The benchmark is a means that makes it possible to evaluate the performance of a company in its economic field and to make a comparison with the best players in the sector. This development tool makes it possible to rely on an evaluation process by referring to one or more proven models.
How to define a benchmark?
Benchmarking, otherwise called benchmark, is the subject of a
marketing method allowing a company to verify the performance of another company . The latter is based
on the comparison and analysis of the performance of competing and famous
products or services on the market, with the aim of developing the design of a
product, which must resemble the products observed.
This phase of comparative analysis of
the competition goes beyond the simple limit of competitive intelligence, since
it also makes it possible to go beyond other fields of activity despite those
known to the company. This allows them to be based on their marketing
techniques, their management and organizational processes. It can in
particular be the object of companies having methods which can be replicated by
the entrepreneurial constitution of benchmark. In this sense, it may be a
question of:
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Competitive benchmark;
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Sector benchmark.
The notion of benchmarking
consists in selecting on an international scale, the company or companies which
perform in an efficient manner an approach or any task, to analyze and follow,
a strategy for its own company.
For a company, this consists of
making a comparison with the "leaders" who place themselves on the
market, to guide itself according to these ideas, practices, operations and
experience which allow practices to be improved.
Why carry out a benchmark?
For any company that finds itself
in a market saturated with competition, the enunciating elements of quality and
performance are the subject of a good study according to the role of the other
available actors. It then becomes important for this company to be
compared to the level of these direct and indirect competitors, partners,
colleagues present on the market.
Competition is perceived by any company, as being a danger and an engine of permanent development at the same time. The latter allows him to push it towards improvement. In other words, the benchmark is an effective way to compare yourself to your rivals.
The benchmark aims to increase the competitiveness and productivity of the company, as well as the development of a product before putting it on the market. We can list four different types of benchmarks:
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Internal benchmarks;
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Competitive benchmarks;
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Functional benchmarks;
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Horizontal benchmarks.
General or detailed, the
benchmark can take a specific subject as its object. Taking the example of
an e-commerce site whose activity targets the marketing of tennis rackets, this
case can initiate a benchmark to set practices relating to shipping costs,
delivery or return regulations.
In addition, the active site may
in particular opt as references for actors active in different fields, such as
sellers of shoes and accessories. E-commerce generally refers to
benchmarks to keep practices clear.