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A
properly planned benchmarking study can be
an invaluable tool for fleet managers who
need to understand, quantify, and articulate
the strengths and weaknesses of their
operation. Mercury consultants have
performed many such studies, both as
standalone services and in conjunction with
comprehensive strategic analyses.
Armed with solid benchmarking information
developed by Mercury, fleet managers can: |
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 A
benchmark is only a point of reference from
which measurements are made. Its value stems
from what it reveals about how well or how
poorly an organization is performing, and
from the actions that its findings prompt
the organization to take.
Mercury’s experience has shown that
comparisons of performance with “peer”
organizations have limited value, because
every organization has its own unique data
capture and measurement techniques.
Comparing your performance with published
industry statistics is not an effective
method of benchmarking for your organization
either. Except in certain homogeneous
markets such as public transportation that
have developed reliable benchmarking
figures, these statistics should only be a
point of departure for discussion. They can
do little to help your organization
understand its own performance levels.
We have found that the most meaningful
benchmarks are internal performance
statistics whose calculation can be
standardized and updated regularly over
time. Internally collected statistics
eliminate the distortion from outside data
collection and take into account the
practices and conditions that are unique to
each organization. Over time, benchmarks of
this type will reveal whether performance is
improving, deteriorating, or holding steady.
In a benchmarking engagement, Mercury’s
consultants can help you define the specific
objectives of all parts of the operation,
develop the appropriate benchmarks for each
area, help you to understand those
benchmarks, and produce well-informed
recommendations for improvement. |
