-range high-reliability systems, “cluster” systems, and distributed processing systems.  Assignment was used to drive new product line strategy through year 2000.