EUROPEANBENCHMARKINGCODEOFCONDUCT

INTRODUCTION
BenchmarkingtheprocessofidentifyingandlearningfromGoodPracticesinotherorganisationsisa
powerfultoolinthequestforcontinuousimprovementandperformancebreakthroughs.Theauthors
andsponsorshaveproducedthisEuropeanCodeofConducttoguideBenchmarkingencountersandto
advancetheprofessionalismandeffectivenessofBenchmarkinginEurope.
ItisbasedupontheCodeofConductusedbyAPQCandthewordinghasbeenmodifiedtotakeinto
accounttherequirementsofcompetitionlaw.Thelayoutandpresentationhavealsobeenmodifiedto
provideamorepositivechronologicalapproach.
AdherencetothisCodewillcontributetoefficient,effectiveandethicalBenchmarking.

PRINCIPLEOFPREPARATION
DemonstratecommitmenttotheefficiencyandeffectivenessofBenchmarkingbybeingprepared
priortomakinganinitialBenchmarkingcontact.
MakethemostofyourBenchmarkingpartnerstimebybeingfullypreparedforeachexchange.
HelpyourBenchmarkingpartnerspreparebyprovidingthemwithaquestionnaireandagendaprior
toBenchmarkingvisits.
BeforeanyBenchmarkingcontacts,especiallythesendingofquestionnaires,takelegaladvice.

PRINCIPLEOFCONTACT
Respectthecorporatecultureofpartnerorganisationsandworkwithinmutuallyagreed
procedures.
UseBenchmarkingcontactsdesignatedbythepartnerorganisationifthatisitspreferredprocedure.
AgreewiththedesignatedBenchmarkingcontacthowcommunicationorresponsibilityistobe
delegatedinthecourseoftheBenchmarkingexercise.Checkmutualunderstanding.
Obtainanindividualspermissionbeforeprovidinghis/hernameinresponsetoacontactrequest.
Avoidcommunicatingacontactsnameinanopenforumwithoutthecontactspriorpermission.

PRINCIPLEOFEXCHANGE
Bewillingtoprovidethesametypeandlevelofinformationthatyourequestfromyour
Benchmarkingpartner,providedthattheprincipleoflegalityisobserved.
Communicatefullyandearlyintherelationshiptoclarifyexpectations,avoidmisunderstanding,and
establishmutualinterestintheBenchmarkingexchange.
Behonest,completeandtimelywithinformationsubmitted.

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PRINCIPLEOFCONFIDENTIALITY
TreatBenchmarkingfindingsasconfidentialtotheindividualsandorganisationsinvolved.Such
informationmustnotbecommunicatedtothirdpartieswithoutthepriorconsentofthe
Benchmarkingpartnerwhosharedtheinformation.Whenseekingpriorconsent,makesurethat
youspecifyclearlywhatinformationistobeshared,andwithwhom.
Anorganisationsparticipationinastudyisconfidentialandshouldnotbecommunicatedexternally
withouttheirpriorpermission.

PRINCIPLEOFUSE
UseinformationobtainedthroughBenchmarkingonlyforpurposesstatedtoandagreedwiththe
Benchmarkingpartner.
TheuseofcommunicationofaBenchmarkingpartnersnamewiththedataobtainedorthe
practicesobservedrequiresthepriorpermissionofthatpartner.
ContactlistsorothercontactinformationprovidedbyBenchmarkingnetworksinanyformmaynot
beusedforpurposesotherthanBenchmarking.

PRINCIPLEOFLEGALITY
Takelegaladvicebeforelaunchinganyactivity.
Avoiddiscussionsoractionsthatcouldleadtoorimplyaninterestinrestraintoftrade,market
and/orcustomerallocationschemes,pricefixing,dealingarrangements,bidriggingorbribery.Do
notdiscusscostswithcompetitorsifcostsareanelementofpricing.Donotexchangeforecastsor
otherinformationaboutfuturecommercialintentions.
Refrainfromtheacquisitionofinformationbyanymeansthatcouldbeinterpretedasimproper,
includingthebreach,orinducementofabreach,ofanydutytomaintainconfidentiality.
Donotdiscussdiscloseoruseanyconfidentialinformationthatmayhavebeenobtainedthrough
impropermeans,orthatwasdisclosedbyanotherinviolationofadutyofconfidentiality.
Donot,asaconsultant,clientorotherwisepassonBenchmarkingfindingstoanotherorganisation
withoutfirstgettingthepermissionofyourBenchmarkingpartnerandwithoutfirstensuringthat
thedataisappropriatelyblindedandanonymoussothattheparticipantsidentityareprotected.

