100101000111011010000010100010010101101011101DMDM126392001BookofNumbers-ExecutiveSummaryHG-121PDFforDebra3/26/0111:25AMPage2Theconceptthat“theInternetwillchangeeverything”hasbeentalkedaboutsomuchthatitnolongershocksorintriguespeople.However,mostseniorexecutivesworrynotonlyabouthowtoharnesstheInternet’spower,butmoreimportantly,howthecompetitionisgoingtoleveragethatpower—andatwhatpace?Ifthere’sonethingtheInternethasn’tchanged,itisthefactthatinturbulenttimes,bestpracticesbenchmarkingremainsaproventechniquethatenablesyoutoquickly“steal”theideasthatareconsistentlyfuelingexcellenceatworld-classcompanies.AcriticalmessageofHackettBenchmarking&Research’s2001BookofNumbers–ExecutiveSummaryisthatfundamental,so-called“oldeconomy”bestpracticesaremorerelevanttodaythanever.Ourfindingsdemonstrateconclusivelythatleadingcompaniesdeploybestpracticesacrossalldimensions:people,processesandtechnology.Astechnologybecomesincreasinglyembeddedineveryaspectofbusiness,andasthepivotalfocusinbusinessrelationshipstiltstowardthecustomer,overcomingorganizationalandculturalchallengestoexcellencewillbeimpossiblewithoutbroadandquickimplementationofbestpractices.Withbestpracticesevolvingfasterthanatanytimeinrecenthistory,HackettBenchmarking&Researchhasbeenactivelyaddressingwaystoensurethatourcomprehensivebestpracticestudiesremainaneffectivetoolforboththe“old”and“new”economy.Belowarejustsomeofthechangesweareoffering:Bestpracticesandmetrics:Updatedquestionsaddressingemergingbestpractices.HackettValueGridSM:Providesinsightandfocustoaidinprioritizingactionplansforimprovingefficiency(costandproductivity)andoperationaleffectiveness(qualityandvalue).TheHackettValueGridSMusesarobustmultidimensionalscorecardincorporatingmetricsfromourcomprehensivesurveyquestions.Onlinebenchmarkingcapabilities:Aneasy-to-use,Web-baseddatacollectionandanalysistool,includingbestpracticesbyprocess.Designedtohelpexecutivesquicklydiagnosespecificoperationalproblemsorspotvalue-addingopportunitiesbycomparingtheirperformancetothatofleadingcompanies.TheHackettHighway®—Yourroadtobestpractices(www.hacketthighway.com):Updatedwithnewfeaturessuchascurrentarticleabstractsrelatingtobestpractices,culledfromover7,500business-mediasources,plusbestpracticescasestudiesdevelopedbyworld-classcompanies.(Maintainedasanonlineresourceforbenchmarkparticipants.)Newstudyofstrategicdecision-making:Addressesperformancemetricsandbestpracticescriticaltooptimizingthevelocityandthequalityofdecision-makinginarapidlychangingworld.Weproudlyofferour2001BookofNumbers–ExecutiveSummaryasanobjectiveportraitofemergingtrendsaswellasanupdatedsamplingofbestpracticesandmetrics.Wehopeyou’llfinditusefulinunderstandingnotonlywhatsuccessfulcompaniesaredoingright,butalsohowtheyareachievingtheirperformanceobjectives.Sinceexchanginginformationandideasaboutbestpracticesisacriticalfirststepindrivingchange,weencourageyoutosharetheselearningswithyourcolleagues.Adownloadableversionofthe2001BookofNumbers–ExecutiveSummaryisavailableatwww.answerthink.com/hackett.FOREWORDHG-121PDFforDebra3/26/0111:25AMPage312001BestPracticesLearnings..............................................2Cross-FunctionalBestPracticeTrendsandWorld-ClassMetrics....4FunctionalPerspectivesInformationTechnology..................................................6Finance............................................
