Benchmarking at the national level has been considered within administrative tools as a short-term solution that involves quantitative comparison and not learning. For its application to be correct and to adapt to the needs of the country, different considerations in its execution must be incorporated into what is generally known as Benchmarking. It is essential to take into account elements that allow a contextualization of this instrument to the local business culture that traditionally presents obstacles when it comes to sharing information about its policies, processes or strategies. For this purpose, a Benchmarking conceptualization exercise was carried out for the specific case of the country's Biotechnology sector, which allowedThanks to the proposals and recommendations of expert advisers (in Technological Management, Benchmarking and Biotechnology), formulate an own methodology and a concept according to the expectations of the productive sector.
INTRODUCTION
Organizations today face the challenge of positioning themselves in a competitive world. Factors such as new technologies, sources of products and innovative processes, demands of the cost system and consumer preferences force companies to make changes in the short and long term aimed at improving their competitive capacity.
Technology management offers companies opportunities to improve their performance. However, obtaining the required effectiveness and efficiency comes at a cost that requires a change of thinking, a new management model, and finally focus on integrating the parts of the system. Technological management within an effective administrative framework allows an appropriate interaction between technology, human resources and the knowledge generated and / or assimilated, which leads to increases in the quality of the goods or services offered, in productivity and in the competitiveness.
In Colombian companies, including those in the biotechnology sector, technological management has been of little importance, precisely due to circumstances linked mainly to the stimulation of creativity and innovation, as means to compete and progress (Bernal, 1995).
EL proceso de transferencia de tecnologías en administración y gestión ha venido creciendo conjuntamente con el proceso de modernización del país. Evaluar hasta qué punto pueden llegar a ser eficientes estas tecnologías implica: considerar el contexto socioeconómico en el cual surgen, analizar detenidamente las problemáticas que se presentan en el proceso de implementación de la mismas y finalmente delimitar cuáles de sus características fundamentales son aplicables en una cierta organización. Una de las herramientas que se ha utilizado con mayor éxito a nivel internacional es el Benchmarking; en al ámbito nacional su aplicación; así como la de muchas otras herramientas de calidad y competitividad; no ha sido muy extendida; una de las principales razones es la fuerte tendencia a considerarla como una solución a corto plazo que implica únicamente la comparación y no el aprendizaje.
On the other hand, modern biotechnology has opened countless opportunities for developing countries, mainly in the fields of health, agriculture, pharmaceutical and food industries, environmental management and energy, among others. Due precisely to its potential and its impact on economic, social, cultural and political aspects, one cannot be indifferent to the progress of the bio revolution. Biotechnology is defined as the use of living organisms, or biological systems or processes for industrial production or their use in environmental sanitation services. (Spinks, 1980) The application of Biotechnology has had a breakthrough in recent decades,Many industries from totally diverse sectors have received (and will receive) the impact of biotechnology in support of their products and processes. The main ones are: Pharmaceutical Industry, Fine Chemical Industry, Agricultural and livestock sector, Food industry, energy sector, mining sector, environmental sector, Computing (biosensors and biochips for example). At the national level, most of the advances in Biotechnology have been made at the laboratory level; with a significant lack of the relationship between company-university-research centers, making it impossible for this industry to have better participation rates in the national economic context. For this reason, it is necessary to stimulate the transfer of technology from universities and research centers to the productive sector.The need therefore arises to develop a line of research in this particular field that not only investigates the problem but also offers real and tangible solutions in accordance with the organizational models managed by companies in this sector. This work is part of this line of research that is currently being promoted by the Faculty of Engineering in coordination with other faculties of the National University. Important projects in technology management have been developed within this area.This work is part of this line of research that is currently being promoted by the Faculty of Engineering in coordination with other faculties of the National University. Important projects in technology management have been developed within this area.This work is part of this line of research that is currently being promoted by the Faculty of Engineering in coordination with other faculties of the National University. Important projects in technology management have been developed within this area.
