EBM Benchmarking Partners` Newsletter Q3-2015

Raising the bar.
www.ebmbenchmarking.com
From the Editor
While EBM-BPs have begun to reap
the benefits of having shared on-line
data and best practices, we are very
excited about the forthcoming launch
of the first ever EBM Benchmarking
Visit. News about that will follow in
the next issue after the event.
We continue to run the EBM-BC
sessions, and are forever grateful for
your continued patronage. To date,
we have run about a dozen sessions –
across various topics under CSR,
Leadership, Strategy, HR, Customer,
Vendor – et all. EBM-BPs may look
forward to an exciting new Quarter –
the last one of the year. After the
EBM-BV, we shall host the first
Annual Forum towards the year-end
to celebrate the initiative of
Benchmarking in the region.
In this issue, we are pleased to add
another new feature – the favorite fun
game of all times: The Crossword.
Enjoy solving it over a cuppa.
Do stay tuned to get the latest updates
on business excellence within the
UAE’s Business Community. All
organisations interested in hosting an
EBM-BV in 2016 may write to us at
the earliest. The annual calendar for
2016 will be fixed by Dec. 31, 2015.
For more news and other
information, read on…
-Indu Singhal, Director – Emirates
Business Management International
Consultants, Dubai.
Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
“There is a world of difference between a leadership that is based on love and respect, and one
that is based on fear.”
― Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
EBM-BP Member Update:
At the end of the third quarter and
into the fourth, we are now at the threshold of a new venture – the
EBM Benchmarking Visits.
We are pleased to announce the first EBM Benchmarking Visit that is
scheduled for October 29, 2015. UAE Exchange Centre LLC is hosting
this session and the topic is: Customer Experience Management.
In this issue:
-
This will be followed by the next EBM Benchmarking Visit by Apparel
Group. The topic is: Recruitment Process, Social Media and
Automation of HR. Those organisations that may be interested in
attending this session, may please download the EBM-BV Visitor’s
Booking Form from your portal (www.ebmbenchmarking.com) and
submit to us at the earliest.
-
Another update to all EBM-BPs is that we shall now announce the
entire calendar of Events for the year 2016 on your portal so that you
can block your calendars well in advance.
-
EBM BC – CSR
EBM BC – HR
EBM BC – Vendors
The Crossword – a brief
on its history & some
interesting related facts
Interview with Dubai First
Press Release - DEWA
Reader’s Contribution:
Innovation Process &
Linkage to Strategy (Part
2)
Humor
Several new KPMs were added in the last quarter to accommodate the various calculation methodology
for various perception data. New KPMs are getting added daily. Of special note is the KPM related to
Conservation of the Planet – Carbon Footprint in keeping with Dubai’s Go Green objective. We urge all
EBM-BPs to add this KPM to their list of subscribed KPMs and support this noble initiative from the
Government of Dubai. The KPM can be found under: Society Performance Indicators -> Environmental
Performance -> Carbon Footprint. You may get this number from your DEWA bills.
New Feature – The Crossword: We are happy to announce a new engaging feature from this issue
onwards. A short story on the history of this century old fun game follows. Read on… (Source:
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/448506/Many-a-cross-word-The-world-s-favourite-puzzlecelebrates-its-100th-birthday)
In a New York newspaper office 100 years ago, a Liverpool-born journalist called Arthur Wynne had rather
a good idea. Wynne was in charge of The World’s "Fun" supplement and he’d been asked to come up with
a new game for Christmas. He did just that – and on December 21, 1913, the first “word-cross” puzzle hit
the streets.
There were no black squares as yet, and no across and down columns, but cruciverbalism – the art of the
crossword – had been born. With delighted readers clamouring for more, Wynne’s invention became a
weekly feature. And when the puzzles – now going by their more familiar name – were collected into a book
a few years later, a national craze began.
Songs such as Cross Word Mamma You Puzzle Me were on everyone’s lips, railway companies were printing
crosswords on the backs of dining-car menus and providing their passengers with dictionaries, and a revue
called Puzzles of 1925 packed them in on Broadway.
Raising the bar.
Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
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First with the news in Britain was the Sunday Express, on November 2, 1924. With a few black squares now, and its clues marsh alled into
“horizontals” and “verticals”, Britain’s first crossword puzzle looked much more like the puzzles of today, and readers loved it.
By January 1925 an American newspaper was reporting: “The crossword puzzle craze has extended to Sandringham, where it is stated that
Queen Mary has taken up the pastime. The lesser members of the royal family are also addicted to the word hunting game.”
Where the Sunday Express led, other newspapers were quick to follow – including The Times in 1930 – and gradually a distinctively British style
of crossword began to emerge. While American clues remained straightforward, British compilers introduced such fiendish tricks as anagrams,
reversals and elaborate wordplay.
So here we present our first Crossword with more to follow in each issue.
The Crossword
Across
1. A corporate entity (8)
5. A person who buys goods (8)
7. Bull's eye (6)
10. Dubai Quality Award(3)
11. Key Performance Indicator(3)
12. Group of people (jury, judges, experts) (5)
Answers to the crossword are elsewhere in this issue.
Down
1. Evalute with Comparison with a standard(9)
2. Community at large (7)
3. Analysis of Strengths, weaknessess… (4)
4. Main, Important, Significant (3)
6. Consequence or outcome (6)
8. Pictorial depiction of data (5)
9. On-going performance, statistical traits (5)
Raising the bar.
Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
EBM BC – CSR (Contribution to Society), August 12, 2015: In keeping with the Holy spirit of Ramadan, we had
a fantastic session with eight different organisations presenting their respective approaches. These included: TECON,
Apparel Group, ADGAS, Thumbay Hospital - Ajman, Barakat Quality Plus, UAE Exchange Centre, Al Otaiba Transport,
and Dubai First.
In keeping with the mood of the presentations, active discussions took place after each presentation, facilitating clarity
on approaches. As before, all presentations were rated against various parameters. Dubai First won the Certificate of
Recognition for their approach. Hearty Congratulations to Dubai First!
Picture Gallery:
TECON:
Apparel Group:
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ADGAS:
Thumbay Hospital – Ajman:
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Barakat Quality Plus:
UAE Exchange:
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AL OTAIBA TRANSPORT:
Dubai First:
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EBM BC – HR (Competency Framework), August 31, 2015: The participants included:Apparel Group, Dubai
First, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, and UAE Exchange Centre. In keeping with the mood of the presentations, active
discussions took place after each presentation, facilitating clarity on approaches.As before, all presentations were rated
against various parameters. Dubai First won the Certificate of Recognition for their approach. Hearty Congratulations
to Dubai First!
Picture Gallery:
APPAREL GROUP:
Dubai First:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel:
UAE Exchange:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
EBM BC – HR (Rewards and Recognitions), August 31, 2015: The participants included: British Orchard Nursery
– Mankhool, Dubai First,Thumbay Hospital – Ajman, India Club, Jumeirah Creekside Hoteland UAE Exchange Centre. As
always, all presentations were rated against various parameters. Jumeirah Creekside Hotelwon the Certificate of
Recognition for their approach. Hearty Congratulations toJumeirah Creekside Hotel!
Picture Gallery:
British Orchard Nursery
Dubai First:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Thumbay Hospital - Ajman:
India Club:
UAE Exchange:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Jumeirah Creekside Hotel:
EBM BC – Vendors (Vendor Selection), September 17, 2015: The participants included: Dubai First, Dutco
Balfour Beatty LLC, Thumbay Hospital – Ajman, and Al Otaiba Transport. All presentations were rated against various
parameters. Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC won the Certificate of Recognition for their approach. Hearty Congratulations
to Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC!
Picture Gallery:
Dubai First:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Dutco Balfour Beatty:
Thumbay Hospital, Ajman:
AL OTAIBA TRANSPORT:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
EBM BC – Vendors (Joint Improvements with Vendors), September 17, 2015: The participants included:
Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai First and Thumbay Hospital – Ajman. All presentations were rated against various parameters.
Dubai First won the Certificate of Recognition for their approach. Hearty Congratulations to Dubai First!
Picture Gallery:
Dubai Silicon Oasis:
Dubai First:
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
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Thumbay Hospital, Ajman:
 INTERVIEW – With Dubai First on their marathon wins…
It has been a while since the months are swinging by, and EBM-BC sessions have been
going in in full force. One after the other, we witnessed excellent and winning
presentations from Dubai First. In fact, 5 times winner in a row! The audience has been
clearly appreciative of their presentations, and have taken home a lot of learning. So the
EBM-BP team decided to meet up with Dubai First to get a firsthand update on what
makes them tick. We met Mr. Saji Dominic, Head of Operation & Lead – Project PRIME.
