^The APQC Blog

Benchmarking against competitors begins with clarity. Organizations must define why they are benchmarking and what business questions they are trying to answer. Is the goal to reduce costs, improve cycle time, increase quality, or support strategic planning?

No baseline, no proof.

If HR doesn’t establish HR analytics baselines today, it won’t have a credible way to measure AI value in HR tomorrow.

Cycle time to prepare the financial forecast has emerged as a critical finance performance metric. This measure reflects how quickly finance teams can deliver reliable forecasts that support real-time decision making—without sacrificing quality. 

ROIC provides finance teams with a clear view of how effectively the organization converts invested capital into returns. And APQC’s research shows there’s a noticeable performance gap between average companies and top performers. 

Unlocking Collective Intelligence

Supply chains continue to navigate ongoing disruptions, tighter margins, and rising expectations.

As we kickoff the new year, projects are going to be well underway before we know it. Our annual priorities and challenges data states that 71% of organizations see project management as a priority for 2026. They noted their top three project management priorities as: 

As 2025 draws to a close, I’m reflecting on a remarkable second half of the year—one shaped by rapid transformation across finance and the continued demand for trustworthy, actionable insights.

The close of the year brings both the excitement of the holidays and an opportunity to look back on everything we’ve achieved—and even the things we hoped to do. At APQC, we’ve spent the year developing content to help process professionals succeed with greater speed and confidence.

What will set successful organizations apart in 2026? I don’t believe it will be about the latest technology but more about how they manage and leverage their collective knowledge.