Skip to content
Product cover

Analyzing Performance in Service Organizations

June 18, 2013 | H. David Sherman, Joe Zhu | Data, AI, & Machine Learning

How can service businesses measure and manage productivity? They can't always trust intuition about how employees will perform — intuition can be misleading, or just plain wrong.

A growing number of savvy service businesses have been investigating the use of a sophisticated linear programming technique called DEA, or data envelopment analysis. Authors H. David Sherman and Joe Zhu, who call DEA "balanced benchmarking," write that the technique helps companies locate best practices not visible through other management methodologies. It also allows managers to test their assumptions about productivity.

Balanced benchmarking simultaneously considers the multiple resources used to generate multiple services, along with the quality of the services provided. For example, bank branches can use six or more types of resources and provide 20 or more types of services, all of which are considered with balanced benchmarking. By combining this information, balanced benchmarking provides unique insights about best practices and opportunities to improve productivity and profitability.

The technique isn’t just for banks, though. The authors have helped other organizations implement balanced benchmarking to improve their operations, and the authors reviewed dozens of studies in numerous industries. They found that while many companies are awash in data, this doesn't necessarily mean that managers will always have the data they need or desire. Balanced benchmarking, however, can often be performed using information that is readily available.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0005
My Controller Construct  0.0003
Build Nav  0.0005
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.0625
Total Execution Time  0.0630
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5665 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/analyzing-performance-in-service-organizations
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0006  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0012  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0022  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0006  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '93336f3b333b69924820f13e9f7f9aee'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'analyzing-performance-in-service-organizations'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0017  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'analyzing-performance-in-service-organizations' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'analyzing-performance-in-service-organizations'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  417 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '417' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '417'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '417' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '417' 
0.0001  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '417'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0229  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('276') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '701' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '701' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '701'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3943' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3943' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3943'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3049' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3049' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3049'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3433' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3433' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3433'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3497' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3497' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3497'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4191' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4191' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4191'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0008  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '417'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '209' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '209' 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '417'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '417'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0001  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '418'
LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '418'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0002  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '417'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0004  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)