Benchmarking - Association for Consultancy and Engineering

IntroductionEuropean CEO conferenceThe event is attended by a select group of chief executives and senior businessleaders from countries across Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Germany, TheNetherlands, The Republic of Ireland, Norway, Finland, Spain, Sweden and the UK.The conference provides:EuropeanCEO Conference& Benchmarking• Debate between CEOs in the consultancy and engineering industry• An opportunity to discuss the results of the benchmarking analysis• Discussion on the impact of the economic and political climate• Strategic advice, to help develop your corporate vision, mission andbusiness strategyThe Benchmarking ProgrammeACE Benchmarking is the industry’s annual peer-to-peer comparison programme,providing businesses with an in-depth analysis of operations, growth, productivity,costs, staff turnover, marketing and competitiveness.The Benchmarking programme helps companies to identify efficiencies in theiroperations, improve their tendering procedures, critically analyse their revenue costsand profit margins and demonstrate additional value for money in order to retain andacquire new clients.The benchmarking provides independently analysed, accurate and detailedinformation you can trust.The importance of comparing strengths and weaknessesMarriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, London | 12 - 13 November 2013About ACEACE, the Associationfor Consultancy andEngineering, is the businessassociation representing theUK’s providers of professionalconsultancy services in thebuilt and natural environment.ACE representsapproximately 600 membercompanies who togetheraccount for 90,000employees in the UK. Thesebusinesses contributearound £10 billion per yearto the UK economy, andare instrumental in thedevelopment of a widerange of built and naturalenvironment projects.ACE listens to its members,understands the issuesaffecting them and theirclients and takes the lead inrepresenting their interests todecision makers and opinionformers in governments, clientorganisations and the media.About CIFCThe Centre for InterfirmComparison (CIFC) wasone of the pioneers ofbenchmarking; it developedthe concept of comparingcompany performance usingmanagement ratios in projectsthat range from a few simplemeasures to sophisticatedanalytical studies.The CIFC was set up in1959 by the Institute ofManagement with the supportof the CBI and the BritishProductivity Council to meetthe demand for a neutralspecialist body to conductinterfirm comparisons andbenchmarking projects on aconfidential basis as a serviceto management.Its objectives were to enablecompanies to assess theirperformance against that oftheir peers and so identifyareas for improvement and toimplement best practice.Working with ACESince 2005, The Centrehas worked with ACE todesign and operate thebenchmarking projectfor Engineering andConsultancy firms. Theirsignificant experience andindependence means thatthe ACE Benchmarkingresults are accurateand concise, providingan in depth analysis ofcompanies’ performance.In addition to providingthe analysis CIFC alsoparticipates in the EuropeanCEO Conference.The Benchmarking reportand CIFC’s expertise beingavaliable at the event helpsACE to deliver a successfulconference. Discussioncovers a wide variety oftopics and key metricsexplored by participantsfrom both the UK andEurope over the two days.European CEOConference& BenchmarkingThe importance of comparingstrengths and weaknessesGet involvedACE provides a series of opportunities to givepotential partners the visibility and relationshipscompanies would expect from a membershiporganisation.ACE’s membership engages across platformswith a degree of respect and trust that can rarelybe achieved by non-membership organisations.The trust, status and expertise within theseevents make them the ideal platform forcompanies to engage with the consultancy andengineering community.ACE provides a gateway to decision makers andan industry that contributes €562bn to EuropeanGDP, and employs 14.8 million people.What will Ireceive?Participants will receive two reports which enable them toeasily utilise the output to improve their performance.Industry overview reportThe industry overview report compares the averages and upper and lowerquartiles of a companies’ data to draw conclusions on industry trends.Participants in the benchmarking programme receive a copy of this report whichincludes data tables for all the information contained in the report.The written analysis from the report is publically available, with the exception ofthe data tables, to promote important issues and trends within the industry topolicymakers and government departments. The report contains no individualcompany data and does not identify any participants ensuring that companies’figures in the scheme remain confidential.Individual reportThe individual report is one of the unique selling points of ACE’s programme,comparing your data in detail to your peers and competitors. This report containsan individually written analysis unique to your company providing you with anindependent review of your performance.In the report the companies’ data is compared on an anonymous basis. Thisensures that individual companies cannot be identified and maintains theconfidentiality of participants’ data. Your individual report will be sent direct tothe person you have nominated at the point of registration. These reports are notshared with any other parties and are not publically available.12 - 13 November 2013Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, Londonwww.acenet.co.uk