The following paragraphs are a result of our discussion.
Indu Singhal: Congratulations on having received back to back repeat Certificates of
Recognition for your participation in and active contribution towards the EBM Benchmarking
Clubs. Please tell us how you feel about this commendable achievement.
Mr. Saji Dominic, Head of
Operation & Lead – Project
PRIME, Dubai First.
Saji Dominic: We are deeply honored to receive the Certificates of Recognition and thrilled that our little steps towards
quality excellence are being recognized and regarded favorably by peers from diverse industries. I feel that the Companies
striving for DQA are fortunate to have the encouragement and support offered by recognitions such as these. These
recognitions represent an important milestone for the promotion of quality culture within the organization as they not
only increase visibility in the wider community, but also offer reassurance that going through years of quality-instilling
process has been worthwhile. Receiving the certificates has deepened our commitment to continue pursuing excellence.
I would like to thank DED-EBM team for their continuing support and hope that the benchmarking club will continue to
stimulate companies in UAE to seek excellence in the way they conduct business.
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Indu Singhal: What do you attribute this success to?
Saji Dominic: When we started our journey in 2013, our vision was to make Dubai First one of the leading consumer
finance companies in the region. I attribute our achievements to the far-sighted vision of our Chairperson, Ms. Hana Al
Rostamani. Our Chairperson had set the company’s tone & direction and defined its performance culture that will provide
an appropriate environment for full engagement of all members of the organization and honing our focus on excellence.
Secondly I can attribute a lot of our success to our CEO and the Group Leaders who are passionate about everything they
do. Providing excellence is a team effort, and I view our people as our single most important asset. No business can be
successful without loyal customers. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to our customers who have
consistently encouraged us with their trust and believed in our quality commitment and transformed us to a preferred
brand.
Indu Singhal: How do you motivate your teams to deliver high performance?
Saji Dominic: I believe that we need to vary the ways you motivate people and also recognize that motivation is individual,
unique and specific, as there is no ‘one size fits all’. By combining good motivational practices with meaningful work,
setting of performance goals and use of an effective rewards & recognition system, you can establish the kind of
atmosphere and culture in one’s organization that is needed to produce superior performance. The better you are able
to link these factors together, the higher the motivation levels. That's a win-win for you, them and the company. Also,
we empower individual managers to motivate those around them, forming cohesive & energetic teams with shared
values, a shared vision and a clear strategy for achieving shared objectives. It is a combination of these approaches that
enables us to keep the staff engaged and productive.
Indu Singhal: How does Dubai First plan to take this sharing of good practices forward in the future?
Saji Dominic: Dubai First has a unique character, with an appropriate image and identity that instills a sense of pride,
purpose and dedication for the individual employee and the community at large. Adopting benchmarked practices always
keeps us on our toes to deliver excellence. Going forward, we intend to take advantage of the numerous lessons learned
through shared practices, treat our challenges seriously, and continue to boost awareness and exposure to continuous
quality improvement practice. This approach will enable Dubai First to be more efficient, flexible, and sustainable—
thereby offering the best value to its stakeholders.
Indu Singhal: How has participating in the EBM Benchmarking Clubs been of benefit to Dubai First?
Saji Dominic: Participation in the EBM Benchmarking Clubs has immensely benefited Dubai First and has become a
significant & vital part of the ‘internal practice feedback’ system. It has allowed identification of efficiencies and
opportunities benchmarked against other players in the market. We gained an exposure to various types of quality
indicators established and practiced by competitors, industry leaders and other similar organizations. We were able to
identify our strengths and weaknesses, which assisted us to develop action plans that helped improve our processes and
achieve better results. The EBM Benchmarking Club has given an opportunity for companies like ours to demonstrate
evidence of performance improvement on an ongoing basis.
Indu Singhal: Thank you for your time and comments. Any message you wish to share with our readers?
Saji Dominic: I would strongly urge all companies to actively participate in the EBM Benchmarking sessions so that they
can continually assess their strengths and weaknesses in key areas of performance within their own institution and
compare it to others. Such participation will help identify opportunities for improving process / systems and ultimately
demonstrate a sustained level of performance improvement.
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
PRESS RELEASE: DEWA’s Journey to Sustainable Excellence
Dubai, UAE, October 2015:
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is committed to Sustainable Excellence and its ongoing efforts to engage
and motivate the employees to apply the concepts and fundamentals of Excellence in order to fulfil and exceed
the expectations of the Stakeholders.