The diagnosis of the 25 companies in the biotechnology sector (alcoholic beverages; biopesticides, vaccines mainly) participating in the previous projects, show as main deficiencies: poor support from state institutions that finance innovation; Poor development of the creative skills of professionals working in the area and, finally, the lack of elements of technological management in accordance with the companies' processes of innovation and technology transfer. It has been shown that at the national level and in general in developing countries there are no structured and defined technology management strategies and processes. The need to strengthen the management mechanisms of companies through the transfer of administrative technologies is manifested,For this reason and according to the National Biotechnology Plan (1999 - 2004) the possibility of working with a process / tool such as Benchmarking is raised. This project is the beginning of the search for improvement alternatives for the sector in the administrative area and its relationship with the technological factor. Benchmarking was taken as one of them and was developed taking into account some case studies; the recommendations of consulted consultants and finally the characteristics of the Biotechnology sector. Based on these results, a Benchmarking study was carried out in which 4 companies using Biotechnological processes participated; where the technological management oriented to the management of technological innovation and technology transfer was compared at a qualitative and quantitative level. This comparison,It allowed companies to make proposals to strengthen these variables.
Methodology
The investigation begins by making a bibliographic query about Benchmarking; The first stage focuses mainly on the search for conceptual bases of Benchmarking (Origin; methodologies; types; etc). Once the conceptual framework has been identified; Practical cases of applying Benchmarking at an international level are compiled, where the positive aspects are evaluated; obstacles; methodologies and results of the studies. In this process, the main institutions that practice and promote benchmarking at the international level are also contacted in order to obtain greater conceptual bases and enrich the study with documented experiences.
The second stage begins with the search for theoretical and practical developments of Benchmarking in Colombia; The Technological Development Center that promotes quality and management practices was contacted: Quality Corporation; in order to assess the state of application of Benchmarking at the National level. Subsequently, a questionnaire consisting of 14 questions was prepared, which sought to identify the following aspects:
Benchmarking concept and its application at the National level, General concept of critical success factors in organizations, Determination of the FCE (Critical success factors) in biotechnology companies, Evaluation of the degree of applicability of a benchmarking study to improve practices of Innovation and technology transfer, Inquiry of the different opinions of the respondents regarding the possibility of measuring the activities of Technological innovation and technology transfer.
The survey was applied to advisers from different training areas and the productive sector; These include: Chemical Engineering, Economics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Industrial Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Law and Psychology, (which coincided with their experience regarding technological management), Consultants and experts in Benchmarking (CORPORACIÓN CALIDAD and Consulting Groups); Institutions related to Biotechnology (Corporation for the industrial development of biotechnology CORPODIB; Colombian Institute for the development of science and technology "Francisco José de Caldas" - COLCIENCIAS-; Corporation for the development of biotechnology - BIOTEC-);; companies that have carried out Benchmarking (ACES; IAC- Colombian Commercial Coding and Automation Institute) -;and professionals and groups related to technology management (TECNOS). There were 13 participants in total.
Consultant survey results
The information obtained in the surveys enriched the direction of the research; Each of the questions in the questionnaire was prepared in order to evaluate the opinions, perceptions and knowledge about benchmarking and its practical application to some of the companies that handle biotechnological processes.
Benchmarking concept
Benchmarking has been defined as the “Process of identification, learning and adaptation of outstanding practices and processes of any organization, anywhere in the world, to help another organization to improve its processes and through this its performance. It is the comparison and measurement against another organization to know philosophies, policies, practices and indicators that make it stand out '”(APQC; 1995)
In a study carried out by MJS (Michael J Spendolini) Associates, an attempt was made to describe the situation of “best practices and benchmarking”, including definitions, application and what benchmarking would represent in the coming years, in surveys applied to North American entrepreneurs, three levels were identified different interpretations of benchmarking (Spendolini; Friedel; Workman 1999): LEVEL I: Includes 85% of the activities that are reported today; It is linked to competitive-comparative analysis between organizations. The primary information is quantitative reflected in indicators, LEVEL II: Used by 10% of benchmarking practitioners; it is the search for more qualitative than quantitative information. Benchmarking partners provide information as examples; anecdotes;data and documentation on which its activities and processes are based. It focuses on what improves performance (how to decrease costs; time cycles; how to increase quality, etc.), LEVEL III: at this level the partners are more prescriptive than descriptive; that is, according to their experiences; They provide recommendations for improvement and not exact descriptions of their processes.
