Background-and-Frequently-Asked-Questions--FAQs-

Linton Consulting Benchmarking and Best Practices Program

Background and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why Benchmarking and Best Practice Sharing?

We've all heard the story that illustrates that the woodsman who rests, and 'sharpens his saw' is more productive than the one who keeps working without breaks and with inferior or dulled tools.

Benchmarking and Best Practices sharing is all about learning to do work better, faster and smarter on both a personal and organizational level. Continuous-improvement philosophies of recent decades have improved manufacturing quality and productivity in many industries. However, we are talking here about an extension of these continuous-improvement methodologies into the facilities, engineering, construction, real estate, maintenance and other related business functions.

There are at least 3 ways to learn:

1) from a classroom teacher

2) from observing the experience or lessons of others

3) from personal experience.

We learn from all 3 of these ways. Personal experience has often been called the "school of hard-knocks". Even though we may want to minimize that one, it is a part of the mix. However, we can accelerate learning if we don't have to learn all the lessons of business by trial and error. This is where Benchmarking and Best Practices sharing makes its most valuable contribution.

If you are primed and ready for it, Benchmarking and Best Practices can accelerate your organizational learning. It can accelerate your business process improvement, help you find better tools and provide more experiential training and executive development. What better training program can you as a leader experience, than to rub shoulders with peers and role model leaders that challenge you to grow?

We have been asked, "How can we show upper management that we are doing a good job in our facilities, engineering, real estate, project management, maintenance, energy management and other functions?" The answer is often, "by participating in Benchmarking and Best Practices activities."

Finally Benchmarking and Best Practices programs such as ours help with networking and connecting people that might never meet. Developing your network of experts that you can access after the session will serve your continuous improvement process many years into the future.

Why Multi-Industry Programs?

Many companies in specific industries have groups they meet with to do benchmarking and best practice sharing and they have been doing this for many years. No doubt, these are invaluable. However, we believe in adding yet another dimension. We help you 'get out of the box' of your industry to learn about how other industries and companies do business and perform similar functions in ways that may be unique. If you can learn from observing others it can help you leapfrog your competition and accelerate your organizational learning even more.

Our work is inter-industry. While statistical benchmarking is more difficult across industries (usually hard to achieve apples to apples comparisons) and is sometimes not meaningful between diverse companies, there are many benefits to studying the differences. We believe our greatest value-add goes beyond statistical comparisons to looking at and adopting best practices.

How Are Our Programs Different?

We typically bring together 12-15 representatives of approximately 10 major companies for a knowledge exchange on process improvement in specified areas (see each session Prospectus for the menu of topics). These are not like large conferences, where a few speakers talk to large audiences, but exclusive, private Roundtables held at a high quality venue for indepth discussion and exchange. We encourage high engagement and knowledge exchange among highly experienced professionals. All participants are interviewed in advance to determine their greatest areas of learning interest as well as their to identify areas where they can contribute. Typically each participant presents in turn, in an area of their expertise; others ask questions and discuss in areas where they need to learn. Any participant can steer discussions into specifics of their greatest interest and need. This is accomplished through input to the agenda and questioning during the sessions.

By limiting participation, our business model encourages extensive exchange and discussion between accomplished professionals. Since it is not a large conference, but a facilitated Roundtable, you get two days of exposure to consult with, advise and be advised by peers. You also get to develop relationships that continue after the session offering multiple benefits in your future.

This session gives you the opportunity to network, benchmark and share best practices with leaders in relevant functions, in a variety of companies and industries. The value is attested by the fact that several of our past clients have participated 2 to 3 times.

Why Do You Charge a Fee?

Some think their company should not have to pay a fee and they should be invited just because they are who they are. However, this is counter to our purpose and the majority of our participants. Our programs are not entertaining-wining-and-dining programs conducted to sell our services or products to you. We exist to bring you together with other interesting leaders and professionals from interesting, role model companies to learn from one another through sharing organizational best practices and personal experiences. We have no ulterior or unstated motives in our programs. We believe we provide high value because you get the benefit of a shared investment from a variety of companies.

Our business model is to request a flat fee from a relatively few participants/companies at each session (targeted to 10 companies; 15 personnel) to fund a highly valuable program that meets your combined objectives. We are not a conference, nor just a seminar, nor a management training program, although our sessions may resemble and provide some of these same benefits and more.

Our standard fee of $5,000 per company is well-earned. For that fee you may send up to 2 people for 2 days. From our earned fees we pay for the many hours of development costs, the identification, recruiting and securing of participants, the venue, the tour logistics, and specified meals during the sessions. Our programs are not huge conferences with hundreds of participants. We do not make our money on volume. We provide an environment for you to explore many topics and talk one-on-one with peers from other exciting companies. It's like low-cost consulting advice from your peers. When you think about it, it is really a bargain. However, you still must apply yourself to get value. What you take away is typically commensurate with what you put into it.

Why 2 Days?

Over time we have learned that 1 day or 1.5 days is too little and 3 days, while it seems like it would be much better, is usually considered impossible. Most corporate leaders will not give 3 days to a program that takes them away from their required work for more than 2 days. So for most of our programs we have settled on 2 full days.

Atlanta Facilities, Engineering Operations & Maintenance Program

Why Atlanta / Stone Mountain, GA?

Atlanta is a busy metropolis located in the middle of the growing Southeastern U.S. It's world class Hartsfield airport is a hub for much of the U.S. and International travel. Stone Mountain is a state park and the Evergreen resort is a quiet retreat only 40 minutes away from the airport and the City. This is our 5th Benchmarking and Best Practices session over 5 years. As our programs have matured we have found a changing and maturing of topical interests from our clients. Thus, this session will focus more on facilities, plant engineering, operations and maintenance topics with less emphasis on development, construction or real estate.

Energy & Sustainability Program

Why Energy & Sustainability?

Improving energy management even in the lower cost energy world is a high priority for industrial and power companies. There is a lot of interest in sustainability, environmental compliance, renewable power, microgrids, storage, hydrogen, fuel cells and related topics. We hear about or see companies investing in facilities and programs and taking on initiatives that we may wonder about. Are they producing results? Is there a real ROI (either financial or societal?) What really makes sense to do and not do? What should be your energy strategies for the future?

Shanghai Program

Why Shanghai?

Linton Consulting held our first international program in Shanghai in May of 2017. Shanghai is a huge city in mainland China that has become a major business hub and is one of the most visited cities. With some 25 million people, it is highly industrialized and represents China at its best. It is also a very modern and progressive city in many ways, yet it retains a lot of its past.

Many global or multi-national corporations are represented in Shanghai from every industry. It was an exciting place to hold our 4th Linton Consulting Benchmarking and Best Practices session.

Registration Process

Where is Your Registration Page?

Currently we don't have a registration page on our website. We want to discuss the program one-on-one with prospective participants. We want to hear your objectives and explain ours. We want to be sure there is mutual value in your participation.

Please call +1 864 901 5398 to discuss.

Email: Bill@LintonConsulting.com

Bill Linton BIO