SOME CAUTIONS ABOUT BENCHMARKING 

There is significant evidence that benchmarking can be harmful;   

• If corporate culture of quality and the basic components of TQM are not in place copying the best in class may very well disrupt operations 
• Employees who do not use the information to improve may not result in proper targeting 
• Process improvement must be tied to strategy and positioning 
• Own process must be designed before gathering data or you will become overwhelmed 
• Must see benchmarking as an ongoing process and not a one time project 
• Wide range of companies must be targeted 
• Quick action needed in order to maintain momentum 

Benchmarking can be fraught with potential problems, ranging from simple misunderstandings to serious legal problems.  

To minimize the likelihood of these types of difficulties, for example, you can follow such as the CODE-OF-CONDUCT scripted by the International Benchmarking Clearinghouse.