Product and Service Outcomes Purpose Customer-Focused Results Purpose
44 2005 Criteria for Performance Excellence
operations, with the aim of improving your over- all operational performance.
Comments
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Your support processes are those that support your daily operations and your product and
service delivery but are not usually designed in detail with the products and services. The sup-
port process requirements usually do not de- pend significantly on product and service
characteristics. Support process design re- quirements usually depend significantly on
your internal requirements, and they must be coordinated and integrated to ensure efficient,
effective linkage and performance. Support processes might include finance and account-
ing, facilities management, legal services, human resource services, public relations, and
other administrative services.
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This Item calls for information on how your organization evaluates and improves the performance of
your key support processes and shares information with other organizational units to drive learning and innova-
tion. Four approaches frequently used are 1 process analysis and research, 2 benchmarking, 3 use of alter-
native technology, and 4 use of information from cus- tomers of the processes. Together, these approaches offer
a wide range of possibilities, including minor process modification and complete redesign “re-engineering” of
processes.
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Many types of analyses can be performed to ensure ade- quate financial resources are available to support current
operations and new business investments and to assess their financial risks. For current operations, these efforts
might include the analysis of cash flows, net income statements, and current liabilities versus current assets.
For business investments, the efforts might include analy- sis of discounted cash flows, return on investment ROI,
or return on invested capital ROIC. The specific types of analyses will vary from organization to organization.
These analyses should help your organization assess the financial viability of your current operations and the
potential viability of and risks associated with your new business initiatives.
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Efforts to ensure the continuity of operations in an emer- gency should consider all facets of a business that are
needed to provide products or services to customers. You should consider both your value creation and your key
support processes in your planning. The specific level of service that you will need to provide will be guided by
your type of business and your customers’ needs and re- quirements. For example, a public utility will likely have a
higher need for services than businesses that do not pro- vide an essential function. Your continuity of operations
efforts should also be coordinated with your efforts to ensure data and information availability Item 4.1 and
workplace preparedness Item 5.3.
Business Results Category 7
The Business Results Category provides a results focus that encompasses your objective evaluation and your customers’
evaluation of your organization’s products and services, your overall financial and market performance, your leadership
system and social responsibility results, and results of all key processes and process improvement activities. Through this
focus, the Criteria’s purposes—superior value of offerings as viewed by your customers and the marketplace; superior or-
ganizational performance as reflected in your operational, legal, ethical, and financial indicators; and organizational
and personal learning—are maintained. Category 7 thus provides “real-time” information measures of progress for
evaluation and improvement of processes, products, and services, in alignment with your overall organizational strat-
egy. Item 4.1 calls for analysis and review of business results data and information to determine your overall organiza-
tional performance and to set priorities for improvement.