These results were evaluated at the North American level; At the national level, the situation is as follows: With respect to the concept given by the advisers, it is easy to infer that it is very new for some sectors, although Benchmarking is commonly mentioned, very few entities and sectors are clear about its scope and easily it is simplified to the term of analysis or competitive referencing essentially dominated by the comparison of indicators; systematically eliminating the benefits of qualitative analysis from benchmarking. For the majority of the consultants consulted, it is clear that Benchmarking is mainly a TOOL to reduce competitive gaps between organizations and that in the long term it generates sustainability and competitiveness of the sectors and incursion into international markets,given that the comparison with best practices makes it possible to equalize competitive factors of successful companies.
The different points of view enrich the analysis, although the IAC classifies benchmarking as a strategy, it is clear that it can be part of and constitute the support of the continuous improvement strategies of any organization, but by itself it does not constitute a strategy; Strategy formulation is part of the results of a benchmarking process. It is clear, observing the bibliographic consultation carried out, that Benchmarking is defined as a process that generates bases for subsequent decision-making and definition of strategies.
In general, the assimilation of the essential concept of benchmarking is good; Although the benefits and scope I was able to achieve are not well known; either due to the scant dissemination of successful cases and / or the initial difficulty of undertaking studies of this type. For this reason, the use of Benchmarking in Colombia has not been adequate, the few pioneering companies in the practice of this tool develop it intuitively and with their own methodologies that do not always guarantee success. With respect to this point, the management work being carried out by the Quality Corporation with this theory must be evaluated, it has been identified as the Scientific-Technological Infrastructure of the transfer of this tool; and therefore it is convenient to strengthen the dissemination of their activities in the business sector and to measure the extent to which SMEs have the ability to access the advice provided by this entity.
Benchmarking application possibilities
The implementation of benchmarking as an improvement mechanism has not been successful, as reflected by several of the advisers, the main reasons stated were the existence of difficulties in sharing information on best practices, added to the lack of sector studies and the lack of knowledge of Entrepreneurs of the concept and methodology according to this type of project. However, it is important to mention that somehow Benchmarking is practiced intuitively, but running the risk that the methodology used does not lead to success in the proposed improvements. On the other hand, several projects have been developed in different sectors, but generally they focus on the comparison of indicators or quantitative analysis (Level I mentioned by MJS); such is the case of the IAC; COLCIENCIAS among others.
The State, in response to the problem of competitiveness and productivity of the Colombian industrial sectors, promoted the creation of the Competitive Reference System coordinated by the Quality Corporation, when inquiring about the development and its importance in the sector, it was clear to observe that its This work is very little known since more than 50% of the advisers stated that they did not know it.
Benchmarking benefits
Regarding the characteristics of a process that can be considered for a Benchmarking study, the opinions converge to the common point of identifying a high impact process for the organization or for a particular sector that is measurable, specific and that is duly documented, although it is limited in some occasions to the evaluation by means of indicators. Another important aspect is to evaluate how feasible for the organization it is to make a modification of any kind, from the financial, structural point of view and the ability to integrate with the other processes of the organization. Advisors were asked to assess the aspects in which a benchmarking study could positively influence; The results are presented in the following graph:
Common opinions were found despite the fact that the advisors work in different sectors, competitiveness is evaluated as the most important variable, followed by productivity, product added value, product quality and business leadership. The other category includes aspects such as: technology; efficiency human talent and business growth.
Methodologies for a Benchmarking study
Once the process to be evaluated has been identified, it is important to determine a clear and specific methodology that enables the goals set for the project to be met. Among the most generic is the one postulated by the Quality Corporation that is based on the Deming Cycle Bearing in mind that the concept is not assimilated in the media, the methodology is also not clearly identifiable by the advisers and is generally limited to other study techniques of administration used as DOFA analysis. There is an important point in common regarding the methodology proposed by the advisers; This is the initial diagnosis of the company that seeks to improve its performance; In this aspect, a Benchmarking study begins, that is, evaluating what strengths and weaknesses an organization has in general or in a specific process,to determine to a large extent the success in the process of implantation of this technology.
