|
|
Developed by Bonnie Johnson. Updated, maintained, and copyrighted 05/20/97 by Food Resource, Nutrition and Food Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. |
Benchmarking is a management process for continuous improvement
that measures products, services, and practices against industry
leaders, ultimately leading to superior performance. Benchmarking is
not new to business life because organizations have for years tried
to determine their competitive standing. Centuries ago, this
comparison was done secretively; some know it as spying. However, in
today's benchmarking, comparison activities are performed openly with
all parties directly involved. Business and industry literature cite
the rationale for benchmarking, such as: accelerates rate of
improvement, identifies breakthroughs, and improves decision
making.
As benchmarking emerged, any organization that conducted any type of comparisons, such as comparing data with national norms, competitive analysis, or unstructured discussions with counterparts in other organizations, claimed it was "benchmarking." Comparative data analysis alone is not benchmarking. A quantitative comparison of performance is only a small part of the benchmarking process. There are numerous models of the benchmarking process. However, in simplistic terms, a generic model of the benchmarking process would consist of a planning phase, a data collection and analysis phase, and an action phase. To learn more about benchmarking, numerous internet sites provide valuable information, as do publications. See the index below for a comprehensive list of informational resources.
|
|
Developed by Bonnie Johnson. Updated, maintained, and copyrighted 05/20/97 by Food Resource, Nutrition and Food Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. |
