1. determine the scope and type of benchmarking enterprises

Benchmarking enterprises are defined as other enterprises in the same market or industry that compete with the enterprise for the same or similar customers and resources. The scope and type of benchmarking enterprise depends on the business scope, target market, customer group and other factors. Generally speaking, benchmarking enterprises can be divided into the following types:

Direct benchmarking enterprises: enterprises that provide the same or similar products or services, meet the same or similar customer needs, and have the same or similar market positioning and objectives. For example, the direct benchmarking companies of Shangpu Consulting include Analysys Consulting, Huasheng Consulting, and CIIC Consulting.

Indirect benchmarking enterprises: enterprises that provide different but related products or services, meet some of the same or similar customer needs, and have some of the same or similar market positioning and objectives. For example, Champ Consulting's indirect benchmarking companies include Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and McKinsey.

Potential benchmarking enterprises: enterprises that have not yet entered but are likely to enter the same market or industry, provide the same or similar products or services, meet the same or similar customer needs, and have the same or similar market positioning and objectives. For example, potential benchmarking companies of Shangpu Consulting Company include Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu.

Alternative benchmarking enterprises: enterprises that provide different and unrelated products or services, but can meet the same or similar customer needs, with different or opposite market positioning and objectives. For example, alternative benchmarking companies at Champ Consulting are self-employed, self-taught, and self-improvement.

The purpose of determining the scope and type of benchmarking enterprises is to clarify the object and scope of enterprise research and to avoid ignoring important benchmarking enterprises or wasting time and resources on irrelevant benchmarking enterprises. Generally speaking, direct benchmarking enterprises and indirect benchmarking enterprises are the focus of enterprise research, and potential benchmarking enterprises and alternative benchmarking enterprises are the supplement of enterprise research.

2. Setting the Purpose and Problems of Enterprise Research

The purpose of enterprise research is to understand the situation of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide the basis and reference for enterprises to formulate their own strategies and marketing strategies. The purpose of enterprise research should be clear, specific, quantifiable and achievable, such:

Understand the market share, growth rate and profitability of benchmarking enterprises;

Analyze the strategies, capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, trends and expectations of benchmarking companies;

Evaluate the impact, threats and opportunities of benchmarking enterprises on the enterprise;

Looking for the weaknesses, loopholes and defects of benchmarking enterprises;

Compare the differences, similarities and imitations of benchmarking enterprises;

Predict the behavior, changes and trends of benchmarking enterprises;

Form the portrait, evaluation and ranking of benchmarking enterprises.

The questions of enterprise research are the questions that need to be answered in order to achieve the purpose of enterprise research, and are also the specific content and direction of enterprise research. The questions of enterprise research should be targeted, meaningful, valuable and answered, such:

What are the characteristics and advantages of the products or services of benchmarking enterprises?

What is the pricing strategy of benchmarking enterprises and how does it affect customers' purchasing decisions?

What is the benchmarking company's channel strategy and how does it affect customer acquisition and use?

What is the promotion strategy of benchmarking enterprises? How does it affect customers' cognition and preference?

What is the brand strategy of benchmarking enterprises? How does it affect the trust and loyalty of customers?

What is the innovation strategy of benchmarking enterprises? How does it affect the needs and expectations of customers?

What is the partnership strategy of the benchmarking firm and how does it affect customer relationships and engagement?

The purpose of setting the purpose and questions of enterprise research is to clarify the focus and direction of enterprise research and avoid deviation from the theme or omission of key information. Generally speaking, the purpose and problem of enterprise research should be customized and adapted to different customer needs and scenarios according to the business characteristics and competitive environment of the enterprise.

3. selection of appropriate information sources and collection methods

The information sources of enterprise research refer to the channels and media that can provide relevant information about benchmarking enterprises, including public, semi-public and non-public. The information collection method of enterprise research refers to the technology and means to obtain the relevant information of benchmarking enterprises, including active, passive, direct and indirect. The purpose of selecting appropriate information sources and collection methods is to ensure the adequacy, accuracy, timeliness and validity of the information researched by the enterprise. Generally speaking, the information sources and collection methods of enterprise research can be divided into the following:

Public information sources and collection methods: refers to the information publicly released or disclosed by benchmarking enterprises, as well as information obtained through public channels or media, such as benchmarking enterprises' official websites, annual reports, press releases, advertisements, recruitment, exhibitions, forums, social media, etc. The advantages of disclosing information sources and collection methods are large amount of information, easy access and low cost, while the disadvantages are the uneven quality of information, untimely updating and lack of depth.

