Benchmarking: A Discovery Mechanism for Six Sigma Learning

The process of benchmarking was developed in the late 1970’s by Xerox Corporation as it needed to rapidly learn how to combat the ongoing commercial attack by Japanese industry and preserve its survival in the copier business. In this process Xerox learned that evaluating competitors and copying what others are doing, while this may be a timehonored characteristic of human behavior from the earliest of times, it is not a necessary and sufficient condition to ensure that an organization remains competitive. This fact raises an important question: What has characterized the development in this process of benchmarking and what have we learned over the past thirty years it has been practiced? Perhaps even more important is the question: What is the role that benchmarking fulfills in a modern quality management system whose foundation is built upon the principles and methods that are characterized as “Six Sigma” methods for quality management? This paper describes how the method of benchmarking is being blended into the analysis methods for process improvement approach using Six Sigma, Lean Enterprise solutions, and Decision Workouts to stimulate change management. Process benchmarking acts as the critical methodology for generating a portfolio of improvement projects which can systematically increase organization performance effectiveness, efficiency, and economy as it continues in its journey toward performance excellence.

Keywords:

Benchmarking , Competitive Analysis , Reverse Engineering , Performance Excellence , Continuous Learning , Six Sigma