Marian Huczek Benchmarking in library management improvement process
	The Institute of Librarianship and Scientific Information University of Silesia
	This article was translated thanks to the grant received from the Open Society Institute

Benchmarking in one of the newer methods of management applied and practised nowadays at various institutions. When implemented at libraries, this method consists of three elements:

• selecting an institution to be set as an example (often a competing one);
• comparing own institution with the leader;
• setting a desired standard and making necessary adjustments.

The institution described as an example is an organisation whose performance and results are superior to own (analysed) institution. It is important that, during analysis, methods used for achieving the best results be studied, rather than patterns copied.^[1] Benchmarking, when applied at libraries, seems to be a good quality improvement tool. The method of measuring the performance results of own institution against those of the leader's makes it possible for the library to set the highest standards, assure effectiveness and, later on, adequate profits. The acquired know-how facilitates further development of the library.

The main goals of benchmarking at libraries are:

• analysis the library's strengths and weaknesses one can easily pinpoint the dos and don'ts , what to change and what to leave unchanged;
• development of employees skills and expertise the method of comparing against the leader prompts an interest in the process of continuing education;
• change in employees interests;
• change in library's function and practises i.e. management s focuses on developing a marketing orientation at a library.

According to the literature on the subject of marketing, one can list three types of benchmarking - inside benchmarking, competition-oriented and functional benchmarking.^[2] Inside benchmarking covers the comparisons and analysis of methods, statistics, etc., at own institution. Also, the comparison of certain details, placement, profit centres, cost, divisions and positions. Competition-oriented benchmarking refers to the analysis of services, results, processes and their influence on customers. Functional benchmarking is the analysis and comparison of the work process, work performance and results at institutions that are not in competition for the same market.

Table 1 presents advantages and disadvantages of all kinds of benchmarking.

Kinds of benchmarking	Advantages	Disadvantages
Inside benchmarking (within an organisation)	easy access to information good results	tunnel vision bias within the organisation
Competition-oriented benchmarking	gathering pertinent information parallels in the context of services/products/processes high acceptance level on the part of the staff definition of the level in relation to competition	problems with access to data danger of duplication of trade practices
Functional benchmarking (relating to organisations in other lines of business)	many possibilities of applying innovative solutions increased participation of staff in seeking out new ideas

Benchmarketing is a term of a very wide meaning. Organisations could be the subject of comparison as well as their structures, places of work, products, services etc. Benchmarking fields of interests are presented in the picture 1.

Picture 1. The objects of benchmarking

In order to perform at the highest level, one needs well-defined procedures.

Picture 2. The process of comparison against the leader

To choose an object of benchmarking, one needs to pick the object for analysis, define factors influencing successful performance, pinpoint potential obstacles, and assemble a research team. After the object of analysis has been picked, one should select and analyse factors contributing to the increased quality of services and resulting in increased client satisfaction.

After the areas of benchmarking have been selected, one needs to appoint a research team. Members of the team should have relevant expertise and experience. First, during the inside analysis, the object of benchmarking should be defined in detail as this provides material for the process of quality improvement. This definition facilitates the search for the suitable partner and the formulation of the list of queries referring to the object of benchmarking. Next stage covers the search for a suitable partner to serve as reference point. The comparison against such partner allows for the recognition of differences in function of own organisation and others.

The most efficient way to make the assessment of the partner is through direct contact. Such research techniques as interviews, regular sessions with co-workers, conferences with the partner seem to be effective tools.

The stage of result assessment usually starts with the evaluation of gathered data. At this stage of benchmarking one formulates an opinion about the conditions that had to be fulfilled by the partner in the process of getting the desired results. Finally, the last stage an implementation of changes and improvement procedures. Providing the anomalies in the processes applied by the partner (also by own institution) are well analysed, one can proceed with the formulation of assumptions and conditions to be put in place in order to follow the successful strategy of the partner. Benchmarking, as a tool for the quality improvement of services, was first noticed in the beginning of the 90-ties. Literature on the subject quotes that one of the first institutions to get seriously interested in benchmarking was British National Health Service.^[3]

Unfortunately for libraries, the interest in benchmarking has been developing rather slowly in all the fields related to library science, even though it can be a very powerful tool serving the process of learning in any organisation, and especially at a library. In the course of participation in the process of benchmarking, the partners acquire new skills and experience, get to know their environment and, following the example of others, improve the quality of their work.

Benchmarking implementation at libraries can be applied in two ways:

• by comparing own library's results with others (also, other branches or other departments of the same library);
• by comparing with organisations from a different line of business (for example: the comparison of customer service at libraries with customer service at a telecom institution).

Object criterion describes the area of application of the comparison against the leader method. One can select the following types of benchmarking:

• strategic benchmarking various visions, ideas, missions and library strategies are compared against each other, in order to determine the winning combination;
• process benchmarking successful libraries are analysed in relation to cost-effectiveness and the potential to attract clientele;
• service benchmarking;
• management methods benchmarking comparison against the leading library/institution in terms of planning, organising, management of human resources, finances and information.

