HIMA 410: Informatics and Analytics - Using Benchmarking for Performance Improvement. American Public University

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Using Benchmarking for Performance Improvement Benchmarking is the process of improving performance by continuously identifying and adapting outstanding practices. Successful benchmarking results ... in improvements to quality and productivity as well as positive financial outcomes. For example, in a study conducted by the American Productivity and Quality Center in 1995, more than 30 organizations reported an average $76 million first-year payback from their most successful benchmarking project. In addition, benchmarking promotes a “learning culture,” which is key to continuous long-term quality improvement and competitiveness. Successful benchmarking organizations are continually looking for new ideas. They adopt the most useful new ideas and meet and beat the best performance they can find. Organizations with little experience in benchmarking often discover the best performance benchmark but stop short of discovering how the best performance was achieved. Additionally, they may start their benchmarking efforts by looking at external benchmarks while overlooking successful internal benchmarks that already exist. Further, inexperienced benchmarking organizations often fail to measure the project’s effects in terms of its costs and benefits. Successful Benchmarking The prospect of benchmarking can be overwhelming. It is important, therefore, to tackle benchmarking one step at a time. Benchmarking departments can add millions to a company’s bottom line when each becomes the best in just one category. In order to benchmark successfully: 1. Select a process to benchmark. Know specifically what your department’s problems are and clearly define what you intend to study and accomplish. Choose relevant measurements. 2. Study performance-boosting best practices. Talk to colleagues inside your organization. Another department within your own facility may be using a process that your department can adapt. Next, talk to colleagues outside your organization. Participate in AHIMA’s Communities of Practice and appropriate listservs. Conduct a literature search and attend educational programs to learn about best practices. Do not confine your search to your own industry—there may be comparable processes in an entirely different industry from which you can learn. Develop a questionnaire to guide telephone interviews and on-site visits. [Show More]

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