The stages developed by the IAC to advance its Benchmarking studies easily fit within most of the methodology used at the national level; the following are mentioned: Planning, Analysis, Integration, Action, Maturity; highlighting above all the process of continuous improvement involved in the maturity stage that is only reached when the organization gains market leadership and is achieved with the assimilation of best practices and the repetitive application of Benchmarking within the company. It is clear that employers do not contemplate this aspect since this phase has not been fully appropriated. Institutes like the IAC are a good example of continuity in evaluating logistics indicators; Since 1997, three studies have been carried out with an increasing number of participating companies;which allows an organization to be continuously referenced by means of indicators and gives it the possibility of formulating improvement strategies. (Level I; stated by Spendolini in the analysis of the situation of Benchmarking)
Application Cases in Colombia
In general, the advisers are unaware of specific cases of the application of benchmarking in Colombia; Those who have been (or are) linked in any way to the Quality Corporation mention the study carried out at the ACES company; but specific aspects of methodology and implications have not been widely disseminated and are not known to advisers. The greatest benefit generated from benchmarking in ACES has been the decrease in time spent on the ground, this aspect is relevant since for airlines the time used for ground service must be the minimum. The director of ground assistance of ACES affirms: 'the results have been given to us in two ways: Economic with real savings, which in the first year were of the order of 260 million pesos;plus or minus 5% of the division's spending budget and second in personnel productivity and ordering of processes ”
Another successful case has been the performance of three Benchmarking studies by the Colombian Institute of Coding and Commercial Automation - IAC; in logistics indicators and Scorecard in ECR (Efficient Response to Consumers) and EHCR (Efficient Response to Consumers in Health); It is the most comprehensive national and Latin American initiative that analyzes the logistics development of a supply chain. It includes the main results in terms of service level, inventory days, transportation and best practices in logistics management. Regarding the case of the Commercial Automation Institute, some of the entrepreneurs participating in the studies affirm the following (IAC; 2000): i) “The application of Benchmarking generates a very important effect both for distribution,as for the entire supply chain, since it creates in companies the discipline of being increasingly efficient ”Diego Sáenz. General Manager Pharmaceutical distributor ROME, ii) "Benchmarking allows for us with a tool by which we measure our business against the leaders of the market, so that we know how to do things better and be much more productive, " Hernán Mendez. President of Alpina Food Products, iii) "You can never reach the excellence of an organization without benchmarking" Víctor Pedroza. Baxter Laboratories General Manager
The conduct of a formal Benchmarking study has not been released; There is also consideration by case managers of 'business visits' to organizations rated as outstanding; which can be considered as a start to the assessment of best practices. Very few companies have applied a structured Benchmarking methodology in their organizations, the only advice they can receive is from the Quality Corporation or from companies specialized in Consulting, where costs are high and small and medium-sized companies do not have access to this tool to support your organizational improvement. At the national level, only some of the companies that have carried out this type of study are: ACES, ECOPETROL, CARVAJAL, IAC, COMPAQ, among others,entities that have the financial strength to support a large investment in these studies. Similarly, projects of this type have been carried out for transnational organizations with branches in Colombia; but the generation of the idea and its development are generally driven by the parent company.
Critical success factors in biotech companies
The advisers agree to give greater importance to the following considerations: Capacity for technological innovation as a fundamental aspect in business development (whatever the organization), The type of technology used in the company, Knowledge of the market and the scope of the product in the market, the internal business environment, the legal and financial support environment.
Likewise, it was reaffirmed that technological innovation constitutes a critical success factor for any organization, giving great importance to this variable in companies that use cutting-edge technologies for their sustainability and growth in an increasingly globalized market. The biotechnology sector is dynamic, combines different areas of knowledge and is supported by high technology, variables such as innovation and transfer make it possible for a company to maintain and excel in a sector with these characteristics.
