Benchmarking and quality improvement : A quality benchmarking deployment approach

As part of total quality management (TQM), benchmarking management has become a competitive technology taken by many successful companies. A benchmark is the value of some parameters used as a reference point to compare the effectiveness of the various benchmarking processes within one corporation with another and the information obtained is used to improve the processes. In this paper, we propose a quantitative model which links performance indicators with benchmarking process to help the company establish competitive benchmarking. In recent years, industry practices have evolved their strategic and operational decisions taking customer orientation into consideration. Therefore, this study attempts to build the benchmarking from the “voice” of the customer. The comprehensive methodology we propose here is called the quality benchmarking deployment (QBD) technique. In this empirical study, we examined the CKS International Airport and found that the “convenience of transport facilities connecting to the outside”, the “interior design and layout”, and the “information service of the airport” should be priorities to be improved in performing benchmarking activities. Airport benchmarking could provide the CKS International Airport authority with a long‐term vision and a valuable strategic planning tool in airport service.