The benchmarking of information systems supporting the university administrative activities : An Italian experience

Purpose – The issue investigated in this work is relative to the features of the information sub‐systems supporting specific university administrative processes (accountancy, personnel management, student services). This paper attempt: to develop a benchmarking model; and apply the suggested model to a group of Italian universities. Design/methodology/approach – While the literature analysis has been useful to achieve the first goal, the empirical methodology of case studies has been employed for both the objectives. It means that there has been a full commitment of the involved universities also in the theoretical phase of the work. Findings – Two types of specific results are expected through the application of the suggested benchmarking model. The first is the pertinent position of each university in respect with some observed features of the information sub‐systems. The second is the identification of possible trends that are widespread within the selected universities. Research limitations/implications – Generalization of the benchmarking trends is not possible, because trends arise from a limited group of universities. Practical implications – The universities involved in the project have discovered the importance of benchmarking as a means of improving their processes and systems. Originality/value – This paper represents a first attempt at developing a model to compare the condition of the administrative information systems in a selected group of Italian universities.