The Significance and Purpose of 1. Enterprise Research

Enterprise research refers to the process of collecting, sorting, analyzing and utilizing information about benchmarking enterprises to understand the strategies, capabilities, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses, trends, reactions, etc. of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide basis and reference for their own decision-making. The significance and purpose of enterprise research are as follows:

Help enterprises understand their relative position in the market, evaluate their competitive advantages and disadvantages, find out their core competitiveness and differentiation advantages, and enhance their market competitiveness;

Help enterprises grasp the opportunities and threats of the market, discover the needs and trends of the market, predict the changes and development of the market, and formulate strategies and actions to adapt to the market;

Help enterprises to understand the strategy and behavior of benchmarking enterprises, predict the future trends and reactions of benchmarking enterprises, formulate effective competitive strategies and countermeasures, avoid the threat of benchmarking enterprises, and use the weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises to achieve competitive advantages;

Help enterprises to learn the advantages and experience of benchmarking enterprises, learn from the successful cases and innovative practices of benchmarking enterprises, improve their products and services, improve their brand and reputation, and increase their customers and market share.

Steps and Methods of 2. Enterprise Research

Enterprise research is a systematic project, which needs to follow certain steps and methods to ensure the effectiveness and accuracy of the research. Generally speaking, the steps and methods of enterprise research can be divided into the following four stages:

1. Determine the research objectives, objects and cycle

Before conducting business research, it is important to clarify the objectives, objects and cycle of the research. The research goal refers to the main problems and concerns of the research, which is the starting point and orientation of the research, and should have the characteristics of clarity, quantifiability and realizability. The research object refers to the benchmarking enterprises that need to be investigated. According to their own market positioning, competition scope, competition intensity and other factors, they should choose the benchmarking enterprises that have influence and threat on themselves, so as to avoid too much or too little. Generally, it is recommended to choose 3-5 major benchmarking enterprises. The research cycle refers to the time span and frequency of research, and a reasonable research cycle should be determined according to the speed of market change, the activity of benchmarking enterprises, their own decision-making needs and other factors, and it is generally recommended to conduct enterprise research quarterly or semi-annually.

2. Decompose the research object and divide the research dimension

After determining the research objectives, objects and cycles, the next step is to break down the research objects and divide the research dimensions. The decomposition of the research object refers to finding out all the roles associated with the research object and conducting the research in turn. For example, for an e-commerce enterprise, the survey object can be broken down into four interrelated directions: upstream suppliers (source), midstream enterprises themselves, downstream partners, and end consumers. The division of research dimensions refers to determining the type and scope of information that needs to be collected and analyzed according to the research objectives. For example, for an e-commerce enterprise, the research dimension can be divided into time dimension, commodity dimension, price dimension, channel dimension, promotion dimension, etc., and many small problems can be subdivided into each dimension. When dividing the research dimensions, we should follow the principle of "greed for perfection, get out of the rough, and focus on attention", that is, ask as many questions as possible, and then select the most valuable questions for yourself, focus on and dig deeply.

3. Mobilize all resources, multi-channel research

After breaking down the research object and dividing the research dimension, the actual information collection work should be carried out next. Information collection is the core link of enterprise research, and it is also the most time-consuming and laborious link. It is necessary to mobilize all available resources and use multiple channels to conduct research. The resources of information collection can be divided into internal resources and external resources. Internal resources refer to the existing information about benchmarking enterprises, such as sales data, customer feedback, employee experience, etc., which can be obtained through internal communication, meetings, reports, etc. External resources refer to the information about benchmarking enterprises that can be obtained outside the enterprise, such as the official website of benchmarking enterprises, social media, news reports, industry reports, expert opinions, third-party organizations, government departments, industry associations, suppliers, partners, customers, consumers, etc., through network search, telephone access, email consultation, offline visits, questionnaire survey, mysterious customers, etc.

4. remove the false and keep the true, sort out and form a report

After collecting a large amount of information, the last step is to filter, verify, analyze and organize the information, remove invalid and wrong information, retain useful and true information, and form a systematic enterprise research report. The content and structure of the enterprise research report should vary according to the research objectives and objects, but generally include the following parts: research background, research objectives, research methods, research results, research analysis, research recommendations, research summary, etc. The writing of enterprise research reports should follow the following principles: objective and fair, data support, clear logic, concise language, intuitive charts, focused and so on.

Tips and considerations for 3. corporate research

Enterprise research is a skill that needs to be continuously learned and improved. In addition to following the above steps and methods, it also needs to master some skills and considerations to improve the efficiency and quality of research. Here are some commonly used corporate research tips and considerations:

Define the scope of competition. The scope of competition refers to the intersection of oneself and benchmarking enterprises in the market, including products, services, regions, customers, channels and so on. Defining the scope of competition can help companies determine their competitive strengths and weaknesses, as well as the threats and opportunities of benchmarking companies, so as to conduct targeted research and strategy formulation.

