%20(1).png)
BENCHEMARKING SOFTWARE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
​
Do you have questions about using benchmarking software for your organization? Below are answers to some of the more frequently asked questions that we receive from prospective clients. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to provide an answer.
Q: I've heard benchmarking is really complex. How much time and resources will we need to allocate to the project?
​
A: A typical Dynamic Benchmarking® platform takes only three months to develop from the time the contract is signed until your study is launched and actively collecting data. With years of experience in creating successful benchmarking studies for organizations of all kinds, the experts at Dynamic Benchmarking will guide you through the entire process. Each client will designate an internal project manager who will act as the liaison between your organization and Dynamic Benchmarking. This internal project manager will typically spend 3-5 hours per week working with a dedicated Dynamic Benchmarking Project Manager who will manage the development of your study platform and benchmarking software configuration, as well as provide regular guidance through every stage of the project.
​
​
Q: How will we know what questions to ask in our benchmarking study? Can you use questions and/or data from an existing or previous study?
​
A: Dynamic Benchmarking has years of experience in most study topics and is well versed in getting to know the nuances of a new industry quickly. Your Project Manager will assist you every step of the way to ensure that you are asking appropriate questions designed to generate meaningful performance benchmarks for your study topic. We can provide question suggestions, use your existing study, if available, work with your task force, share examples of similar successful studies and more. We can even import data from studies you’ve conducted previously using different platforms, so you can use it for historical comparisons and trend analysis. Bottomline, we’re here to help you develop the most effective benchmarking study and user experience possible using our online benchmarking software solution.
​
​
Q: Can I integrate my benchmarking study with my Association Management Software (AMS) software? If so, how does it work and what are the benefits?
​
A: Absolutely! At Dynamic Benchmarking, we understand the importance of a good user experience and built our benchmarking software to easily integrate with today’s leading Association Management Software (AMS) programs. Our development team will provide a simple API to your technical team or consultant and work with them to ensure a seamless integration. The advantage of the Dynamic Benchmarking API is that it allows for Single Sign On (SSO) access through your website, eliminating the need for multiple usernames and passwords, while allowing your organization to easily define various levels of access permissions to your benchmarking survey and reports. Contact us today to find out if AMS integration is right for you.
​
​
Q: Our members share a lot of sensitive data. How can we assure them that it will be safe and secure?
​
A: In today’s world of constant cyber attacks and hacks, security is of primary concern to you, your participants and to our team. Dynamic Benchmarking monitors all user access and maintains high security standards for all servers and access points. Each and every benchmarking platform is secured with an SSL certificate that encrypts data while users are entering or editing survey responses. Additionally, all data is stored in a secure SQL Server database managed specifically for Dynamic Benchmarking. Each platform is assigned a dedicated database to guarantee that the data can’t be accessed by users not associated with the platform. All users are attached to an account and can only see the data specifically entered into their account, while logins are carefully and securely managed using either Single Sign On (SSO) or Dynamic Benchmarking username and password.
​
​
Q: My membership is very diverse. How will they get access to reports that provide meaningful data comparisons and actionable business intelligence?
​
A: The Dynamic Benchmarking platform provides an interactive and dynamic filtering system that lets individual users choose how to slice and dice the data to meet their own unique needs. Typical platforms have between four and eight filters that are available for users to activate individually or in combinations they choose. These filters allows users to compare themselves to peers with similar characteristics. For example, a user could choose to activate a region filter and then add a filter for number of employees. The filtering system is very dynamic and completely user-driven, allowing your members to customize reporting on the fly. Your Dynamic Benchmarking Project Manager will guide you in selecting which filters you should make available to your users and configure your benchmarking software accordingly.
​
Q: What about data entry errors and outliers? Do you have a system in place to account for those?
​
A: Everyone makes mistakes, but when it comes to data, one mistake can make a drastic impact on the quality of your final results. The Dynamic Benchmarking software has several controls in place to assist in maintaining data integrity. First, we offer input validation with ranges for numeric questions, so if a response falls outside of the defined range, the user is notified right away. Second, our 25th and 75th percentile reporting can automatically “remove” the highest and lowest values, offering users the opportunity to filter out potential outlier responses or to simply narrow the focus of their report to the majority of respondents. We also provide an outlier report that contains meaningful numeric values for identifying potential outliers that are not captured using range rule definitions, so administrators may remove data that could skew reports. Lastly, we can also provide custom calculations for outlier and validation purposes for use by your platform administrator. For more information on data validation, contact Dynamic Benchmarking.
​
​
Q: Can we have more than one study topic within a platform?
​
A: Yes, Dynamic Benchmarking has a system that allows for multiple study topics within one platform or we can provide a unique platform for each study topic. Each study topic has its own set of filters and reports, providing the full functionality of a complete benchmarking study. When combined on one platform, questions common to all study topics can be shared so users only have to answer the question once. Your Dynamic Benchmarking Project Manager can help you decide which option is the best solution for you.
​
​
Q: I love your reports, but can I access the raw data my users supply to the platform?
​
A: Yes, Dynamic Benchmarking provides 24/7/365 access to your raw data which can be downloaded by your platform administrator at any time. Your collected data is owned by you - period. DB has no interest in your data, doesn’t have any ownership of your data and will never use your data other than providing it to the users of your platform.
​
​
Q: What's the maximum number of users we can have on our platform?
​
A: You can have as many users as you want! Dynamic Benchmarking does not charge based on the number of users and never will. In fact, benchmarking study results are improved with higher levels of engagement, so we want you to have as many users as possible.
​
​
Q: Can I monetize my benchmarking study to generate non-dues revenue?
​
A: Yes, there are several ways to monetize your project:
-
Secure a sponsor in exchange for promotional visibility on the platform.
-
Sell platform access to your non-members/prospects.
-
Sell reports and results to non-participants.
-
Sell reports and results to supplier partners. This is best managed with an integration to your AMS which can incorporate business rules and provide immediate access after a purchase.
-
Write and sell papers/reports/articles based on data collected
​
​