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Building Industry Events and Training
News Release from: ConstructionSkills | Subject: Business Performance Diagnostic
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 12 January 2006
Performance benchmarking for
construction
Business Link and CITB-ConstructionSkills have joined forces to offer construction businesses in the south west access to a free Business Performance Diagnostic.
Business Link and CITB-ConstructionSkills have joined forces to offer construction businesses in the south west access to a free Business Performance Diagnostic - high quality, independent information and advice tailored to the specific needs of the business - the first advice of its kind available to construction businesses in the country An important aspect of developing and improving business objectives and strategy is assessing the current capability of the organisation to deliver it, in terms of the skills and resources available, compared to those needed
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 24 Mar 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Using this powerful business improvement tool, businesses, under the guidance of a qualified and impartial adviser, undergo a comprehensive and confidential review of more than 75 operational areas in order to identify where they are, where they want to be and where they could be.
The Business Performance Diagnostic also helps companies improve competitiveness by benchmarking their performance against a peer group of similar, but anonymous companies in the industry.
Business Link's construction industry expert, Peter Downing, said thinking about the long term operations of a business can often be over-looked when its day-to-day management can be so time consuming.
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"The Business Performance Diagnostic supports vision, encourages expansion and removes barriers, ultimately enabling the implementation of best business practice for the future, helping clients achieve their business objectives," he said.
"A business can benefit from an impartial analysis of its operations, providing it with a fresh look at its business proposition.
"It's a chance to get your business thoroughly checked out and to build a tailored programme for improvement".
A recent construction market survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed that the South West is one of just two UK regions where construction workloads have not slowed.
The importance of the construction sector to the region's economy is demonstrated by CITB-ConstructionSkills south west figures, which estimate its worth as £6.1 billion in output, with nearly 18,000 construction companies in operation, employing 194,000 people (one in 14 of those economically active in the region).
There are 1,035 construction firms in Bristol alone*.
"There has never been a better time to support business and people development," Mr Downing said.
The free business review starts with a survey which highlights the strengths and weaknesses of a business, helping to clarify and prioritise its strategic focus and giving a holistic view of the marketing operations, IT, people and financial aspects of the business.
Following the review, each business is given a practical action plan highlighting areas for improvement to build on opportunities and address problems.
This concentrates on the few areas that can make a real difference, such as improving business processes or decreasing employee turnover.
In some cases matched funding support of up to £5,000 can be made available to help implement solutions via a specialist consultant.
For further information on the Business Performance Diagnostic, contact Business Adviser, Peter Downing on 07980 165967 or the Business Link Team at Business West on 01275 373373.
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