Benchmarking is comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and best practices from other companies. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost. In the process of best practice benchmarking, management identifies the best firms in their industry, or in another industry where similar processes exist, and compares the results and processes of those studied (the "targets") to one's own results and processes. In this way, they learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, the business processes that explain why these firms are successful.
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The term bench mark, or benchmark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking

Le benchmarking, la référenciation, l'étalonnage ou le parangonnage1,2 est une technique de marketing (mercatique) ou de gestion de la qualité qui consiste à étudier et analyser les techniques de gestion, les modes d'organisation des autres entreprises afin de s'en inspirer et d'en tirer le meilleur. C'est un processus continu de recherche, d'analyse comparative, d'adaptation et d'implantation des meilleures pratiques pour améliorer la performance des processus dans une organisation.
Un benchmark est un indicateur chiffré de performance dans un domaine donné (qualité, productivité, rapidité et délais, etc.) tiré de l'observation des résultats de l'entreprise qui a réussi le mieux dans ce domaine. Cet indicateur peut servir à définir les objectifs de l'entreprise qui cherche à rivaliser avec elle
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking


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Note added at 4 hrs (2016-10-30 11:48:06 GMT)
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4. Always one step ahead, always the right solution. The secret of success – generating a decisive added value. The history of Linde Material Handling is marked by innovations of benchmarking quality. 50 years ago Linde revolutionised the field of lift trucks with the pioneering invention of the hydrostatic drive system.
http://de.slideshare.net/punyabenja/linde-product-catalogue

In this article, the manufacturer claims having developed always the best techniques and consequently the benchmarks for the competitors.