Possibility of measuring Technological Innovation practices
The opinions given by the advisers are divergent in the aspect of quantification and measurement of variables such as technological innovation. This reflects the complexity of trying to measure science and technology activities. The efforts that have been made have generated some indicators of innovation activities. Nowadays, the complexity of innovation processes and the limitation of the indicators developed to describe their status and dynamics are increasingly recognized. In this same sense, it is accepted that the degree of success of the innovation strategies that are formulated with the help of indicators will largely depend on the understanding that one has about the phenomenon of innovation itself. The literature on the construction of indicators,Its uses and limitations are abundant and it has occupied the attention of the sociology of science permanently. Likewise, the methodological efforts in its construction have been important. The determination of indicators for technological innovation is an excessively complex task, due to the multiple and diverse factors that intervene in it, and that the predominant qualitative nature of the elements involved, makes quantification difficult. The Oslo Manual is an early attempt to give some parameters for the measurement of Technological Innovation activities. (Colciencias; 1992)Due to the multiple and diverse factors that intervene in it, and that the predominant qualitative nature of the elements involved, makes quantification difficult. The Oslo Manual is an early attempt to give some parameters for the measurement of Technological Innovation activities. (Colciencias; 1992)Due to the multiple and diverse factors that intervene in it, and that the predominant qualitative nature of the elements involved, makes quantification difficult. The Oslo Manual is an early attempt to give some parameters for the measurement of Technological Innovation activities. (Colciencias; 1992)
The advisers conceive the possibility of creating some indicators that may include: number of innovations per period, productivity of capital and labor factors, added value, profitability and some other financial indicators. With these appreciations; it can be deduced that for the innovation process it is viable to generate some indicators, but the ones that are listed are mostly results; the difficulty then lies in generating them for the performance of the different activities that constitute an innovation process. It is at this point that the qualitative burden of the innovation process becomes evident. Some experts indicate that the technological innovation process is not sensitive to quantification and measurement; the main arguments focus on qualitative variables such as: business culture,assimilation of knowledge and learning as a fundamental axis for the development of successful innovations. Although technological innovation has a high degree of difficulty for its measurement; There are determining characteristics of this process that can be quantitatively evaluated.
In this direction, the indicators traditionally used for technological innovation (for example, research and development expenses, number of patents and publication of scientific articles) have been criticized since they do not allow explaining the adequate behavior of companies and countries that with low expenses in R&D had significant industrial growth and improved their competitive position without making a great formal effort in innovative activities (Malerba 1993, Archibugi and Evangelista 1993). In these cases, the use of an R&D expense indicator underestimates the innovative behavior of SMEs (Kleinknecht 1987, Acs and Audretsch 1988, Malerba 1988, 1993, Cohen and Levin 1989, Lassini 1992).Even authors who continue to use traditional indicators to measure the innovative product of SMEs (Baldwin 1995, Malerba and Orsenigo 1993) consider these indicators to be partial and biased.
The most useful information in benchmarking relates to the process. Studies that are directed entirely at quantitative information should be defined as Competitive - Comparative Analysis; and not as Benchmarking. While most benchmarking activities include information related to numbers and indicators, it is not taken into account that these are supported by a series of process recommendations. (Spendolini; Friedel; Workman 1999)
ANALYSIS and RECOMMENDATIONS
After evaluating all the opinions, comments of the advisers and the theoretical interpretations found in the national and international literature about the concept of benchmarking, we can define as: A TOOL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT BASED ON EVALUATION AND CONTINUOUS ANALYSIS OF PRACTICES; PROCESSES; POLICIES AND STRATEGIES RECOGNIZED IN THE MARKET AS SUCCESSFUL; FOR YOUR SUBSEQUENT ADAPTATION AND ASSIMILATION IN AN ORGANIZATION. Based on this definition and the aforementioned results, it is possible to detect what have been the main obstacles to its successful application at the national level:
- With the arrival of administrative fads in the country, Benchmarking became part of business "formulas" that were applied without taking into account the local context, which led to consider it as a panacea to the business problem that was occurring and not as a TOOL for improvement Lack of theoretical basis Lack of or difficulty in accessing sector studies to identify the position of an organization in the market In many cases the evaluation of best practices intuitively (business visits, analysis of financial statements of other companies) does not guarantee their assimilation. Little dissemination by entities related to the issue of benefits; Knowledge and advice on this topic. Limiting the concept to competitive analysis - comparison of indicators.The transfer of administrative technologies must be subject to a correct assimilation and evaluation of adaptation conditions. Proposing a rigid methodology for the application of Benchmarking is limiting its flexibility of adaptation to different cases and sectors, it is more useful to identify what aspects make the methodology be successful. (See figure 1)
