Purpose of 1. Enterprise Research

The purpose of enterprise research is to answer the following questions:

Who are our benchmark companies? What kind of products or services do they have, how much market share do they occupy, and what kind of customer groups and channels do they have?

What is the strategy of the benchmarking enterprise? What are their vision, mission, goals and values? What is their core competitiveness? What are their strategic priorities and concerns?

What are the actions of benchmarking enterprises? What are their organizational structure, culture, process, personnel, technology, and financial status? What are their marketing activities, product innovation, partners, mergers and acquisitions, and social responsibilities?

What is the future trend of benchmarking enterprises? What are their strategic changes, market trends, opportunities and threats, potential new entrants and substitutes?

By answering these questions, companies can reap the following benefits:

Improve their own competitive awareness and sensitivity, enhance the sense of crisis and urgency, avoid blind self-confidence and satisfaction.

Understand their own strengths and weaknesses, find out their own differences and core competitiveness, and enhance their competitiveness and market position.

Discover the strategic intentions and actions of benchmarking enterprises, predict the future trends of benchmarking enterprises, formulate effective coping strategies and measures, and seize opportunities and opportunities.

Learn the advantages and experience of benchmarking enterprises, learn from the innovation and breakthrough of benchmarking enterprises, improve their own products and services, and improve their satisfaction and loyalty.

Methods of 2. Enterprise Research

The main methods of enterprise research are as follows:

Desktop research: Collect and analyze basic information and data about benchmarking companies using publicly available sources of information, such as benchmarking companies' official websites, annual reports, press releases, social media, industry reports, patent databases, etc.

Field investigation: Obtain and evaluate the first-hand information and feelings of benchmarking enterprises by observing and experiencing the products or services, customers or channels, facilities or factories of benchmarking enterprises in person or by entrusting third-party organizations.

In-depth research: Through in-depth research with existing or former employees, suppliers, partners, customers, industry experts, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, we can understand and discuss the internal situation and external evaluation of benchmarking enterprises.

Network survey: by designing and publishing online questionnaires, we conduct network survey to the target market or potential customers of benchmarking enterprises to collect and analyze the market demand and satisfaction of benchmarking enterprises.

Simulated competition: by simulating the role and behavior of benchmarking enterprises, participating in the market activities or bidding projects of benchmarking enterprises, and obtaining and testing the market strategy and response ability of benchmarking enterprises.

The method of enterprise research should be flexibly selected and combined according to different purposes and situations to achieve the effect and efficiency.

Steps to 3. Enterprise Research

The steps of enterprise research mainly include the following stages:

Determine the scope of benchmarking enterprises: determine the type and number of benchmarking enterprises, such as direct benchmarking enterprises, indirect benchmarking enterprises, potential benchmarking enterprises, etc., according to their own products or services, markets or industries, regions or fields.

Setting benchmarking enterprise indicators: according to their own strategic objectives and concerns, set the evaluation indicators and weights of benchmarking enterprises, such as market share, growth rate, profit margin, customer satisfaction, brand awareness, technical level, innovation ability, etc.

Collect benchmarking enterprise information: according to the indicators and scope of benchmarking enterprises, select and use enterprise research methods to collect relevant information and data of benchmarking enterprises, such as strategic planning, market activities, product characteristics, financial status, organizational structure, human resources, etc.

Analyze the situation of benchmarking enterprises: according to the information and data of benchmarking enterprises, use benchmarking enterprise analysis tools, such as SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, strategic group analysis, benchmarking enterprise analysis matrix, etc., to analyze the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats, strategic intentions and actions, future trends, etc.

Formulate benchmarking enterprise strategy: Based on the analysis results of benchmarking enterprises, formulate the coping strategies and measures of benchmarking enterprises, such as differentiation strategy, focus strategy, leader strategy, challenger strategy, follower strategy, adaptive strategy, etc.

The steps of enterprise research should be based on different stages and tasks, develop and implement detailed plans and processes to ensure the quality and effectiveness of enterprise research.

The Case for 4. Enterprise Research

In order to better demonstrate the practical application and value of enterprise research, this paper will briefly introduce and analyze the specific cases of Shangpu consulting service customers.

Case 1: Enterprise Research on an E-commerce Platform

An e-commerce platform is one of the largest online retail platforms in China, providing sales and distribution services of all kinds of goods, with hundreds of millions of users and sellers. The main benchmarking companies for the platform are the following:

An A e-commerce platform: This platform is China's largest cross-border e-commerce platform, providing direct mail and bonded area delivery services for overseas goods, with tens of millions of users and sellers. The platform's strength lies in the quality and price of its overseas goods, as well as its fast and convenient logistics services. The disadvantage of the platform lies in the relatively small variety and quantity of its goods, as well as the relatively low penetration rate of its domestic market.

