Jackie R. Beede
Bruce R. Beede
2010 Baldrige Application Worksheets
Category 4 – Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Note: The intent of this document is to guide my interviews with an applicant to gather information to help them develop
their application. Often, additional information is gathered based in response to the question itself. This tool is not
intended as an assessment guide, nor is it assured to address all required information.
Category 4 – Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management
I. Measurement, Analysis and Improvement of Organizational Performance
1. Briefly describe to me your overall philosophy or approach to measures and analysis and use of data. Tie it
back to your mission, vision, values if possible. This is just to get an opening paragraph to focus the reader.
A. Performance Measurement
1. Select, Collect, Align and Integrate Measures
NOTE: There are three types of data addressed here – data to support daily operations (managing general
processes that you do day-to-day), data to support overall organizational performance (aggregated data at the
organization level that is used to see how you are doing right now), and data to support strategic plan
attainment (that is data that is defined in the strategic plan that tells you how you are doing in progress to your
longer-term goals)
a. What methods do you use to select measures that you use to track daily operations?
b. What methods do you use to collect measures that you use to track daily operations?
c. What methods do you use to align measures that you use to track daily operations (align means that you
ensure that everyone is collecting and using measures that lead to the same, or similar, things. E.g., cycle time,
delivery time, cost, quality, satisfaction)
d. How do you ensure that the data that you use to track daily operations is integrated across the organization
(it is used by processes throughout the organization to support decision making. E.g., complaint data is used to
manage day-to-day processes)
e. What methods do you use to select measures that you use to track overall organizational operations?
f. What methods do you use to collect measures that you use to track overall organizational operations?
g. What methods do you use to align measures that you use to track overall organizational operations (align
means that you ensure that everyone is collecting and using measures that lead to the same, or similar, things.
E.g., cycle time, delivery time, cost, quality, satisfaction)
This tool and all information contained within this document is the sole property of Accelerated Improvement Mentoring,
Incorporated (AIM, Inc.) and may not be shared or used without the express written consent of Jackie Beede or Bruce Beede.
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Bruce R. Beede
h. How do you ensure that the data that you use to track overall organizational operations is integrated across
the organization (it is used by processes throughout the organization to support decision making. E.g.,
complaint data is used to manage day-to-day processes)
i. What methods do you use to select measures that you use to track progress to strategic objectives and action
plans?
j. What methods do you use to collect measures that you use to track progress to strategic objectives and action
plans?
k. What methods do you use to align measures that you use to track progress to strategic objectives and action
plans (align means that you ensure that everyone is collecting and using measures that lead to the same, or
similar, things. E.g., cycle time, delivery time, cost, quality, satisfaction)
l. How do you ensure that the data that you use to track progress to strategic objectives and action plans is
integrated across the organization (it is used by processes throughout the organization to support decision
making)
m. List out the key performance measures that your organization uses – be sure to include any financial
measures that you use to manage performance. If you completed the large Strategic Planning Alignment
Matrix in Category 2 then your strategic measures are already included there.
n. How often do you determine these measures – that is, how often do you decide which measures to use?
o. How are these measures used to make decisions in the organization or to identify opportunities to innovate
and improve your organization? What process is used?
2. Determine Comparative Data
a. How do you determine which of your measures that you will find comparative data for?
b. How do you ensure that comparative data is used effectively to support decision making for operational
processes and for innovation of your approaches?
c. How do you ensure that comparative data is used effectively to support strategic planning decision making?
3. Keep Approaches Current
a. For the approaches that you described above for selecting, collecting, aligning and integrating data and
information, how do you look at those approaches (not the products and services) to determine if they can be
This tool and all information contained within this document is the sole property of Accelerated Improvement Mentoring,
Incorporated (AIM, Inc.) and may not be shared or used without the express written consent of Jackie Beede or Bruce Beede.
AIM, Inc.
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2664 Highway 18 W, Fayette, AL 35555
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Jackie R. Beede
Bruce R. Beede
improved? When you find a deficiency in those approaches, how do you fix it and incorporate the change
permanently?
b. For the approaches that you described above for determining and using comparative data, how do you look
at those approaches to determine if they can be improved? When you find a deficiency in those approaches,
how do you fix it and incorporate the change permanently?
c. How do you ensure that your approaches to data and information selection, collection and use is designed to
enable you to respond to rapid or unexpected changes need internally or externally?
B. Performance Analysis and Review
a. What process and approach do you use to regularly review the performance of your organization and
determine your capabilities?
b. What specific types of analysis do you perform to support those reviews you just identified? (E.g., pareto
charts, cause and effect, SWOT, etc.)
c. How do you ensure that the analysis you perform provide correct conclusions to be used in those reviews?
d. How do you use reviews to tell you where your organization is successful in performance?
e. How do you use reviews to tell you where you are competitive or comparatively successful to other
organizations?
f. How do you use reviews to tell you if you are successful in progress to your strategic objectives and goals?
g. How do you use reviews to tell you if you have the capabilities and capacity to shift direction to meet the
changing needs of the organization or your external environment?
C. Performance Improvement
a. How do you use the results of your reviews to identify and prioritize opportunities for continuous
improvement, significant modification, or innovation?
b. How do you ensure that everyone who is affected by these prioritized opportunities is notified of these needs
so that they can make decisions to act on them?
c. How do you ensure that all external stakeholders who are affected by, or who can affect, these prioritized
opportunities is notified of these needs and the actions that they can take to affect them.
