Measuring R&D Productivity with APQC

GGI Partners with American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC).

Goldense Group Inc. (GGI) will fill the role of Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a new consortium research and benchmarking project initiated by APQC. In order for companies to gain and sustain a competitive edge, they must continually invest in new and improved products and services. The purpose of this consortium benchmarking study is to research how leading organizations focus, manage, and measure their R&D and Product Development activities to provide maximum benefit to the corporation.

APQC with GGI expert support, along with consortium members, will examine how best-practice organizations advance R&D productivity and how they measure it. We will identify specific best practices and the measures associated with those practices; and how these companies measure overall productivity at the corporation level.

Project Scope

To help organizations learn how to successfully measure R&D productivity, the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) is launching a consortium benchmarking study that will address three areas.

1. Identify the areas where improved attention, knowledge, and education would lead to higher R&D productivity.
• Understand how leading-edge organizations manage portfolios and the focus and number of innovative new product or service ideas.
• Identify common elements, processes, or strategies that increase the productivity of both research and development, as opposed to those that are effective for one or the other (e.g., too much control may not be appropriate for research but could be effective in development).
• Learn how leading-edge organizations take steps to operationalize a strategy for innovation.
2. Use measurement to increase visibility and awareness to facilitate enhanced performance in R&D.
• Determine what to measure.
  1. Overall R&D performance
  2. Product/ service development project performance
  3. Functional performance
  4. Improvement projects
• Examine how leading-edge organizations use performance management practices to drive the efficiency and effectiveness of R&D to the bottom line.
• Identify qualitative and quantitative metrics.
3. Determine effective change management activities to support the realization of improved R&D productivity.
• Understand the effect of the measurement system on R&D performance.
• Understand the behavior-based challenges related to implementing and maintaining a performance measurement system.
• Learn how leading-edge organizations evaluate the productivity of knowledge workers.

More Detailed Information

APQC Consortium Benchmarking Methodology - This presentation discusses the methods APQC follows for the conduct of its sponsored consortium benchmarking studies. It would be of interest if you haven't previously engaged with APQC or participated in such a benchmarking research project.

R&D Productivity Proposal - This paper describes the goals and pricing for consortium participants for this specific R&D Productivity Study.

R&D Best Practices Screening Survey - APQC, GGI and consortium sponsors endeavor to only engage in benchmarking partnership with those who can be singled out as best practice implementers. This survey is one tool used to identify firms that have truly adopted best practices in R&D Productivity.

Sponsor Interest Questionnaire - Sponsors considering participation in this productivity study complete a series of short questions relating to their needs, interests, and expectations. The response is discussed as part of the decision process of becoming a sponsor with APQC to insure that there is a good match between the intent of the study and the sponsor company's needs.

For even more detailed information about the APQC/GGI Consortium Research Study, please contact GGI at 781-444-5400, or visit our contact page .

The contact at APQC is Marisa Brown at (713) 685-4655 or fax (713) 681-1179, or via email to mbrown@apqc.org.

For more information about APQC and its wide range of benchmarking activities go to their home page at www.apqc.org.