Original Date: 11/03/1996
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology (ORCMT) calculates its economic impact on customers and improves its operations through a framework of measurement, information, data, and analysis. ORCMT’s management and analysis processes are based upon a number of practices developed through benchmarking, experience, and continuous improvement methods. Customer data falls into three categories: internal efficiency, customer satisfaction, and private-sector benefits. Internal efficiency measures ORCMT’s effectiveness at providing service in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost. Customer satisfaction measures how satisfied the customers are with ORCMT’s services. Private-sector benefits measure the impact which ORCMT’s services have on the private sector.

In early 1993, ORCMT began its efforts to measure results. However, benchmarking revealed that many areas had no standardized format to report data. To resolve this situation, ORCMT developed a simple, user-friendly survey for collecting data and a flexible computer software program for sorting and reporting the information. In addition to the data, success stories are maintained in an electronic database which employees and customers can access through ORCMT’s public website.

All of ORCMT’s customers are given an opportunity to complete a survey by either telephone, facsimile, or mail; nearly 60% choose mail. Although surveys are tailored to a project, standard questions appear on all versions so results may be aggregated. For private-sector impacts, ORCMT inquires about jobs created, jobs retained, cost avoidance, sales losses avoided, reduced production costs, and increased sales.

Since 1993, ORCMT has realized more than $950 million in private-sector benefits in terms of jobs created and economic benefits. Documentation shows 3,941 jobs have been created; 4,407 jobs have been retained; $136.8 million in cost avoidance; $86.3 million in reduced production costs; $249.7 million in increased sales; $160.2 million in avoidance of sales losses; and $69.0 million in other savings. In addition, data from internal efficiency and customer satisfaction show 75% of customers consider the information provided by ORCMT as useful; 82% of customers rate the overall service quality of ORCMT as good to excellent; and 84% of customers would use ORCMT’s services again and recommend it to others.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.