Semi-public information sources and collection methods: refers to the information partially disclosed or limited disclosure of benchmarking enterprises, as well as information obtained through semi-public channels or media, such as benchmarking enterprises' customers, suppliers, partners, distributors, agents, employees, former employees, industry associations, industry media, industry reports, patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc. The advantages of semi-public information sources and collection methods are high quality, timely update and depth, while the disadvantages are small amount of information, difficult to obtain and high cost.

Non-public sources and collection methods: information that is not public or confidential by the benchmarking enterprise, as well as information obtained through non-public channels or media, such as internal documents, data, strategies, plans, budgets, costs, profits, risks, issues, opportunities, etc. of the benchmarking enterprise. The advantages of non-public information sources and collection methods are that the information is valuable, unique and competitive, while the disadvantages are that it is extremely difficult to obtain information, there are legal and moral risks, and a high degree of professional and technical competence is required.

The principle of selecting appropriate information sources and collection methods is to comprehensively consider the availability, credibility, availability and comparability of information according to the purpose and problems of enterprise research, as well as the types and characteristics of benchmarking enterprises, and adopt various information sources and collection methods to carry out cross verification and comprehensive analysis of information, so as to improve the validity and reliability of information.

4. use of effective data analysis tools and models

The data analysis tools and models of enterprise research refer to the techniques and methods that can organize, process, analyze, explain and present the relevant information of the benchmarking enterprise, including qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, inferential, predictive, etc. The purpose of using effective data analysis tools and models is to extract key information, hidden information, regular information and value information about benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide enterprises with insightful and suggested benchmarking enterprise analysis reports. In general, the data analysis tools and models of enterprise research can be divided into the following categories:

SWOT Analysis: A tool and model that analyzes the strengths (Strengths), weaknesses (Weaknesses), opportunities (Opportunities) and threats (Threats) of a benchmarking enterprise in order to assess its overall strength and competitive posture. The advantages of SWOT analysis are that it is easy to use, comprehensive and objective, and widely applicable, while the disadvantages are that it is too static, lacks quantification, and is subjective.

Five forces analysis: refers to the analysis of the benchmark enterprise in the industry's degree of competition and profitability, so as to assess the benchmark enterprise's competitive advantage and strategic choice of tools and models. The five forces analyzed by the five forces are the industry's benchmark firms, potential new entrants, substitutes or services, the bargaining power of suppliers, and the bargaining power of buyers. The advantages of five forces analysis are systematic depth, clear structure and logical rigor, while the disadvantages are too theoretical, ignoring changes and the existence of assumptions.

PEST analysis: A tool and model that analyzes the impact and trends of the external environment in which the benchmarking enterprise operates to assess the opportunities and threats of the benchmarking enterprise. The four factors analyzed by PEST are political (Political), economic (Economic), social (Social) and technological (Technological). The advantages of PEST analysis are extensive and comprehensive, flexible and forward-looking, while the disadvantages are excessive information, complex analysis and uncertainty.

Four-quadrant analysis: refers to the analysis of the market share and market growth rate of benchmarking enterprises, so as to assess the market position and development potential of benchmarking enterprises. The four quadrants of the four-quadrant analysis are Star, Question Mark, Cash Cow, and Dog. The advantage of four-quadrant analysis is that it is intuitive and concise, easy to compare, and helpful for decision-making, while the disadvantage is that it ignores other factors, has errors, and is too subjective.

The principle of using effective data analysis tools and models is to integrate and compare data according to the purpose and problems of enterprise research, as well as the types and characteristics of benchmarking enterprises, using a variety of data analysis tools and models to improve the interpretation and persuasiveness of data.

5. focus on the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking firms

The advantage of a benchmarking enterprise refers to the superiority, leadership or uniqueness of the benchmarking enterprise relative to the enterprise or other benchmarking enterprises in certain aspects, such as product quality, service level, technological innovation, brand influence, customer loyalty, cost control, profitability, etc. The disadvantage of a benchmarking enterprise refers to the disadvantage, backwardness or defects of the benchmarking enterprise relative to the enterprise or other benchmarking enterprises in some aspects, such as the benchmarking enterprise's single product, inefficient service, backward technology, vague brand, customer loss, high cost, low profit, etc. The purpose of focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises is to understand the core competitiveness and competitive weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide reference and guidance for enterprises to formulate their own competitive strategies and marketing strategies. In general, there are several ways to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking companies:

Strengths-weaknesses analysis: refers to the method of listing the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises separately to form a matrix of strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises for comparison and analysis. The advantages of advantage-disadvantage analysis are intuitive, easy to summarize, and helpful to discover, while the disadvantages are too simple, lack of depth, and subjectivity.

