ABSTRACT
Benchmarking is the planned and structured search for industry best practices and procedures, which can lead to superior competitive performance. In some senses, benchmarking is imitation and stealing. At its best it is skilful appropriation and adaptation requiring imagination and innovation, at its worst it can be an expensive and time-consuming search up a blind alley. Modern benchmarking theories derive from work performed in Xerox's American manufacturing operations around 1980. Benchmarking can greatly assist the introduction of organizational change, because it challenges the traditional ways of thinking about achievable performance, effectiveness, efficiency and the real potential for improvement. Benchmarking's application may be limited by the management culture. Some senior executives will publicly state that their business is different and that it is unique. Benchmarking, however, takes a normative approach to management–there are industry best practices that are generalizable both between industry sectors and organizations.