Use multiple sources of information. Information sources refer to the channels and methods of obtaining benchmark enterprise information, including public information, non-public information, active information, passive information, etc. Using multiple sources of information can help companies obtain more comprehensive and in-depth benchmarking corporate information, avoiding the limitations and biases of a single source.

Focus on the dynamics of benchmarking companies. The dynamics of benchmarking enterprises refers to the changes and development of benchmarking enterprises in the market, including new products, new services, new cooperation, new activities, new policies, etc. Focusing on the dynamics of benchmarking companies can help companies discover the strategic intentions and action directions of benchmarking companies in a timely manner, as well as market needs and trends, so as to respond and prevent them.

Assess the strength of benchmarking companies. The strength of benchmarking enterprises refers to the comprehensive ability and influence of benchmarking enterprises in the market, including scale, finance, technology, talent, brand, word-of-mouth and so on. Evaluating the strength of benchmarking enterprises can help enterprises understand the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, as well as their competitive position and gap, so as to formulate reasonable competitive strategies and objectives.

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking firms. The advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises refer to the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises relative to themselves in the market, including products, services, prices, channels, promotion, innovation and so on. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises can help enterprises find out their core competitiveness and differentiation advantages, as well as the weaknesses and loopholes of benchmarking enterprises, so as to formulate effective competitive strategies and actions.

Compare the differences between yourself and benchmarking companies. The difference between oneself and benchmarking enterprises refers to the differences between oneself and benchmarking enterprises in the market, including products, services, prices, channels, promotion, innovation and so on. Comparing the differences between themselves and benchmarking companies can help companies clarify their market positioning and target customers, as well as the market share and customer satisfaction of benchmarking companies, so as to formulate targeted competitive strategies and actions.

预测标杆企业的未来行为和反应。标杆企业的未来行为和反应是指标杆企业在市场上的可能的举措和应对，包括新产品、新服务、新合作、新活动、新政策等。预测标杆企业的未来行为和反应可以帮助企业提前做好准备和规划，以及及时调整自己的策略和行动，从而抢占市场的先机和优势。

Develop a targeted competitive strategy. Competitive strategy refers to the plans and measures taken by enterprises to fight against benchmarking enterprises in the market, including products, services, prices, channels, promotion, innovation and so on. The development of targeted competitive strategies can help companies achieve their market goals and customer needs, as well as avoid the threat of benchmarking companies and take advantage of the weaknesses of benchmarking companies to achieve competitive advantage.

The Case and Value of 4. Enterprise Research

企业研究是一项实践性很强的工作，需要结合具体的市场和行业的情况，进行有针对性的调研和分析。以下是尚普咨询公司为一家汽车制造商提供的企业研究的案例和价值：

1. Case background

该汽车制造商是一家专注于新能源汽车的企业，拥有自主的技术和品牌，主要面向高端市场，产品定位为智能、环保、舒适的新能源汽车。该企业的主要标杆企业有以下几类：

Traditional automakers, such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, etc., have strong brands, channels, finances, technology and other advantages, but they have relatively little investment and innovation in new energy vehicles, and mainly rely on hybrid vehicles to cope with the market Changes;

Emerging car manufacturers, such as Tesla, Weilai, Xiaopeng, etc., these companies focus on the research and development and production of new energy vehicles, have advanced technology and innovation capabilities, and are mainly oriented to the high-end market, and their products are positioned as smart, environmentally friendly and fashionable New energy vehicles;

Low-end car manufacturers, such as BYD, Jianghuai, Great Wall, etc., these companies mainly face the low-end market, and their products are positioned as economical, practical and convenient new energy vehicles, which mainly rely on low prices and subsidies to attract consumers.

2. Case Objectives

该汽车制造商委托尚普咨询公司进行企业研究，主要目的是：

了解新能源汽车市场的需求和趋势，以及标杆企业的战略和行为；

Assess your strengths and weaknesses in the NEV market, as well as your differences and gaps with benchmarking companies;

Develop effective competitive strategies and action plans to enhance their market competitiveness and share.

3. Case method

The following corporate research methods are used by Champ Consulting:

Determine the research objectives, objects and cycle. According to the needs of the client, the goal of the research is to analyze the needs and trends of the new energy vehicle market, as well as the strategies and behaviors of benchmarking companies; the research objects are determined to be traditional car manufacturers, emerging car manufacturers and low-end car manufacturers. The main benchmarking companies, a total of 10 companies were selected, namely Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Tesla, Weilai, Xiaopeng, BYD, Jianghuai, Great Wall and Wuling; the cycle of research is determined to be for the whole year of 2022, with quarterly corporate research for one month each.