Firstly, it is decisive to carry out an internal diagnosis that allows identifying those factors that are of high impact on the organization; (Critical success factors) and that for some reason require more attention; improvement or modification. Once identified; establish how they can be improved or reinforced; involves carrying out an analysis of not only its quantitative component (for example direct financial results; statistics; percentages); the 'how' of their performance is also fundamental; that is, the qualitative character (business culture; know how; characteristics of the human resource, etc.). If the Benchmarking process has been started, the assimilation of the results becomes possible if the appropriate conditions for its implementation are available. This requires that the impact be evaluated at the financial, structural,physical (facilities), cultural (human resource; business values) and technological. Benchmarking is a tool for continuous improvement, feedback must be a fundamental part of this process given the dynamic nature of the environment in which an organization develops. The ACES case is a positive example that Benchmarking can work at the national level and the results generate potential benefits in the short, medium and long term; Luis Lema, Director of Ground Assistance of the company ends the survey with the following appreciation about this tool: "I consider that benchmarking is an unmatched process improvement tool, since through the experience of others, we can obtain results in less time and at less cost,it is also a tool that allows us to globalize in learning because it has no borders ”
APPLICATION CONDITIONS
According to the literature, the recommendations of the advisers and the experience collected in the field work that supported the research that was based on the conduct of a Benchmarking study developed in companies in the Colombian Biotechnology sector, the main successful application strategies are summary as follows:
- The participation of the directors and members involved in the process not only facilitates the application of strategies resulting from the study; it also makes possible the collection of data that allows identifying and visualizing the causes of the gaps at the level of the entire organization and at the departmental or area level. To ensure the quality of the results; it is recommended that these be thoroughly examined for inconsistencies, contradictions and errors in the information; and if necessary, be transformed appropriately to ensure comparability of results in the particular situations for each organization. With respect to data collection mechanisms,it is essential to evaluate all the possibilities until selecting the ones that best suit the type of study and the type of organization in which they will be applied; one of the most enriching is the personalized interview with the managers and with the members directly involved with the processes to be evaluated; In this way, it is possible to decipher what is behind the numerical data of traditional surveys. The interviews allow employers to explain the reason for the data provided in the surveys and a better understanding of the business context that surrounds the processes to be evaluated. The definition of critical success factors for companies must start from an in-depth analysis of the importance strategic of different variables in the organization; also be based on a high degree of understanding of the practices;political processes etc, which require improvement. If possible; these processes must be documented and the direct ones involved in the organization must be identified; inputs and outputs and enablers. Selection criteria for best practices; they must be clearly stated before the study is carried out; once the critical success factor has been defined; Outstanding companies in this aspect (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.If possible; these processes must be documented and the direct ones involved in the organization must be identified; inputs and outputs and enablers. Selection criteria for best practices; they must be clearly stated before the study is carried out; once the critical success factor has been defined; Outstanding companies in this aspect (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.If possible; these processes must be documented and the direct ones involved in the organization must be identified; inputs and outputs and enablers. Selection criteria for best practices; they must be clearly stated before the study is carried out; once the critical success factor has been defined; Outstanding companies in this regard (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.inputs and outputs and enablers. Selection criteria for best practices; they must be clearly stated before the study is carried out; once the critical success factor has been defined; Outstanding companies in this regard (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.inputs and outputs and enablers. Selection criteria for best practices; they must be clearly stated before the study is carried out; once the critical success factor has been defined; Outstanding companies in this regard (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.Outstanding companies in this regard (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.Outstanding companies in this regard (publications, institutions, databases, Internet, etc.) should be searched for and when contacting them, factors such as: access to partner information should be considered; ease of constant visits; have a fixed contact in the organization and the potential for improvement offered by these companies. Data must be collected; graphically represented, analyzed and interpreted.analyzed and interpreted.analyzed and interpreted.
Entrepreneurs should be presented with an executive summary that includes:
- Identification of the problem Description of the methodology Presentation of data Summary and interpretation of data Presentation of the most important findings (includes identification of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement) Recommendations: specific actions.
These considerations led to the development of a methodological Benchmarking model that is proposed for the Colombian Biotechnology sector. Graph attached.
