Extended benchmarking service

Recognising that the use of ICT has become critical for service managers outside the ICT service to deliver business systems Socitm is now extending its benchmarking services. The new services include:

• Environmental impact of ICT on the organisation
• Information assurance
• Shared services
• Project and programme management
• Flexible working
• Business continuity
• Business transformation

Features of the new services

• The new service questionnaires and main reports are much shorter than the core ICT benchmarking service and focus much more on the use of coloured indicators to identify your performance at a glance.
• Business managers as well as ICT management are encouraged to join these workshops.
• A facility for a personal follow-up study at a low fixed fee is also available to participants.
• We require the participation of at least seven organisations for a module in order to ensure that the study is viable both statistically and financially viable.

The new modules in extended service:

The environmental impact of ICT study measures your performance against a wide range of standards and questions suggested by leading practitioners in implementing the green agenda. It enables your organisation to show progress on this increasingly critical topic.

Information assurance identifies the progress being made at your organisation to ensure safety of sensitive data and also includes the new data handling guidelines.

Shared services measures your arrangements to enter into commercial arrangements for sharing services. Like all modules, it is packed with advice on best practice.

Project and programme management measures your ability to manage major related and individual projects, and identifies whether or not you are meeting client requirements and achieving the business case. It also measures your success in meeting both Socitm’s and the audit agencies' VFM indicators.

Flexible working identifies the actions necessary to relate the effort and costs of introducing these new practices to achieving the financial and other organisational benefits they can offer.

Business continuity shows just how prepared is your organisation to meet the unexpected disaster as well as the routine disruption. This module not only measures your preparedness but also provides much detailed organisational benefits to help improve performance and recognise that business continuity embraces the whole organisation and not just ICT.

Business transformation identifies whether your organisation is truly achieving effective organisational change and achieving best performance in this key activity.