Benefits of Benchmarking with Case Studies

Benchmarking is a tool which allows your company to identify opportunities based on real data. It gives a strong visual representation of what is working and promotes discussions regarding new ideas, creating enthusiasm to ‘do better next time’ with realistic and achievable targets.

Xerox: identifying missed opportunities

In the 1980s, Xerox found itself vulnerable to competition. Benchmarking revealed it was taking double the time to get products to market, five times the engineers, four times the design changes, and three times the costs. After acting on these insights, customer satisfaction exceeded 90% and country unit sales improved from 152% to 328%.

University of Derby: 50% water reduction

Using a Watermark benchmarking tool, The University of Derby investigated water consumption. By comparing to a national benchmark, water consumption was reduced by over 50% in just 5 months. The scope was then increased with predicted savings of over £45,000 in annual water charges.

Klimasan: exceeding carbon targets

Klimasan, one of Europe’s biggest commercial refrigeration companies, carried out a carbon footprint and benchmarking study. Not only was the target met, it was exceeded — Klimasan was named best practice leader by Coca-Cola and Heineken, and is now looking at more ambitious plans.