Conclusions
- Benchmarking is a valid management tool that, like many others, has entered Colombia without initially considering the following fundamental aspects: the socioeconomic context in which it will be applied, the possible limitations of its application at the national level and finally the characteristics of said tool that is applicable to a particular organization. The conceptualization with the advisors allowed us to understand that Benchmarking in Colombia presents as one of the main limitations of successful results, reducing it to the comparison of indicators, in the process they must be analyzed and generate improvement strategies that are assimilated by the organization.The formulation of strategies in a Benchmarking study must indicate to an organization which are the enablers so that the existing gaps with those recognized as best practices can be reduced and overcome.Following the consultation with experts, it can be seen that the assimilation of the concept it has the following characteristics:
- Evidence of a wide range of interpretations and definitions within which it is important to mention: competitive referencing; comparison of indicators, identification of best practices; among other; Each of them is directed towards a common objective but with different methodologies. There is no consensus on the procedures and scope of benchmarking, it is generalized by limiting it to quantitative comparison, leaving aside the greatest benefit of this tool: the "how" of outstanding and successful practices. Therefore, homogeneous terms of reference are required for the use of Benchmarking that allow it to be contextualized in our environment.
THANKS
We thank the following people and entities for their contribution to the development of the research: Doctor Alvaro Araujo and Doctor Luis Javier Jaramillo from the TECNOS Foundation. Doctor Pedro Amaya. Doctor Ricardo Torres and Doctor Ricardo Fournier from COLCIENCIAS. Doctor Ernesto Guerra National University of Colombia - Teleconsorcio. Dr. Saadia Pinilla of the Corporation for the Industrial Development of Biotechnology - CORPODIB. Doctor Marta Emilia Rueda from CAMBIOTEC. Doctor Alma Guevara from Corporación Calidad. Doctor Fernando Alemán from International Business Clearinghouse - IBC Consulting. Dr. Consuelo Montes coordinator of the information services unit at the Corporation for the development of biotechnology - BIOTEC-. Doctor Luis Lema Director of Ground Assistance of ACES.Dr. Yara Montaña Research and development director of the Colombian Institute of automation and commercial coding. IAC.
Bibliographic references
- APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center) Benchmarking Terms. 1995.BERNAL, Campo Elias. LAVERDE, Jairo. Modernization project for SMEs, Technological Management, National Learning Service. SIGN. Santafé de Bogotá DC 1995. CEPAL “The innovative capacity and strengthening of the competitiveness of firms: the case of Argentine exporting SMEs. 1992.COLCIENCIAS. Technologies of life for development. Bases for a Third World National Biotechnology Program Plan Ediores. Santa Fe de Bogota. 1993.COLCIENCIAS. THE Universe of measurement, the perspective of science and technology. Third World Editors. 1997. QUALITY CORPORATION. Competitive Referencing System Project. 1995.GUEVARA; L.Study of the incidence of soft technology and hard technology in companies with biotechnological processes- Biopesticides and alcoholic beverages. National University of Colombia Santafé de Bogotá DC 1999. COLOMBIAN INSTITUTE OF CODING AND COMMERCIAL AUTOMATION. Benchmarking "logistics based on indicators". Santa Fe de Bogota. 2000.OECD (Organization for Economic Development Cooperation) Oslo Manual. Guidelines for collecting and interpreting data on technological innovation. It formalizes the discussion around the topic of construction of technological innovation indicators. 1992.RAMIREZ Y SALAZAR. Evaluation of the technology transfer process in some companies related to the treatment of liquid effluents and solid waste from the Biotechnology environmental sector in Colombia. National university of Colombia.Santafé de Bogotá DC 1999.SPENDOLINI, M. FRIDEL, D. and WORKMAN, J. Benchmarking: devising best practices from others. Graphic arts Monthly. Vol. 71. October 1999.ZOLTAN. Szabo. 'The Management of Technological Innovation in Biotechnology' in: Biotechnology: Legislation and management for Latin America. 1993.
The different studies of the line are referenced in the Bibliography and belong to the topics of hard technology and soft technology, technological innovation and technology transfer.
American Productivity and Quality Center
Companies selected as best practices
The Quality Corporation is directly linked to the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) as promoter of management and quality tools in Colombia.
Institute of Commercial Automation.
Practices, processes or methods that facilitate the implementation of a best practice and allow satisfying a critical success factor, help explain why the performance indicated by a benchmark. (C. Quality, 1995)
