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  • Benchmark Index
  • Best Factory Awards
  • Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
  • CONNECT
  • DTI Management Best Practice
  • Fit for the Future
  • Great Place to Work
  • Inside UK Enterprise (IUKE)
  • Investors in People (IiP)
  • Living Innovation
  • Partnerships with People (PwP)
  • Regional Supply Offices
  • Regional Support
  • Small Business Service (SBS)
  • UK Council for Electronic Business (UKCEB)
  • UK Online for Business

Benchmark Index
The Benchmark Index allows a company to measure its performance against others in around 80 aspects of finance, operations, management and business excellence. Industry sector, size of company or geographical region can be benchmarked against. www.benchmarkindex.com  

Best Factory Awards
The Management Today Best Factory Awards are jointly run by Management Today and Cranfield School of Management and are supported by the IEE and the EEF. The Awards are organised around the following industry sector categories: Engineering; Electronics and Electrical; Process; and, Household and General Products. www.bestpractice.haynet.com/awards/bfaindex.html  

Confederation of British Industry
The CBI has a suite of benchmarking tools delivered under the family name of PROBE (PROmoting Business Excellence). Each tool allows you to benchmark against your sector and industry, and the world class criteria of each model. The proven and popular methodology now extends across Service PROBE, CONTOUR for Environment Health & Safety, and HEADSTART for people performance management. For further information contact CBI, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DU or the benchmarking team. Tel: 020 7739 8184. email:benchmarking@cbi.org.uk www.cbi.org.uk

CONNECT
CONNECT is an easy to use series of programmes (provided on CD-ROMs) that bring together the latest proven techniques and thinking to help you improve a range of different aspects of your business. The series is expanding all the time but at the moment it covers subjects such as - leadership, marketing, customer focus, electronic networking, products and processes, finance, exporting, applied benchmarking, the euro, the minimum wage, partnership working, the Business Excellence Model®, and the a programme specifically for the construction industry. www.connectbestpractice.com

DTI Management Best Practice
This DTI site provides access to a range of information and services designed to help companies improve their business performance through management best practices, techniques and technologies. www.dti.gov.uk/mbp

Fit for the Future
A National campaign, led by the CBI and supported by DTI, to create widespread awareness of the value to be gained from adopting better or best practice and to point to sources of support and assistance. Tel: 0870 600 2513 Fax: 020 7497 3646 Email: fitforthefuture@cbi.org.uk www.fitforthefuture.org.uk  

Great Place to Work
For information including case studies and sources of help and advice on the whole range of people management and development initiatives. www.greatplacetowork.gov.uk   

Inside UK Enterprise
Inside UK Enterprise is a unique programme of one-day visits to UK companies committed to improving the performance of their businesses through best practice implementation. The IUKE programme allows visitors to experience "hands-on" new techniques and innovations and identify ways of improving their business performance through the exchange of ideas. www.iuke.co.uk 

Investors in People
Investors in People is the National Standard which sets a level of good practice for improving an organisation’s performance through its people. For further information or details from local agency or organisation, Tel: 020 7467 1900 www.iipuk.co.uk  

Living Innovation
Innovation is the key to improved business performance. Living Innovation shows how, through a commitment to innovation, UK companies can outperform their competitors, introduce new and exciting products and services, and meet and exceed market expectations. www.livinginnovation.org 

Partnerships with People
Partnerships with People aims to help organisations bring the best out of their people to achieve significantly enhanced business performance. It illustrates the way in which successful management styles can be developed to ensure that everyone is able to contribute to the aims and objectives of their organisations - the most powerful resource for change, improved performance and competitive advantage is the people who already work for the organisation. www.dti.gov.uk/pwp  

Regional Supply Offices
The RSO’s were launched in 1995 by DTI as part of its drive to improve the competitiveness of the UK-based companies. RSO’s act both regionally and nationally, supplying a professional, high quality service to purchasers and suppliers. They help facilitate supply chain development for client firms, work with regional partners to improve competitiveness on a stategic, sectorial basis, and provide new business opportunities for competitive suppliers. www.rsn.org.uk

Regional Support - Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices
To find out more about business support in your region, link through to your Regional Development Agency or local Government Office. www.local-regions.detr.gov.uk/rda/info/index.htm
www.local-regions.detr.gov.uk/go/goindex.htm

Small Business Service
The SBS provides business support, advice, or access to experts, through the Business Link partnerships on every aspect of support a person might need to run their own business, including business planning, management, exporting, quality, employment issues, training and development, innovation, design, regulation/design, information and communication technology and e-commerce. Tel: 0114 259 7788 or e-mail: enquiries@sbs.gsi.gov.uk www.sbs.gov.uk  

UK Council for Electronic Business (UKCEB)
Improving the competitiveness of UK Industry through effective electronic business. Promotes and supports best practice in the restructuring of business so that it can benefit from electronic information integration and exchange. Tel: 01494 601066 Fax: 01494 601001 E-mail: executive@ukceb.org www.ukceb.org  

UK Online for Business
Provides small businesses with impartial advice on using Information and Communications Technologies. Tel: 0845 715 2000 www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk