There’s a flurry of activity going on at Demonstrating Value, so we thought it time to bring back the basics and reconnect with the nuts and bolts of Demonstrating Value – the Demonstrating Value Workbook.
The workbook is a tool that gives you the know-how to develop a clear and concise summary of your critical organizational info. What are your organizational goals? How do you communicate those goals, and how do you know when you’ve reached them? The workbook helps you see the “big picture” at a glance, and shares the details that you, your stakeholders and your community want to know.
We call these summaries Performance Snapshots and the workbook is your step-by-step guide to creating a snapshot for your own organization.
So what are the steps in creating a performance snapshot? Let’s break it down!
 | The first step is to define the people closest to your organization and determine their needs. Who is your audience and what do they need from you? Once you’ve defined these groups, pinpoint some steps you can take to ensure their needs are consistently met. |
 | Next, start envisioning your performance snapshot. What is the purpose of your snapshot and how do you want it to look? Are you going to create a printed document or an electronic dashboard? What software do you need to create it? These are important questions to ask yourself before you get started. If you’re having trouble deciding between creating a snapshot with Excel versus SAP design software, our scoping tool will guide you through this decision to help you determine what’s right for your organizational needs. Once you've decided the type of snapshot you would like to create, review snapshot examples and select a model that you would like to follow. |
 | Next it’s on to information mapping. Here, the goal is to hash out the data and information that you find most useful when communicating the value of your organization. Not sure where to begin? The workbook is designed to take you through this process, step by step. |
 | Finally in step four, it’s on to designing your performance snapshot. You want to create a unique snapshot that speaks directly to your organization, but don’t forget to refer back to the snapshot example that you’ve chosen as a guide. It can keep you from getting lost along the way. |
 | From there begins regular and ongoing maintenance of your snapshot for use as an effective and efficient management tool for your organization. |
If you’ve never seen the Demonstrating Value Workbook, check it out. If you’re already familiar with it, don’t forget that the workbook isn’t for one-time-use only. It’s a guide to store safely in your back pocket and a resource to refer back to when updating existing snapshots or creating new ones.