As part of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to promote Sustainable Excellence and identify the
needs of citizens and residents to ensure a brighter, happier future for Dubai, and in line with UAE Vision 2021
and the Dubai Plan 2021, which have set a roadmap incorporating ambitious initiatives and development
projects to support economic growth and ensure sustainability of energy and a clean and maintained
environment, and the vision of DEWA to become a “Sustainable innovative world-class utility”, in DEWA we
are working to provide the finest government services and achieve the highest satisfaction rates.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA said: “In DEWA we are proud of the achievements and
successes of different levels of Sustainable Excellence, and the numerous awards it has received. These
achievements are the results of the efforts of our outstanding staff who are adopting Sustainable Excellence
criteria in all operations throughout the organisation. Therefore as a result DEWA has become a role model in
efficiency, performance, and excellent services.
DEWA, as a government organisation, has contributed to the success story of Dubai and the UAE by upgrading
electricity and water services to very high levels. This is reflected in numerous international achievements as
far as efficiency and reliability are concerned, such as DEWA increased its installed electricity generation
capacity from 1,002MW in 1990 to 9,656MW today. As for water, DEWA’s current installed capacity is 470
million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day, compared with 66 million imperial gallons of water per
day in 1992. DEWA’s electricity peak load is 7,696 MW. The water peak load is 337 million gallons of
desalinated water daily.

DEWA reduced network losses in its electricity transmission and distribution networks to 3.26%,
compared to 6-7% in Europe and the United States.

The water losses are 9.1% compared with 15% in North America.
DEWA also managed to improve the ratio of production efficiency for electricity and water to 28.36% in
2014, compared with 2006.
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Reader’s Contribution: Innovation Process & Linkage to Strategy (Part 2) (Refer to last issue for
Part 1)
Innovation linkage
Innovation
Customer Perspective
Financial
Learning & Growth
1) Customer Perspective
i) The specific performance attribute of product and services dominates the performance of competitive
offering. Example – For display – Clarity, brightness, power consumption and critical attributes
ii) The value proposition in the time at which the enhanced functionality becomes available to customer.
An objective of being First-To-The-Market with new product, service is an important source of
revenue and growth in margin. .
iii) Extending existing or new products to the new market.
Customer objective and measure encompasses functionality, timeline and market innovation.
Example
Objective – First-ToThe-Market with new
product,
Measure – Lead time
relative to competition
2) Financial Perspective
Financial objective of the innovation relates to revenue growth and enhanced margin from the new product,
services. Innovation is not often associated with the productivity and cost reduction.
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
Example
3) Learning & Growth
For fostering effective innovative process competencies, technology and organizational climate are very
important. Innovation requires deep expertise in the underlying science and technology for the new product.
Companies must have appropriate mix of skills required to develop next generation of products, services.
Innovation process covers multiple functions, thus healthy and effective communication is must among functions.
Such integration enhances functionalities, launch time, quality and manufacturing cost of new product.
Organizational capital like team work, culture, skills plays vital role in innovation.
Example
There are no old roads to new directions. Innovation is something without which organizations cannot
sustain for long. Well defined innovative strategies are required for the innovation.
(Contribution by: Neetu Choudhary, [email protected])
Reference – Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Focused Organization by by Robert S. Kaplan & David P.
Norton, The Strategy Book by Max Mckeown
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Volume 3 (QUARTER 3, 2015)
PAGE19
The Crossword Answer:
HUMOR
We invite our members to send in their contributions for
future editions of the EBM-BP Quarterly Newsletter.
Those who are interested in sending in their articles,
quotes, information, etc. may contact us via email on
[email protected].
You may also contact us on the same address if you wish
to place your advertisement here. For rates, you may
visit our website (www.ebmbenchmarking.com) or send
us an email and we would be happy to revert with a plan
for you.
Until the next issue then…
From the EBM-BP Team
This newsletter is for private circulation only & not meant for public at large.
While precaution has been take to ensure the accuracy of the contents of our magazine, neither the editors, publishers nor its
agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise there from. Individual contributions to the magazine
express the opinions of discrete authors unless explicitly labeled otherwise in a subheading. The inclusion of a particular piece in
the magazine does not mean that individual staff members or editors concur with the editorial positions represented therein.
No part may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written consent from the Editor’s office.