APQC Shows Members How to Save Money, Time with PowerMARQ Metrics; New Performance Measurement Database Helps Identify Improvement Opportunities.Business Editors HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2003 On Sept. 9, 2003, the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC APQC American Productivity & Quality Center ) launches PowerMARQ(TM), a fast and reliable source of key quantitative measures and metrics metrics Managed care A popular term for standards by which the quality of a product, service, or outcome of a particular form of Pt management is evaluated. See TQM. that organizations can use to identify performance gaps. PowerMARQ is a new performance measurement database that organizations can use to identify commonly used measures, assess performance against others and improve performance and efficiency by increasing productivity, decreasing costs and improving cycle time. More than 200 PowerMARQ metrics are available in the following functional areas: accounting, facilities management The management of a user's computer installation by an outside organization. All operations including systems, programming and the datacenter can be performed by the facilities management organization on the user's premises. , human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. , information technology and knowledge management. PowerMARQ compiles the measures of core business processes within each of these functions in terms of cost, staff productivity, process efficiency and cycle time. Using PowerMARQ, organizations now have access to the specific measures that leading companies use to measure process performance. In addition to commonly used measures, PowerMARQ offers users the ability to input their organization's data and assess performance using more than 200 process metrics. Organizations can then benchmark their own operations against best-in-class performers. For example, top performers spend $2.98 to process an invoice, whereas the median expenditure is $5.31 per invoice. One organization that has already benefited from APQC's metric solution is the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS DFAS Defense Finance & Accounting Service (US DoD) DFAS Decorative and Fine Arts Society (The Hague, Holland) DFAS Dark Field Alignment System DFAS Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ), which wanted to compare its accounting business line performance to that of organizations with a similar operating profile and to private sector organizations. APQC benchmarked DFAS' accounting performance to organizations in the PowerMARQ database and provided DFAS with a report that identified opportunities for improvement. "Clients ask us how their performance compares in specific process areas to other organizations," said APQC Manager Chris Gardner Christopher Paul Gardner (born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a self-made millionaire, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and philanthropist who, during the early 1980s, struggled with homelessness while raising his toddler son, Christopher, Jr. . "For instance, the median chemicals/allied products company spends $4.90 per invoice processed. APQC can compare a chemical/allied products organization's performance to this median expenditure and to the top performers' expenditure to identify improvement opportunities." This valuable information is available to APQC members as part of the membership package. Nonmembers can purchase access to the PowerMARQ database. Participating organizations that contribute their own organizational data to the database will receive a customized PowerMARQ report within two weeks. All metrics within PowerMARQ have been validated val·i·date tr.v. val·i·dat·ed, val·i·dat·ing, val·i·dates 1. To declare or make legally valid. 2. To mark with an indication of official sanction. 3. , normalized and blinded. Updated regularly, the PowerMARQ database compiles quantitative comparative data from Fortune 1000 companies across a variety of industries. American Productivity & Quality Center A recognized leader in benchmarking, knowledge management, measurement and quality programs, APQC helps organizations adapt to rapidly changing environments, build new and better ways to work and succeed in a competitive marketplace. For the past 25 years, APQC has been identifying best practices, discovering effective methods of improvement, broadly disseminating dis·sem·i·nate v. dis·sem·i·nat·ed, dis·sem·i·nat·ing, dis·sem·i·nates v.tr. 1. To scatter widely, as in sowing seed. 2. findings and connecting individuals with one another and with the knowledge, training and tools they need to succeed. APQC is a member-based nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. serving approximately 500 organizations around the world in all sectors of business, education and government. APQC is also a proud winner of the 2003 North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) award. Learn more about APQC by visiting www.apqc.org or calling 800-776-9676 or 713-681-4020. |
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