AnalysingperformanceThe Benchmarking reports are set out in a way thatenables participants to relate the findings to specific areasof their business.Profitability and GrowthThe profitability and growth section of the report explores a vital area of anybusiness’ performance. Looking at areas such as revenue, revenue growth, profitmargin, debtors and a company’s return on assets the report ensures that yourcompany’s growth and returns are on the trajectory to achieving success.Frequentlyasked questionsWhat size of company is the Benchmarking programme designed for?The programme is designed for companies with a headcount of 100 and above.Who conducts the analysis?The analysis is conducted by the Centre for Interfirm Comparison (CIFC). This ensuresthat participants receive an independent view of their company’s performance.Who holds the data for the benchmarking programme?The data for the benchmarking programme is held by the CIFC and is only usedfor the purposes of the benchmarking programme.Controlling costsWhen profits and revenue are not performing as expected it is important to knowwhy. The controlling costs section of the benchmarking reports explores theunderlying factors behind a company’s performance in greater detail. Aspectssuch as salary levels for fee earners and support staff, office expenses, overheads,travel and other direct costs all play an important role. This section will help you toidentify where you perform well and where you don’t.ProductivityHowever, bottom line costs never tell the whole story. The productivity section isdesigned to explore in detail the outputs of your company given the resourcesavailable. Does your company spend enough time on fee earning projects, shouldyou be doing more or would activities such as marketing be more important todrive growth? Is the revenue earned for your company optimal, given the amountof fee earners, directors, staff members’ time optimal or could it improve?Download last years ACE Benchmarking reportwww.acenet.co.uk/benchmarkingreportWill my individual company’s data be shared with any other parties outsideof the benchmarking programme?No. CIFC and ACE have a confidentiality agreement in place with CIFC holding thedata for the programme to provide participants with the confidence that it will notbe used for any other purposes.Can I request another copy of our company’s individual report?Companies can request the individual report to be sent to other employees, but todo this the individual that registered as the benchmarking contact at the point ofregistration will need to contact CIFC directly to request the report to be sent. Thisensures that company’s reports are only sent to the intended recipient and ensuresconfidentiality of participants’ data.Can you help me interpret my results?Depending on your requirements’ CIFC and ACE are able to construct a personalservice for your company in addition to the standard benchmarking and CEOConference service. Whilst the additional price for this service will be dependentupon requirements, this allows members of the programme to fully customise thebenchmarking programme.ImprovingefficiencyThe Benchmarking reports are set out in a way thatenables participants to relate the findings to specific areasof their business.StaffingGiven staffing is one of the major costs and investment areas for consultancy firmsthe benchmarking report analyses in detail your company’s staff turnover bothvoluntary and involuntary, the length of service of employees, reasons for leavingthe company, training and the degree of graduate sponsorship. This analysisshould help companies to ascertain if this vital area of investment is is operatingefficiently, and if your current structure is conducive to you having the skills tomeet the challenges not only of today but of the future.Winning workWhilst focusing on costs, staffing, revenue and profits is a good measure of abusiness success, a business only remains as successful as the work it wins.The benchmarking analyses companies’ ability to win work, looking at marketing input,tender success rates, performing client resilience analysis and forward order books.Environment and SustainabilityAs the benchmarking has developed so too has the areas it measures.Environmental and sustainable performance has become a much more importantarea for businesses, both in terms of their own image and for tendering success.The benchmarking report explores how companies are undertaking to improvetheir performance as it tracks the degree and scale of carbon emissions reportingand performance.RegistrationdetailsEuropean CEO Conference ** and Benchmarking programmeCompany Headcount 100-500 / ACE Member* £1000 / Non-Member £2000Company Headcount 500+ / ACE Member* £1600 / Non-Member £3200Participation in Benchmarking programme onlyCompany Headcount 100-500 / ACE Member* £800 / Non-Member £1600Company Headcount 500+ / ACE Member* £1400 / Non-Member £2800Register nowwww.acenet.co.uk/registernowFor more information contactgpontin@acenet.co.uk020 7222 6557*Rate also applicable to European Association Members.**Please note - if companies wish to send more than one delegate a charge of 80% of the full price willbe applicable for each delegateAttendance at the European CEO Conference is conditional on completion of the ACE Benchmarkingsurvey.Download last years ACE Benchmarking reportwww.acenet.co.uk/benchmarkingreport