Abstract: | AT&T and Intel teamed together in 1991 to benchmark best-in-class corporate pollution prevention programs. In simple terms, benchmarking is a process whereby you identify an area in which you want to improve or maintain superiority, find others in industry who do it best, compare yourself to their processes and achievements, and take steps to reduce the gap between yourself and the best-in-class. This article is not a tutorial on benchmarking, but a case study of the pollution prevention benchmarking embarked on by two companies. It will describe the team dynamics, the benchmarking process followed, and the conditions that were key to the team'S success in each phase. In addition, it will try to capture the enthusiasm and excitement experienced by the members of the benchmarking team. |