A B e-commerce platform: This platform is the largest social e-commerce platform in China, providing social media-based product recommend and purchase services, with hundreds of millions of users and sellers. The strength of the platform lies in its social media traffic and influence, as well as the low price and high cost performance of its goods. The disadvantage of the platform lies in the relatively poor quality of its goods and after-sales service, as well as the relatively low loyalty and satisfaction of its users.

A C e-commerce platform: This platform is the largest fresh e-commerce platform in China, providing sales and distribution services for all kinds of fresh goods, with tens of millions of users and sellers. The strength of the platform lies in the freshness and quality of its fresh goods, as well as its fast and on-time delivery service. The disadvantage of the platform is that the shelf life and inventory management of its fresh goods are relatively difficult, and its operating costs and risks are relatively high.

In order to improve its competitiveness and market share, an e-commerce platform commissioned Shangpu Consulting to conduct enterprise research, mainly using the following methods:

Desktop research: by collecting and analyzing the official website, annual report, press release, social media, industry report, patent database and other public information of benchmarking enterprises, we can understand the basic information and data of benchmarking enterprises, such as market share, growth rate, profit margin, customer satisfaction, brand awareness, technical level, innovation ability, etc.

Field visit: Obtain and evaluate first-hand information and feelings of benchmarking enterprises, such as commodity characteristics, service quality, customer feedback, channel efficiency, facility conditions, factory scale, etc., by observing and experiencing the commodities or services, customers or channels, facilities or factories of benchmarking enterprises in person or by entrusting a third-party organization.

In-depth research: through in-depth research with existing or former employees, suppliers, partners, customers, industry experts, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, we can understand and discuss the internal situation and external evaluation of benchmarking enterprises, such as strategic planning, market activities, organizational structure, cultural atmosphere, human resources, financial status, cooperative relationship, competitive attitude, etc.

Online survey: by designing and publishing online questionnaires, online surveys are conducted to the target market or potential customers of benchmarking enterprises to collect and analyze the market demand and satisfaction of benchmarking enterprises, such as purchase intention, purchase frequency, purchase amount, purchase channel, purchase motivation, purchase obstacles, purchase experience, purchase suggestions, etc.

Simulated competition: By simulating the role and behavior of benchmarking enterprises, participating in the marketing activities or bidding projects of benchmarking enterprises, obtaining and testing the marketing strategies and response capabilities of benchmarking enterprises, such as promotional strategies, pricing strategies, distribution strategies, advertising strategies, product strategies, service strategies, competitive strategies, etc.

Based on the collected and analyzed benchmarking enterprise information and data, Shangpu Consulting has used SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces analysis, value chain analysis, strategic group analysis, benchmarking enterprise analysis matrix and other tools to analyze the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, strategic intentions and actions, future trends, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, and has formulated the following coping strategies and measures for benchmarking enterprises:

For a certain A e-commerce platform, take differentiation strategy, highlight the advantages of their own types and quantities of goods, provide more choices and convenience to customers, while strengthening their own overseas goods procurement and sales, improve their own cross-border e-commerce capabilities and levels, to seize the market share of overseas goods.

For a certain B e-commerce platform, adopt a focusing strategy, focus on their own target market and customer groups, provide higher product quality and after-sales service, improve their own brand image and reputation, and at the same time strengthen their own social media operations and promotion to improve The influence and attractiveness of its own social e-commerce, seizing social media traffic and users.

For a C e-commerce platform, take the leadership strategy to maintain their own advantages of goods and services, provide faster delivery speed and lower delivery costs, improve their customer satisfaction and loyalty, while strengthening their own fresh goods supply chain and inventory management, improve their own fresh e-commerce efficiency and effectiveness, to seize the market share of fresh goods.

Through the enterprise research of Shangpu Consulting, an e-commerce platform not only understands its own advantages and disadvantages in the market, discovers the strategic intentions and actions of benchmarking enterprises, predicts the future trends of benchmarking enterprises, but also formulates effective coping strategies and Measures to improve their competitiveness and market position, and achieve their own strategic goals.