The choice of areas of benchmarking is an important issue in order to make the right choice one requires experience, knowledge of analysis and synthesis. Therefore, it is advisable that the entire library staff should participate in the definition of the process of benchmarking. The main issues related to the implementation of benchmarking at libraries and the areas it has to cover are as follows:

1. Library's strategic plans, influence of an environment on library s goals, library's marketing profile, probing the requirements of an outside environment, the implementation of marketing tools. Also, the need for definition of library's future plans, creation of suitable conditions for implementation of marketing ideas and convincing the staff about the value of marketing. (Marketing at a library, by considering the needs and requirements of library users, creates favourable conditions for the library to reach its goals).

Well-thought and well-planned promotional strategy of a library should produce results that positively influence the perception of the users.

It is clear that any stereotype can be changed by confrontation with reality, thus, any innovative process, change, or improvement in a professional behaviour of the staff may positively influence users perception of a library. It is important, therefore, to present its good image in various ways: through the right management decisions, high-quality customer service or innovative way of providing information.

Further issues pertaining to strategic activities at a library have to do with inter-library co-operation, (like creation of library consortia that deal with gathering and exchange of resources), the exchange of books, scientific information.

It is the opinion of experts that such activities, with their innovative ideas and initiatives, have a big potential in the matter of library service quality improvement.^[4]

2. Library management

There are three levels of management at libraries:

• at a linear level (section and branch managers), one delegates tasks and defines the way they should be implemented;
• at a middle management level (section chiefs), one defines tasks for each section (division) and performs decision making for section managers;
• at a managerial level (general managers), one outlines goals for the entire library and defines general rules of functioning of the organisation.

Another pertinent issue, besides the right style of management and the managers themselves, is the professional attitude of members of library staff. Librarians must not limit themselves to passive interaction with users they have to participate in the process of actively encouraging users to make full use of the library resources. By performing well at their respective jobs, the members of staff employ the full potential of a library and its content. Their courtesy and kindness (especially in customer service areas) secures a library with social acceptance and sense of importance.

Here are some important features of strategic approach to the management of human resources:

• library staff is the library's main capital;
• role and influence of the environment, especially that of a competition and job market;
• long-term activities;
• connections with general strategy of library and its structure;
• connections with organisational culture of a library and its goals;
• consideration given to the entire staff, not only to management;
• change and development as fundamental categories.^[5]

The adjustment of personal strategies of members of staff to the library's strategy is a very significant factor where library's goals are concerned. The formulation of personal strategy should begin with posing some questions relating to the function of a library employee.

• What should be the structural make-up of a library in terms of the number of employees and their qualifications?
• What actions should be undertaken by the management for the employees to get fully involved in library's function and activity?

To answer these questions correctly, one needs to refer to the strategy of a library, with consideration to all internal and external factors pertaining to hiring staff, and thorough analysis of already existing human resources (all risk factors should be considered, too). One of the key issues that determine the success of the strategy is an innovative change of the organisational structure and culture of a library.

3. Service benchmarking is focused on the analysis of services within the context of satisfying clients needs and requirements.

The core of library's function is the service it provides all other functions only complement it. Jacek Wojciechowski writes: "A good library services the community well by meeting its expectations in a friendly and efficient way" The library, like any service institution, should define clear, simple rules of library use, benefiting the library users.

4. Process development

There are issues regarding rationalisation of processes to be settled before any library makes any comparisons with the leaders (other libraries). There are some questions to be answered:

• Why is the particular process being implemented?
• Why is it implemented in this particular way?
• What are the examples of standard processes?
• How can these processes be improved (in relation to the standard)?

The process of implementation of library processes should fulfil the expectation of users. In order to approach this task efficiently, one should create a list of factors contributing to library's activity and process development, according to readers needs and observations. While assembling the list, the library management should consider users feedback on the subject of such troublesome issues, as: problems with access to particular titles, delays in filling the book orders, errors, etc.

The analysis and improvement of the of library management within the context of benchmarking leads to faster mutation of library's goals into concrete tasks. This process helps focus on correlation among specific operations and their impact on implementation of further plans and goals. It is, therefore, easier to co-ordinate three very important levels of management - strategic, functional and operational.

First print:
Zarządzanie w organizacjach non-profit : strategie, marketing / red. nauk. Andrzej Chodyski, Marian Huczek, Irena Socha ; Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Bielsku-Białej, Instytut Bibliotekoznawstwa i Informacji Naukowej Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katedra Systemów i Technik Zarządzania Politechniki Łódzkiej filia w Bielsku-Białej. - Bielsko-Biała : Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna, 2001. - ISBN 83-913509-2-4.

Footnotes

[1] W.M. Grudzewski, I. Hajduk: Przedsiębiorstwo przyszłości. Warsaw 2000.

[2] R. Müller, P. Rupper: Process Reengineering. Wrocław 2000.

[3] P. Garrod, M. Kinnell: Benchmarketing development needs in the L..I S sector. "Journal of Information Science" 1997 no. 2.

[4] Z. Żmigrodzki: Racjonalizacja pracy bibliotecznej. Katowice 1986.

[5] R. Krupski: Zarządzanie strategiczne. Wrocław 1999.

Translated by Dorota Jaglarz