Advantage-disadvantage transformation: refers to the method of analyzing how the advantages of benchmarking enterprises are transformed into disadvantages, or how the disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises are transformed into advantages, so as to form the advantages and disadvantages transformation table of benchmarking enterprises, so as to facilitate the formulation and implementation. The advantage of advantage-disadvantage transformation is that it is creative, helpful to break through, and helpful to deal with. The disadvantage is that it is difficult, requires conditions, and has risks.

Strengths-weaknesses matching: A method of analyzing how the strengths of a benchmarking enterprise match the weaknesses of the enterprise, or how the weaknesses of a benchmarking enterprise match the strengths of the enterprise, thus forming a table of strengths and weaknesses matching the strengths and weaknesses of a benchmarking enterprise for easy learning and reference. The advantages of advantage-disadvantage matching are targeted, enlightening and reference, while the disadvantages are the need for information, analysis and judgment.

The principle of focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises is to identify and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages according to the purpose and problems of enterprise research, as well as the types and characteristics of benchmarking enterprises, so as to improve the effectiveness and practicability of benchmarking enterprise analysis.

6. comparison of differences and similarities between benchmarking firms

The difference of the benchmarking enterprise refers to the difference, uniqueness or particularity of the benchmarking enterprise relative to the enterprise or other benchmarking enterprises in some aspects, such as the product function, service content, technology application, brand image, customer group, market positioning, strategic goal, etc. Similarity of benchmarking enterprises refers to the same, similar or common aspects of benchmarking enterprises relative to enterprises or other benchmarking enterprises, such as product types, service scope, technology sources, brand attributes, customer needs, market size, strategic direction, etc. The purpose of comparing the differences and similarities of benchmarking enterprises is to understand the degree of differentiation and homogenization of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide reference and guidance for enterprises to formulate their own differentiation and homogenization strategies. Generally speaking, there are several ways to compare the differences and similarities of benchmarking enterprises:

Difference-similarity analysis: refers to the method of listing the differences and similarities of the benchmark enterprises separately, so as to form the difference-similarity matrix of the benchmark enterprises, so as to facilitate comparison and analysis. Difference-similarity analysis has the advantage of being easy to use, comprehensive and objective, and widely applicable, while the disadvantage is that it is too static, lacks quantification, and is subjective.

Difference-similarity transformation: refers to the method of analyzing how the differences of benchmarking enterprises are transformed into similarities, or how the similarities of benchmarking enterprises are transformed into differences, so as to form the difference-similarity transformation table of benchmarking enterprises, so as to facilitate the formulation and implementation. The advantage of difference-similarity transformation is that it is creative, helpful to break through and helpful to deal with. The disadvantage is that it is difficult, requires conditions and has risks.

Difference-similarity matching: refers to the method of analyzing how the differences of benchmarking enterprises match the similarities of enterprises, or how the similarities of benchmarking enterprises match the differences of enterprises, so as to form the difference-similarity matching table of benchmarking enterprises, so as to facilitate learning and reference. The advantage of difference-similarity matching is that it is targeted, enlightening and reference, while the disadvantage is that it requires information, analysis and judgment.

The principle of comparing the differences and similarities of benchmarking enterprises is to identify and evaluate the differences and similarities according to the purpose and problems of enterprise research, as well as the types and characteristics of benchmarking enterprises, in order to improve the effectiveness and practicality of benchmarking enterprise analysis.

7. forecast trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises

The trend of benchmarking enterprises refers to what benchmarking enterprises have done or are doing in the past or now, such as product development, service improvement, technology update, brand promotion, customer expansion, market entry, strategic adjustment, etc. The trend of benchmarking enterprises refers to the things that benchmarking enterprises may do or intend to do in the future, such as product innovation, service expansion, technological breakthrough, brand remodeling, customer maintenance, market exit, strategic transformation, etc. The purpose of predicting the trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises is to understand the behavior patterns and development directions of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide reference and guidance for enterprises to formulate their own coping strategies and preventive measures. In general, there are several ways to predict the trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises:

Trend-trend analysis: refers to the method of listing the trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises separately, so as to form a trend-trend matrix of benchmarking enterprises for comparison and analysis. Trend-trend analysis has the advantage of being easy to use, comprehensive and objective, and widely applicable, while the disadvantage is that it is too static, lacks quantification, and is subjective.

