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?

标杆企业的价格策略是什么？如何影响客户的购买决策？

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?

设定企业研究的目的和问题的目的是为了明确企业研究的重点和方向，避免偏离主题或漏掉关键信息。一般来说，企业研究的目的和问题应该根据企业的业务特点和竞争环境来定制化和适应不同的客户需求和场景来制定。

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.

半公开信息来源和收集方法：指标杆企业部分公开或有限披露的信息，以及通过半公开渠道或媒介获取的信息，例如标杆企业的客户、供应商、合作伙伴、分销商、代理商、员工、前员工、行业协会、行业媒体、行业报告、专利、商标、版权等。半公开信息来源和收集方法的优点是信息质量高、更新及时、具有深度，缺点是信息量小、获取困难、成本高。

非公开信息来源和收集方法：指标杆企业未公开或保密的信息，以及通过非公开渠道或媒介获取的信息，例如标杆企业的内部文件、数据、策略、计划、预算、成本、利润、风险、问题、机会等。非公开信息来源和收集方法的优点是信息价值大、具有独特性、具有竞争优势，缺点是信息获取极难、存在法律和道德风险、需要高度的专业和技术能力。

选择合适的信息来源和收集方法的原则是根据企业研究的目的和问题，以及标杆企业的类型和特点，综合考虑信息的可获取性、可信度、可用度和可比较性，采用多种信息来源和收集方法，进行信息的交叉验证和综合分析，以提高信息的有效性和可靠性。

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.

动向-趋势转化：指分析标杆企业的动向如何转化为趋势，或者标杆企业的趋势如何转化为动向，从而形成标杆企业的动向-趋势转化表，以便于制定和执行的方法。动向-趋势转化的优点是富有创意、有助于突破、有助于应对，缺点是难度较大、需要条件、存在风险。

动向-趋势匹配：指分析标杆企业的动向如何匹配企业的趋势，或者标杆企业的趋势如何匹配企业的动向，从而形成标杆企业的动向-趋势匹配表，以便于学习和借鉴的方法。动向-趋势匹配的优点是有针对性、有启发性、有借鉴性，缺点是需要信息、需要分析、需要判断。

预测标杆企业的动向和趋势的原则是根据企业研究的目的和问题，以及标杆企业的类型和特点，综合运用多种方法，进行动向和趋势的识别和评估，以提高标杆企业分析的有效性和实用性。

八、形成标杆企业的画像和评价

标杆企业的画像是指对标杆企业的基本信息、特征、行为、态度、动机等进行概括和描述，从而形成标杆企业的简明和生动的形象的方法。标杆企业的评价是指对标杆企业的优劣势、差异、相似、动向、趋势等进行综合和评估，从而形成标杆企业的客观和公正的评价的方法。形成标杆企业的画像和评价的目的是为了了解标杆企业的全貌和本质，从而为企业制定自身的定位和优化提供参考和指导。一般来说，形成标杆企业的画像和评价的方法有以下几种：

画像-评价分析：指分别对标杆企业进行画像和评价，从而形成标杆企业的画像-评价矩阵，以便于比较和分析的方法。画像-评价分析的优点是直观明了、便于归纳、有助于发现，缺点是过于简单、缺乏深入、存在主观性。

画像-评价转化：指分析标杆企业的画像如何转化为评价，或者标杆企业的评价如何转化为画像，从而形成标杆企业的画像-评价转化表，以便于制定和执行的方法。画像-评价转化的优点是富有创意、有助于突破、有助于应对，缺点是难度较大、需要条件、存在风险。

画像-评价匹配：指分析标杆企业的画像如何匹配企业的评价，或者标杆企业的评价如何匹配企业的画像，从而形成标杆企业的画像-评价匹配表，以便于学习和借鉴的方法。画像-评价匹配的优点是有针对性、有启发性、有借鉴性，缺点是需要信息、需要分析、需要判断。

形成标杆企业的画像和评价的原则是根据企业研究的目的和问题，以及标杆企业的类型和特点，综合运用多种方法，进行画像和评价的生成和呈现，以提高标杆企业分析的有效性和实用性。

Conclusion

企业研究是一项重要的市场调研活动，能够为企业提供有价值的信息和洞察，帮助企业制定有效的战略和营销策略，提升企业的竞争力和市场份额。本文为企业提供了企业研究的八个技巧，分别是：

确定标杆企业的范围和类型

设定企业研究的目的和问题

Selection of appropriate information sources and collection methods

Use effective data analysis tools and models

关注标杆企业的优势和劣势

比较标杆企业的差异和相似

预测标杆企业的动向和趋势

形成标杆企业的画像和评价

本文以尚普咨询公司为例，结合其在市场调研、投融资咨询、IPO上市咨询等领域的业务特点和竞争环境，运用上述八个技巧，进行了企业研究的实践，展示了企业研究的流程和结果，为尚普咨询公司提供了有针对性的战略建议。