TOPMARK Benchmarking
TOPMARK is a free benchmarking service for processing mills and topmakers around the world. Independent trials have established there is a strong correlation between the predictive formulae used in this service and the processing performance of wool mills. This relationship is used to compare individual mill batches against the overall pool of data and identify areas where improvements can be made.
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Participation is very simple, with mills providing AWTA with greasy wool test information on their batches as well as their own processing test data. We collate the data from all participating mills and determine ‘benchmarks’ for all the major processing results. These benchmarks will allow one mill to confidentially compare its performance against the average of all the other mills participating in this program. Confidential reports are provided regularly to mills detailing their performance against key characteristics such as Hauteur, Romaine, Top & Noil Yield, and Core/Comb Fibre Diameter. |
Participation in TOPMARK is free. Simply contact us and agree to provide greasy wool and top test results on processing batches and these will be entered into a confidential database from which the processing performance of each mill can be compared. A standard form has been created to assist mills in submitting the required data.
What are the benefits of Benchmarking?
Benchmarking is the collection of performance information that allows comparisons to be made between organisations. It is typically designed to answer the question: “What are the most important performance yardsticks and where do we rank, compared with others in our industry?” It is generally recognised that, when used appropriately, benchmarking is one of the most effective tools for bringing about improvements in performance.
Some of the typical benefits are as follows:
- Allows a wide range of performance indicators to be studied
- Protects confidentiality of all partners
- Allows comparisons with competitors to be made and allows identifi cation of best practice
- Allows performance shortfalls to be clearly seen and assists in identifying priorities for improvement
- Encourages participants to seek fresh approaches to bring about improvements in performance
TOPMARK™ is a registered trademark of the Australian Wool Testing Authority
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