Benchmarking: TQM Tool

Measure the work process

Improve the work process

• Increase customer satisfaction

• Increase efficiency

• Increase effectiveness

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Benchmarking is a total quality management tool. History of Deming - 1950s Japanese Management

So what is total quality? Brieflytomer satisfaction. Who are the library’s customers? 3 groups to think about (take questions from the librarians)
Library users/ clients- people who come into the library and use our resources and services. When we apply TQ, we have to think about what the customer wants. It requires the librarian to step into the customers shoes. Sometimes this can be really hard for us because as librarians we understand information and how to find it. Most of our customers don’t.

Library staff - how the staff feels affects their performance and the type of service they deliver
Upper management or whoever has ultimate control over your budget. These people need to receive certain things from the library in order to give it continued support.

Second, total quality focuses on work processes instead of the end product. Demings philosophy is based on the concept that if you improve the process your end product will improve as a consequence. Goal is to do do things better (improve the efficiency of the process) and do the right things (improve effectiveness of the process).

So how does all of this apply to Benchmarking? With benchmarking we will actually measure a work process or procedure in your library. The ultimate goal of measuring it is to improve the process to make it better meet the needs of customers (library users, library staff and upper management). To improve its efficiency and its effectiveness.