Trend-trend transformation: refers to the method of analyzing how the trend of a benchmarking enterprise is transformed into a trend, or how the trend of a benchmarking enterprise is transformed into a trend, so as to form a trend-trend transformation table of a benchmarking enterprise for easy formulation and implementation. The advantage of trend-trend transformation is that it is creative, helpful to break through, and helpful to deal with. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult, requires conditions, and has risks.

Trend-trend matching: refers to the method of analyzing how the trends of benchmarking enterprises match the trends of enterprises, or how the trends of benchmarking enterprises match the trends of enterprises, so as to form a trend-trend matching table of benchmarking enterprises for easy learning and reference. Trend-trend matching has the advantages of being targeted, enlightening, and referential, while the disadvantages are the need for information, analysis, and judgment.

The principle of predicting the trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises is to use a variety of methods to identify and evaluate trends and trends according to the purpose and problems of enterprise research, as well as the types and characteristics of benchmarking enterprises, in order to improve the effectiveness and practicality of benchmarking enterprise analysis.

Portrait and Evaluation of 8. Forming Benchmarking Enterprises

The portrait of a benchmarking enterprise is a method of summarizing and describing the basic information, characteristics, behavior, attitude, motivation, etc. of the benchmarking enterprise, so as to form a concise and vivid image of the benchmarking enterprise. The evaluation of benchmarking enterprises refers to the comprehensive and evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages, differences, similarities, trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises, so as to form an objective and fair evaluation method of benchmarking enterprises. The purpose of forming the portrait and evaluation of benchmarking enterprises is to understand the whole picture and essence of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide reference and guidance for enterprises to formulate their own positioning and optimization. In general, there are several ways to form a portrait and evaluation of a benchmarking enterprise:

Portrait-evaluation analysis: refers to the method of portraits and evaluations of benchmarking enterprises respectively, so as to form a portrait-evaluation matrix of benchmarking enterprises for comparison and analysis. Portrait-evaluation analysis has the advantages of being intuitive, easy to summarize, and helpful to discovery, while the disadvantages are simplicity, lack of depth, and subjectivity.

Portrait-evaluation transformation: refers to the method of analyzing how the portrait of the benchmarking enterprise is transformed into evaluation, or how the evaluation of the benchmarking enterprise is transformed into portrait, so as to form the portrait-evaluation transformation table of the benchmarking enterprise, so as to facilitate the formulation and implementation. The advantages of portrait-evaluation transformation are that it is creative, helpful to break through, and helpful to deal with, but the disadvantages are that it is more difficult, requires conditions, and has risks.

Portrait-evaluation matching: refers to the method of analyzing how the portrait of a benchmarking enterprise matches the evaluation of an enterprise, or how the evaluation of a benchmarking enterprise matches the portrait of an enterprise, so as to form a portrait-evaluation matching table of a benchmarking enterprise for easy learning and reference. Portrait-evaluation matching has the advantages of being targeted, enlightening, and referential, while the disadvantages are the need for information, analysis, and judgment.

The principle of forming the portrait and evaluation of benchmarking enterprises is to use a variety of methods to generate and present the portrait and evaluation according to the purpose and problems of enterprise research, as well as the types and characteristics of benchmarking enterprises, so as to improve the effectiveness and practicality of benchmarking enterprise analysis.

Conclusion

Enterprise research is an important market research activity, which can provide valuable information and insight for enterprises, help enterprises to formulate effective strategies and marketing strategies, and enhance the competitiveness and market share of enterprises. This paper provides eight tips for enterprise research, namely:

Determine the scope and type of benchmarking enterprise

Setting the Purpose and Problem of Enterprise Research

Selection of appropriate information sources and collection methods

Use effective data analysis tools and models

Focus on the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking companies

Compare differences and similarities between benchmarking firms

Predict trends and trends of benchmarking enterprises

Form the portrait and evaluation of benchmarking enterprises.

Taking Shangpu Consulting Company as an example, combined with its business characteristics and competitive environment in the fields of market research, investment and financing consulting, IPO listing consulting, etc., this paper uses the above eight skills to carry out the practice of enterprise research, shows the process and results of enterprise research, and provides targeted strategic suggestions for Shangpu Consulting Company.