Best practice management expert goes global

By ADAM GIFFORD

An Auckland management consultancy is using the internet to go global, establishing an online library of best practice case studies.

"We've created a business by pulling together, on a worldwide basis, companies interested in best practice and helping others create change," said Chris Simmons, the managing director of Best-practice.com.

"The internet enables a business like this to operate. To do it on a paper base would need a huge library."

The new site, at www.best-practice.com, is at present dominated by papers from Mr Simmons' original business, Benchmark Communications.

Material will also come from Canadian consultancy Thomas International, South African Amos Laycock and others.

Mr Simmons is talking with companies in Mexico and Germany about supplying material in Spanish and German. High-end US-based consulting group Sibson & Co will supply moderators for best practice forums held on the site.

Best-practice.com has established affiliations with the 100,000-member British Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Industrial Society of Great Britain and the Quality Institute of India.

"By using referral marketing, we can push the cost of marketing to partners we sign up," Mr Simmons said.

"The CIPD is already marketing our material, so this gives them another channel to do that."

Mr Simmons started Benchmark Communication after being involved in the restructuring of PostBank and the Bank of New Zealand.

Benchmark Communication initially started writing best-practice case studies about companies in New Zealand and Australia, but now profiles companies around the world.

Recent studies include Virgin, AOL, Nortel Networks, Dell and Cisco Systems.

Topics covered include innovative practices in e-commerce, human resource management, financial management and customer service.

Hard copy reports are marketed through subsidiaries in Australia, Britain and Singapore and through marketing relationships in South Africa, India and wider Asia.

The company also produces a bimonthly newsletter for 3500 subscribers.

Mr Simmons said the site was expected to cost "several millions" to develop.

"In the future we will look for an equity partner, and there is potential for a listing on an offshore Stock Exchange."

Technical development of the site is being done by Advanced Management Systems in Takapuna.