Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at IIT

Benchmarking - the process of identifying and learning from best practices anywhere in the world - is a powerful tool in the quest for continuous improvement.

To contribute to efficient, effective and ethical benchmarking, individuals agree for themselves and their organization to abide by the following principles for benchmarking with other organizations:

1. Principle of LEGALITY. Avoid discussions or actions that might lead to or imply an interest in restraint of trade: market or customer allocation schemes, price fixing, dealing arrangements, bid rigging, bribery, or misappropriation. Do not discuss costs with competitors if costs are an element of pricing.

2. Principle of EXCHANGE. Be willing to provide the same level of information that you request, in any benchmarking exchange.

3. Principle of CONFIDENTIALITY. Treat benchmarking interchange as something confidential to the individuals and organizations involved. Information obtained must not be communicated outside the partnering organizations without prior consent of participating benchmarking partners. An organization's participation in a study should not to be communicated externally without their permission.

4. Principle of USE. Use information obtained through benchmarking partnering only for the purpose of improvement of operations within the partnering companies themselves. External use or communication of a benchmarking partner's name with their data or observed practices requires permission of that partner. Do not, as a consultant or client, extend one company's benchmarking study findings to another without the first company's permission.

5. Principle of FIRST PARTY CONTACT. Initiate contacts, whenever possible, through a benchmarking contact designated by the partner company. Obtain mutual agreement with the contact on any hand off of communication or responsibility to other parties.

6. Principle of THIRD PARTY CONTACT. Obtain an individual's permission before providing their name in response to a contact request.

7. Principle of PREPARATION. Demonstrate commitment to the efficiency and effectiveness of the benchmarking process with adequate preparation at each process step; particularly, at initial partnering contact.

REMEMBER: Keep It Legal, Be Willing to Give what your Get, Respect Confidentiality, Keep Information Internal, Use Benchmarking Contacts, Don't Refer Without Permission, Be Prepared at Initial Contact

ETIQUETTE AND ETHICS

In actions between benchmarking partners, the emphasis is on openness and trust. The following guidelines apply to both partners in a benchmarking encounter:

1. In benchmarking with competitors, establish specific ground rules up front, e.g., "We don't want to talk about those things that will give either of us a competitive advantage, rather, we want to see where we both can mutually improve or gain benefit."

2. Do not ask competitors for sensitive data or cause the benchmarking partner to feel that sensitive data must be provided to keep the process going.

3. Use an ethical third party to assemble and blind competitive data, with inputs from legal counsel, for direct competitor comparisons.

4. Consult with legal counsel if any information gathering procedure is in doubt, e.g., before contacting a direct competitor.

5. Any information obtained from a benchmarking partner should be treated as internal, privileged information.

6. Do not:

• Disparage a competitor's business or operations to a third party.

• Attempt to limit competition or gain business through the benchmarking relationship.

• Misrepresent oneself as working for another employer.