This tool and all information contained within this document is the sole property of Accelerated Improvement Mentoring,
Incorporated (AIM, Inc.) and may not be shared or used without the express written consent of Jackie Beede or Bruce Beede.
AIM, Inc.
20612929427
2664 Highway 18 W, Fayette, AL 35555
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(205) 768-0023
Jackie R. Beede
Bruce R. Beede
II. Management of Information, Knowledge, and Information Technology
A. Data, Information and Knowledge Management
This first set of questions relates to the data, information and knowledge specifically, not the technology that is
used to manage it.
1. Ensure the Properties of Data, Information and Knowledge
a. How do you ensure that your data and information that the organization uses is accurate? (e.g., error
checking, electronically entered where possible, proven sources, etc.)
b. How do you ensure that the data and information that the organization uses is reliable (has data integrity)?
(e.g., reliable source, single source of data, consistently available systems)
c. How do you ensure that the data and information that the organization uses is timely? (e.g., real time
processing versus batch processing, etc.)
d. How do you ensure that the data and information that the organization uses is secure/confidential? (e.g.,
confidentiality rules, limited access to confidential data, etc.)
2. Make Needed Data and Information Available
a. How do you make information and data available to the employees who need them? (e.g., all have computer
access, posting on bulletin boards, presented in meetings, etc.)
b. How do you make information and data available to the students who need them?
c. How do you make information and data available to the suppliers who need them?
d. How do you make information and data available to the partners/collaborators who need them?
e. How do you make information and data available to the stakeholders who need them?
3. Manage Organizational Knowledge
a. How do you collect organizational knowledge (information about how to do a job, people contacts, short
cuts, how to run machines, etc.) from your workforce? Then – how do you transfer that knowledge to others?
b. How do you collect organizational knowledge (information about how they do things, people contacts, short
cuts, how to run machines, etc.) from your students? Then – how do you transfer that knowledge to others?
This tool and all information contained within this document is the sole property of Accelerated Improvement Mentoring,
Incorporated (AIM, Inc.) and may not be shared or used without the express written consent of Jackie Beede or Bruce Beede.
AIM, Inc.
20612929427
2664 Highway 18 W, Fayette, AL 35555
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(205) 768-0023
Jackie R. Beede
Bruce R. Beede
c. How do you collect organizational knowledge (information about how they do things related to doing
business with you, people contacts, short cuts, how to run machines, etc.) from your suppliers? Then – how do
you transfer that knowledge to others?
d. How do you collect organizational knowledge (information about how they do things related to doing
business with you, people contacts, short cuts, how to run machines, etc.) from your partners/collaborators?
Then – how do you transfer that knowledge to others?
e. How do you collect organizational knowledge (information about how they do things, people contacts, short
cuts, how to run machines, etc.) from your other stakeholders? Then – how do you transfer that knowledge to
others?
f. How do you identify best practices within your organization?
g. How do you communicate those best practices to others in the organization who may benefit from them or
who may need to adapt to them?
h. How do you ensure that best practices are rapidly deployed in your organization once they are identified?
i. How do you find, assemble and use appropriate knowledge in your strategic planning process? (E.g., pull
together the number of innovations done during the year and use as input to strategic planning, pull together
the number of people who will be retiring over the next few years and what they know so planning can include
the need to transfer their knowledge, etc.)
B. Management of Information Resources and Technology
1. Reliable, Secure, User Friendly Systems
a. How do you ensure that Hardware is reliable? (e.g., brand names, maintenance contracts, replacement
cycle, etc.)
b. How do you ensure that Hardware is secure? (e.g., secure location with card key entry, environmentally
controlled, etc.)
c. How do you ensure that Hardware is user friendly? (e.g., brand names, training, etc.)
d. How do you ensure that Software is reliable? (e.g., brand names, testing, frequent upgrades, etc.)
e. How do you ensure that Software is secure? (e.g., Antivirus software, password locked, file level security,
etc.)
This tool and all information contained within this document is the sole property of Accelerated Improvement Mentoring,
Incorporated (AIM, Inc.) and may not be shared or used without the express written consent of Jackie Beede or Bruce Beede.
AIM, Inc.
20612929427
2664 Highway 18 W, Fayette, AL 35555
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(205) 768-0023
Jackie R. Beede
Bruce R. Beede
f. How do you ensure that Software is user friendly? (e.g., brand names, testing, training, etc.)
2. Emergency Preparedness Planning
a. What processes do you have in place in case of an emergency to ensure that hardware remains available for
use? (e.g., back-up systems, back-up power supplies, etc.)
b. What processes do you have in place in case of an emergency to ensure that software remains available for
use? (e.g., back-up of software systems, etc.)
c. What processes do you have in place in case of an emergency to ensure that data and information remains
available for use? (e.g., nightly backups of files, backup storage off-site, parallel systems)
3. Keep systems current
a. What approaches do you use to ensure that your hardware, software and data systems are evaluated for
improvement opportunities and improved regularly?
This tool and all information contained within this document is the sole property of Accelerated Improvement Mentoring,
Incorporated (AIM, Inc.) and may not be shared or used without the express written consent of Jackie Beede or Bruce Beede.
AIM, Inc.
20612929427
2664 Highway 18 W, Fayette, AL 35555
Page 6 of 6
(205) 768-0023