In-Depth
What is a best practice?
- By Buff Colchagoff
- October 1, 2004
One dictionary definition of practice is: “A habitual or customary action or act.” A best practice, therefore, is merely a habitual act that has proven itself to be the most effective. There’s a buzz now about these industry best practices. It’s obviously valuable to look across an entire industry and discover what common practices have been proven effective, because those practices may work for you. However, a best practice can also be specific to an organization; for example, an effective practice in one workgroup that gets adopted by other workgroups.
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About the Author
Buff Colchagoff is research director in the office of technology at consulting firm Number Six Software.