Benchmarking

One of the primary activities of the SAABC comprises of firm-level benchmarking. Firm-level benchmarking is being increasingly viewed by the local auto industry, including the OEMs, as being crucial to establishing world class standards amongst local suppliers. In support of this, the SAABC programme has been endorsed by the local automotive associations. The SAABC offers the following benchmarking benefits for members:

• The objective assessment of relative competitiveness so as to identify opportunities for improvement through the application of proven practices, processes and experiences of other firms.
• The alignment of strategic goals and operational priorities to ultimately improve competitiveness, profitability, and sustainability.

The firm-level benchmarking activities continue every year. The benchmark findings at an aggregated level have also assisted key stakeholders to better understand the competitiveness position and challenges facing local suppliers. Importantly, the firm-level benchmarking exercise undertaken by firms is not an end-point in itself.

The benchmarking process represents an important continuous improvement mechanism intended to objectively inform management decisions on competitiveness and sustainability challenges. A presentation of the findings and recommendations are provided to executive management and, together with the implications, are ‘workshopped’ and discussed to ensure maximum benefit. The findings, conclusions and recommendations contained in the benchmarking report are considered to provide important inputs into the company’s strategic and operational decision-making processes.

The South African Automotive Benchmarking Club (SAABC) has, since its establishment, implemented a world-class benchmarking methodology that assists firms in understanding and improving their operational performance. The methodology has been continually updated and improved and most recently has expanded its scope to measure company performance holistically. Aligned with a focus on supporting and driving continuous improvement, the sustainability benchmarking methodology seeks to assist firms in understanding their performance against key sustainability metrics and allows firms to track their performance on an annualised basis while comparing themselves against peer organisations.

Based on the Triple Bottom Line concept, the customised sustainability benchmarking assessment is focused on providing member firms with a clear and holistic understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. The analysis undertaken is in relation to three crucial focus areas:

• Economic
• Social
• Environmental

In addition, the sustainability benchmarking approach provides insight into the ability of members to satisfy their customers and meet and exceed competitor performance levels.

The methodology analyses and considers key outcomes and related performance metrics for each focus area, as well as the linked and necessary practices and culture required at firms to ensure sustainability in a continually changing, developing and challenging global environment.

The sustainability benchmarking assessment process comprises several key components:

• Data gathering and verification
• Practices and culture valuation
• Customer survey
• Data processing and analysis
• Final report and major findings feedback

Firms interesting in finding out more or scheduling a Sustainability Benchmark can do so by contacting: admin@bmanalysts.com