Purpose of 1. Enterprise Research

Enterprise research refers to the systematic collection, analysis and evaluation of existing or potential benchmarking enterprises in the industry and market in which the enterprise is located, in order to obtain information about the strategy, capabilities, behavior, strengths and weaknesses, trends and expectations of the benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide reference and support for the formulation of the enterprise's strategy.

The main purposes of enterprise research are as follows:

Identify benchmarking enterprises: through the analysis of the industry and market, determine the direct benchmarking enterprises and indirect benchmarking enterprises, as well as their size, status, market share, product and service scope, target customers and other basic information.

Evaluate the strategy of the benchmarking enterprise: understand the strategic intent, strategic logic and strategic priorities of the benchmarking enterprise by analyzing the mission, vision, goals, values, core competitiveness, strategic direction and strategic choices of the benchmarking enterprise.

Analyze the ability of benchmarking enterprises: evaluate the strength and potential of benchmarking enterprises by analyzing the resources, capabilities, organizational structure, management system, human capital, technical level, innovation ability, financial situation, marketing ability and operational efficiency of benchmarking enterprises.

Predict the behavior of benchmarking enterprises: through the analysis of the historical behavior, current behavior and future plans of benchmarking enterprises, the behavior patterns, behavior motivations and behavior influencing factors of benchmarking enterprises, as well as the possible actions and reactions of benchmarking enterprises.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises: through the comprehensive evaluation of the strategy, ability and behavior of benchmarking enterprises, determine the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, as well as the relative advantages and disadvantages of enterprises, so as to find out the competitive advantages and disadvantages of enterprises.

Discover the opportunities and threats of benchmarking enterprises: through the analysis of the dynamic changes and trends of benchmarking enterprises, identify the opportunities and threats that benchmarking enterprises may bring, as well as the opportunities and threats that benchmarking enterprises may use, so as to provide a basis for the strategic adjustment and response of enterprises.

Methods of 2. Enterprise Research

The main methods of enterprise research are as follows:

Desktop research: use public sources of information, such as benchmarking companies' official websites, annual reports, press releases, social media, patents, industry reports, market research, media reports, etc., to collect relevant information about benchmarking companies.

Field investigation: observe and understand the products, services, equipment, technology, personnel and atmosphere of benchmarking enterprises by personally or entrusting a third party to factories, stores, exhibitions, activities and other places of benchmarking enterprises.

Customer research: Through the research, questionnaire, survey and test of the existing or potential customers of the benchmarking enterprise, the customer satisfaction, loyalty, preference, demand, feedback and other information of the benchmarking enterprise is obtained.

Supplier research: Through the research, questionnaire, survey and other methods of the existing or potential suppliers of the benchmarking enterprise, the supply chain status, procurement strategy, cost structure, quality control, cooperation relationship and other information of the benchmarking enterprise.

Industry expert research: Through research, questionnaires, and surveys of experts, scholars, consultants, analysts, associations, government agencies, etc. in the industry, obtain the industry status, industry trends, industry norms, and industry influence of benchmarking companies. And other information.

Benchmarking enterprise research: Through the research, questionnaire and survey of the senior managers, middle managers, front-line employees and former employees of the benchmarking enterprise, we can obtain the internal situation, strategic intention, management style, cultural value, talent flow and other information of the benchmarking enterprise.

Steps to 3. Enterprise Research

The general steps of enterprise research are as follows:

Determine the research objectives: clarify the theme, scope, content, time, budget, etc. of the research, and formulate research plans and programs.

Select research methods: According to the research objectives and available sources of information, select the appropriate research methods, such as desktop research, field trips, research, etc., to determine the research objects, tools, processes, etc.

Collect research information: according to the research method, collect information about benchmarking enterprises from various channels and angles, such as strategy, ability, behavior, advantages and disadvantages, trends, expectations, etc.

Analysis of research information: the collected information to organize, classify, filter, verify, summarize, comb, etc., the use of various analytical tools and models, such as SWOT analysis, Porter five forces analysis, value chain analysis, VRIO analysis, etc., the benchmark enterprise information for in-depth analysis and evaluation.

Output research results: according to the results of the analysis, the formation of enterprise research reports, presentation, recommendations, etc., reflecting the benchmark enterprise's strategic analysis and decision-making to provide reference and support.

