BENCHMARKING - A VALID STRATEGY FOR THE LONG TERM?

The present paper work deals with a popular method for developingrequirements and setting goals – benchmarking. It contains general aspects about thispowerful performance improvement tool, including types of benchmarking, steps tofollow in Benchmarking analysis, its goals, the benefits in using it and some dangerscaused by using it, also; the whole paperwork can be considered as being a plea forcontinuous, ongoing, unending improvement in management context and sustains theidea that benchmarking enables decision-makers to understand exactly how muchimprovement they will need to accomplish in order to achieve superior performance. Wedecided to broach this issue because even if it is an actual one, none of the existingarticles did not attempt to answer whether or not benchmarking is a valid long-termstrategy that should be implemented by nowaday’s companies. The case study examinesthe benchmarking initiatives taken by Xerox, one of the world's leading copiercompanies, as a part of its 'Leadership through Quality' program; the case discusses thebenchmarking concept and its implementation in various processes at Xerox and it alsoexplores the positive impact of benchmarking practices on this company.