Benchmarking Do's and Don'ts

Nov. 16, 2007

Tips on what to do and what not to do.

Dave Blanchard

The Top 5 Do's:

Do align with key stakeholders.
Do succinctly summarize benefits for top management.
Do reduce your scope to actionable items.
Do maintain perspective of both your business and cultural model.
Do test multiple options before drawing conclusions.

The Top 5 Don'ts:

Don't use competitors that match up poorly with your supply chain processes.
Don't ignore your competition.
Don't use the "boil the ocean" approach (focus, focus, focus).
Don't use benchmarking and data analysis tools without understanding how they work.
Don't work in a vacuum and think your organization knows it all.

Source: Supply Chain Consortium

See Also

About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Senior Director of Content

Focus: Supply Chain

Call: (941) 208-4370

Follow on Twitter @SupplyChainDave

During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its second edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.