Application of 4. Enterprise Research

The results of enterprise research can help enterprises to carry out strategic analysis and decision-making, such:

Identify your competitive strengths and weaknesses: by comparing with benchmarking companies, identify your strengths and weaknesses in strategy, capabilities, and behaviors, as well as areas that need improvement and improvement.

Formulate effective competitive strategies: according to the strategic intentions, behavior patterns and dynamic changes of benchmarking enterprises, choose appropriate competitive strategies, such as attack, defense, alliance, cooperation, circumvention, etc., in order to increase their competitiveness and market share.

Seize favorable competitive opportunities: find and take advantage of favorable competitive opportunities, such as entering new markets, developing new products, expanding new customers, etc., by identifying weaknesses, mistakes, crises, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, in order to increase their revenues and profits.

Dealing with potential competitive threats: by predicting the actions and reactions of benchmarking enterprises, formulate and implement effective countermeasures, such as strengthening their own advantages, improving their own capabilities, consolidating their own customers, etc., in order to reduce their own risks and losses.

The Case for 5. Enterprise Research

Shangpu Consulting Company is a professional strategic consulting company, providing customers with comprehensive corporate research services to help customers understand the competitive environment, formulate effective competitive strategies, and enhance competitive advantages. The following are some examples of corporate research services provided by Champu Consulting to clients:

Case 1: An internationally renowned automaker is facing challenges from benchmarking companies in emerging markets, and wants to understand the strategies, capabilities and behaviors of benchmarking companies, as well as future development trends, so as to formulate corresponding coping strategies. Shangpu Consulting Company conducted in-depth enterprise research for the client, including desktop research, field investigation, customer research, industry expert research, etc., collected and analyzed the information of benchmarking enterprises, such as market share, product line, technical level, innovation ability, cost structure, marketing strategy, brand image, customer satisfaction, etc., and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages and dynamic changes of benchmarking enterprises, the future actions and reactions of benchmarking enterprises are predicted, and targeted competitive strategy suggestions are put forward, such as strengthening differentiation, improving quality, expanding channels, increasing investment, etc., to help customers improve their competitiveness and market position.

Case 2: A leading domestic e-commerce platform is facing pressure from peer and inter-bank benchmarking companies, hoping to understand the strategy, capabilities and behaviors of benchmarking companies, as well as market opportunities and threats, so as to formulate corresponding competitive strategies. Shangpu Consulting Company conducted in-depth enterprise research for the client, including desktop research, field investigation, customer research, supplier research, industry expert research, etc., collected and analyzed the information of benchmarking enterprises, such as platform scale, number of users, commodity types, service quality, logistics efficiency, payment safety, marketing activities, user reputation, etc., and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages and dynamic changes of benchmarking enterprises, the opportunities and threats of the market are found, and targeted competitive strategy suggestions are put forward, such as optimizing user experience, increasing product diversity, improving service level, strengthening user stickiness, etc., to help customers improve their competitiveness and market share.

Case 3: A well-known education and training institution in China is facing the impact of benchmarking enterprises from online education. It hopes to understand the strategy, ability and behavior of benchmarking enterprises, as well as the trends and norms of the industry, so as to formulate corresponding competitive strategies. Shangpu Consulting Company conducted in-depth enterprise research for the client, including desktop research, field investigation, customer research, benchmarking enterprise research, industry expert research, etc., collected and analyzed the information of benchmarking enterprises, such as course content, teaching mode, teaching force, learning effect, price strategy, user evaluation, partners, etc., and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages and dynamic changes of benchmarking enterprises, understand the trends and norms of the industry, and put forward targeted competitive strategy suggestions, such as integrating online and offline, improving teaching quality, lowering the price threshold, increasing user interaction, etc., to help customers improve their competitiveness and market recognition.

Conclusion

Enterprise research is an important strategic analysis tool, which can help enterprises understand their position in the market, find their strengths and weaknesses, formulate effective competitive strategies, seize favorable competitive opportunities, deal with potential competitive threats, and enhance their competitive advantage. As a professional strategic consulting firm, Shangpu Consulting provides comprehensive corporate research services to help clients achieve strategic goals and performance growth.