Role of benchmarking as a competitive strategy: the logistics experience

As companies strive to create better value for their customers in today's competitive marketplace, managers are begining to realize the important role logistics plays. As they seek new ways to compete, one technique that has made headlines in the management community is benchmarking. Discusses the use of benchmarking in logistics in a few companies. Highlights the processes used, the obstacles faced and the gains made in these companies. Analyses the ways these obstacles were overcome. Based on these case studies, presents a generalized benchmarking process model and identifies and discusses the steps involved. Finally, provides practical suggestions for successful implementation of a benchmarking project.