PRINCIPLEOFCOMPLETION
FollowthroughwitheachcommitmentmadetoyourBenchmarkingpartnerinatimelymanner.
Completeabenchmarkingefforttothesatisfactionofallbenchmarkingpartnersasmutuallyagreed.

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PRINCIPLEOFUNDERSTANDINGANDAGREEMENT
UnderstandhowyourBenchmarkingpartnerwouldliketobetreated,andtreathim/herinthat
way.
Agreehowyourpartnerexpectsyoutousetheinformationprovided,anddonotuseitinanyway
thatwouldbreakthatagreement.

BENCHMARKINGWITHCOMPETITORS
ThefollowingguidelinesapplytoBenchmarkingwithbothactualandpotentialcompetitors:
InBenchmarkingwithactualorpotentialcompetitors,ensurecompliancewithcompetitionlaw.
Alwaystakelegaladvicebeforebenchmarkingcontactwithactualorpotentialcompetitorsand
throughoutthebenchmarkingprocess.Ifuncomfortable,donotproceed.Alternatively,negotiate
andsignaspecificnondisclosureagreementthatwillsatisfythelegalcounselrepresentingeach
partner.
DonotaskcompetitorsforsensitivedataorcausetheBenchmarkingpartnertofeelhe/shemust
providesuchdatatokeeptheprocessgoing.
Donotaskcompetitorsfordataoutsidetheagreedscopeofthestudy.
Considerusinganexperiencedandreputablethirdpartytoassembleandblindcompetitivedata.
Anyinformationobtainedfromabenchmarkingpartnershouldbetreatedasinternal,privileged
communication.If"confidential"orproprietarymaterialistobeexchanged,thenaspecific
agreementshouldbeexecutedtospecifythecontentofthematerialthatneedstobeprotected,
thedurationoftheperiodofprotection,theconditionsforpermittingaccesstothematerial,and
thespecifichandlingrequirementsthatarenecessaryforthatmaterial.

BENCHMARKINGPROTOCOL
Benchmarkers:
KnowandabidebytheEuropeanBenchmarkingCodeofConduct.
HavebasicknowledgeofBenchmarkingandfollowaBenchmarkingprocess.
Priortoinitiatingcontactwithpotentialbenchmarkingpartners,determinewhattobenchmark,
identifykeyperformancevariablestostudy,recognizesuperiorperformingcompanies,and
completearigorousselfassessment.
Prepareaquestionnaireandfullydevelopedinterviewguide,andsharetheseinadvance,if
requested.
Possesstheauthoritytoshareandbewillingtoshareinformationwithbenchmarkingpartners.
Workthroughaspecifiedcontactandmutuallyagreedarrangements.

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WhentheBenchmarkingprocessproceedstoafacetofacesitevisit,thefollowingbehavioursare
encouraged:
Providemeetingagendainadvance.
Beprofessional,honest,courteousandprompt.
Introduceallattendeesandexplainwhytheyarepresent.
Adheretotheagenda.
Uselanguagethatisuniversal,donotusejargon.
Besurethatneitherpartyissharingproprietaryorconfidentialinformationunlesspriorapproval
hasbeenobtainedbybothparties,fromtheproperauthority.
Shareinformationaboutyourownprocess,andifasked,considersharingstudyresults.
Offertofacilitateafuturereciprocalvisit.
Concludemeetingsandvisitsonschedule.
ThankyourBenchmarkingpartnerforsharinghis/herprocess.

Importantnotice:
ThisCodeofConductisnotalegallybindingdocument.Thoughallduecarehasbeentakeninitspreparation,the
authorsandsponsorswillnotbeheldresponsibleforanylegalorotheractionresultingdirectlyorindirectlyfrom
adherencetothisCodeofConduct.Itisforguidanceonlyanddoesnotimplyprotectionorimmunityfromthelaw.

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