Aiming for continuous improvement: performance measurement in a re-engineered technical services

In 1996 Griffith University Library undertook a major re-engineering of its Technical Services Section. Features of this re-engineering included automation of repetitive processes, vendor supply of USMARC records, and a partnership with the Blackwells Group for supply of shelf ready books and consolidation of serials. The outcome of this process was a reduction in staff numbers in the section from 34 to 17. The new section was organized into two self-managing teams, with each team responsible for all its own functions from acquisitions through cataloging. The change in the section was as much cultural as structural. Team members were actively encouraged to take responsibility for their own work areas and to participate in all decision-making processes. The concept of “continuous improvement” of work processes was emphasized, and a system of performance measurement put in place. Unit costs (i.e., the average cost of adding a book or serial issue to the collection) and labor productivity are measured on a quarterly basis, and turnaround time annually. The methodology for calculating these figures and their use as a management tool is outlined.