Case 2: Enterprise Research of a Financial Services Company

A financial services company is one of the largest Internet financial services companies in China, providing various financial products and services, such as loans, wealth management, insurance, payment, credit cards, etc., with hundreds of millions of users and partners. The company's main benchmark companies are the following:

A D financial services company: The company is one of the largest banking financial services companies in China, providing various financial products and services, such as deposits, loans, wealth management, insurance, payments, credit cards, etc., with hundreds of millions of users and partners. The company's strength lies in the abundance and stability of its financial resources, as well as the safety and reliability of its financial services. The company's disadvantage lies in the relatively low innovation and flexibility of its financial products and services, and the relatively high cost and efficiency of its financial services.

An E financial services company: The company is one of the largest Internet giants in China, providing various financial products and services, such as payment, wealth management, insurance, loans, credit cards, etc., with hundreds of millions of users and partners. The company's advantage lies in its advanced and leading Internet technology, as well as the convenience and popularity of its Internet services. The company's disadvantage lies in its relatively weak control and supervision of financial risks, as well as its relatively low brand and reputation for financial services.

An F financial services company: The company is one of the largest non-bank financial institutions in China, providing various financial products and services, such as loans, wealth management, insurance, payments, credit cards, etc., with tens of millions of users and partners. The company's strength lies in the variety and individuality of its financial products and services, as well as the professionalism and caring nature of its financial services. The company's disadvantage lies in its relatively small financial scale and influence, as well as its relatively high competition and pressure in financial services.

In order to improve its competitiveness and market share, a financial services company commissioned Shangpu Consulting to conduct enterprise research, mainly using the following methods:

Desktop research: by collecting and analyzing the official website, annual report, press release, social media, industry report, patent database and other public information of benchmarking enterprises, we can understand the basic information and data of benchmarking enterprises, such as market share, growth rate, profit margin, customer satisfaction, brand awareness, technical level, innovation ability, etc.

Field visit: Obtain and evaluate the first-hand information and feelings of the benchmarking enterprise, such as product characteristics, service quality, customer feedback, channel efficiency, facility conditions, factory size, etc., by observing and experiencing the products or services, customers or channels, facilities or factories of the benchmarking enterprise in person or by entrusting a third-party organization.

In-depth research: through in-depth research with existing or former employees, suppliers, partners, customers, industry experts, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, we can understand and discuss the internal situation and external evaluation of benchmarking enterprises, such as strategic planning, market activities, organizational structure, cultural atmosphere, human resources, financial status, cooperative relationship, competitive attitude, etc.

Online survey: by designing and publishing online questionnaires, online surveys are conducted to the target market or potential customers of benchmarking enterprises to collect and analyze the market demand and satisfaction of benchmarking enterprises, such as purchase intention, purchase frequency, purchase amount, purchase channel, purchase motivation, purchase obstacles, purchase experience, purchase suggestions, etc.

Simulated competition: By simulating the role and behavior of benchmarking enterprises, participating in the marketing activities or bidding projects of benchmarking enterprises, obtaining and testing the marketing strategies and response capabilities of benchmarking enterprises, such as promotional strategies, pricing strategies, distribution strategies, advertising strategies, product strategies, service strategies, competitive strategies, etc.

Based on the collected and analyzed benchmarking enterprise information and data, Shangpu Consulting has used SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces analysis, value chain analysis, strategic group analysis, benchmarking enterprise analysis matrix and other tools to analyze the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, strategic intentions and actions, future trends, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, and has formulated the following coping strategies and measures for benchmarking enterprises:

For a D financial services company, take the challenger strategy, take advantage of its own Internet technology and services, provide more innovative and flexible financial products and services, reduce the cost and efficiency of its own financial services, attract and retain more users and partners, challenge the advantages and stability of its financial resources.

For a certain E financial service company, adopt the follower strategy, learn from and learn from its advanced and leading Internet technology and services, improve the level and quality of its own Internet technology and services, and at the same time strengthen its own financial risk control and supervision, and improve itself The brand and reputation of financial services follow the advantages and influence of its Internet technology.

For a certain F financial service company, adopt the adaptive strategy, provide more diverse and personalized financial products and services according to its own target market and customer group, improve the professionalism and caring of its own financial services, and at the same time strengthen its own financial scale And influence, improve the competition and pressure of its own financial services, and adapt to the advantages and differences of its financial products.

Through the corporate research of Shangpu Consulting, a financial service company not only understands its own advantages and disadvantages in the market, discovers the strategic intentions and actions of benchmarking companies, predicts the future trends of benchmarking companies, but also formulates effective coping strategies and Measures have improved their competitiveness and market share, and achieved their own strategic goals.