The performance measurement system (PMS), recognized as an important tool for rapid improvement, has found wide applications in the larger organizations and has received a lot of research attention in recent past. PMS adoption in SMEs is low even though SMEs have realized its importance and benefits and are now ready to embrace PMS as a tool for improvement. This paper proposes a novel framework, called the footprint framework, for design and implementation of PMS for SMEs. The proposed framework overcomes some of the major barriers to adoption by simplifying the process of design and implementation of PMS.
The theoretical framework was conceptualized and its basis was tested for feasibility using an industry survey. The survey was analyzed using the statistical tools available in the SPSS 24.0 statistical analysis software, and the insights obtained from this analysis were used to shape the proposed framework. The framework was populated for small and medium manufacturing organizations (SMMOs) as a case study. Analytic hierarchy process was used to synthesize the data provided by the survey to build up the proposed framework and its components.
The footprint framework is a unique framework in the respect that it consists of a set of PMS suited to different company profiles that can be accessed quickly. Any SMMO that desires to determine its future PM requirements has simply to define its probable profile of the future in terms of size, business model and order winner and check the PMS appropriate to that profile from the footprint framework. Thus the SMMO can even prepare for its futuristic PM needs.
The proposed framework overcomes some of the major barriers to adoption by simplifying the process of design and implementation of PMS. The main advantages of the footprint framework are its simplicity, ease of use, immediate implementation and a built-in knowledge bank.
This research has proposed a new PMS framework, an out of the box tool that makes it possible for the Indian SMMO to adopt PMS on an instant basis. The footprint framework combines the experience of several researchers and several practitioners to offer a ready-made starter kit that needs no other aid to implement a most appropriate PMS and leverage the industry PM best practices to build the performance measurement knowledge and expertise of the SMMO without going through a protracted learning or training process.
This research has made a novel proposal for a PMS framework by proposing the footprint framework – a PMS framework that is not only an instant, out of the box solution for the SMMOs but also incorporates the know-how to implement the performance measurement complete with information on what to measure, how to interpret and what should be done to improve.
The proposed framework is simple to understand and removes a key barrier of PMS adoption for SMMOs. The user SMMO needs to state its size, business model and order winner from the available options, build up its PMS code, select the matching PMS from the framework and the SMMO is ready to implement the PMS.
