Choose several companies that perform similar processes in an outstanding manner. Visit their facilities and talk to employees. Find out what they do, and how they handle problems. Ask for advice. New processes, procedures, or services are fully integrated into the firm's operations.
Continuous improvement is pursued.
Possible internal sources are firm financial databases and accounting records, performance evaluations, business plans, firm-wide or practice area and individual marketing plans, staffing assignment records, time sheets, billing records, internal publications and memoranda, library files, and others. Some external sources include industry and trade publications and special reports, professional associations, general business periodicals, outside seminars and conferences, advertisements, competitors' brochures and newsletters, electronic databases, and professional experts covering relevant industries. While much of the research can be done by internal personnel if they are available and qualified, consultants are often valuable either to obtain the relevant and necessary information, or because they already have useful comparative information in their files. They may have an astute sense of what is needed and the knowledge and experience to help a firm determine what and how to benchmark. Choosing What and How to Benchmark Benchmarking will be doomed to frustration and failure if the subject is not chosen carefully.