Break down the research object and divide the research dimension. According to the research objectives, the research object is decomposed and the research dimension is divided. The decomposition of the research object refers to finding out all the roles associated with the research object and conducting the research in turn. For example, for a car manufacturer, the survey can be broken down into four interrelated directions: upstream suppliers (source), midstream enterprises themselves, downstream partners, and end consumers. The division of research dimensions refers to determining the type and scope of information that needs to be collected and analyzed according to the research objectives. For example, for an automobile manufacturer, the research dimension can be divided into market dimension, product dimension, price dimension, channel dimension, promotion dimension, technology dimension, innovation dimension, financial dimension, etc., and many small problems can be subdivided into each dimension. When dividing the research dimensions, we should follow the principle of "greed for perfection, get out of the rough, and focus on attention", that is, ask as many questions as possible, and then select the most valuable questions for yourself, focus on and dig deeply.

Mobilize all resources, multi-channel research. After breaking down the research object and dividing the research dimension, the actual information collection work should be carried out next. Information collection is the core link of enterprise research, and it is also the most time-consuming and laborious link. It is necessary to mobilize all available resources and use multiple channels to conduct research. The resources of information collection can be divided into internal resources and external resources. Internal resources refer to the information about benchmarking enterprises that the entrusting party already has, such as sales data, customer feedback, employee experience, etc., which can be obtained through internal communication, meetings, reports, etc. External resources refer to the information about benchmarking enterprises that can be obtained from the client, such as the official website of benchmarking enterprises, social media, news reports, industry reports, expert opinions, third-party organizations, government departments, industry associations, suppliers, partners, customers, consumers, etc., which can be obtained through online search, telephone interview, email consultation, offline interview, questionnaire survey, mysterious customers, interview employees of benchmarking enterprises, etc. The channels of information collection can be divided into active channels and passive channels. Active channel refers to the way of actively seeking information from benchmarking enterprises or related parties, such as telephone interview, email consultation, offline visit, questionnaire survey, mysterious customers, interview employees of benchmarking enterprises, etc. Passive channels refer to the way of obtaining information by using existing information sources, such as online search, official websites of benchmarking enterprises, social media, news reports, industry reports, expert opinions, third-party organizations, government departments, industry associations, etc. When collecting information, we should follow the principle of "multi-channel, multi-angle and multi-level", that is, we should make use of various channels as much as possible to obtain different levels of information from different angles, so as to improve the comprehensiveness and depth of information.

To remove the false and keep the true, organize and form a report. After collecting a large amount of information, the last step is to filter, verify, analyze and organize the information, remove invalid and wrong information, retain useful and true information, and form a systematic enterprise research report. The content and structure of the enterprise research report should vary according to the research objectives and objects, but generally include the following parts: research background, research objectives, research methods, research results, research analysis, research recommendations, research summary, etc. The writing of enterprise research reports should follow the following principles: objective and fair, data support, clear logic, concise language, intuitive charts, focused and so on.

4. Case Results

According to the method of enterprise research, Shangpu consulting company has collected and analyzed a large amount of information, formed a detailed enterprise research report, and provided the following main research results to the client:

Needs and trends in the NEV market. The new energy vehicle market is showing explosive growth, driven by multiple factors such as national policies, environmental awareness, technological innovation, and consumption upgrades. It is expected that by 2025, the market penetration rate of new energy vehicles will reach 50%, and by 2030 it will exceed 70%. The demand characteristics of the new energy vehicle market mainly include the following points: First, consumers' awareness and acceptance of new energy vehicles continue to increase, and their requirements for the performance, battery life, charging, and safety of new energy vehicles are also increasing. High; Second, consumers' choices of brands, prices, styles, and services of new energy vehicles are becoming more and more diversified, forming different market segments and consumer groups; third, consumers' demand for intelligence, personalization and networking of new energy vehicles is becoming stronger and stronger.

5. Case Value

The value of the corporate research report provided by Champ Consulting for the automaker is as follows:

Help the automaker to fully understand the needs and trends of the new energy vehicle market, as well as the strategies and behaviors of the benchmarking company, and provide a basis for its market strategy and product planning;

Help the automaker assess its strengths and weaknesses in the new energy vehicle market, as well as the differences and gaps with benchmark companies, and provide reference for it to increase its competitiveness and market share;

Help the automaker predict the future behavior and reaction of the benchmark company, and provide guidance for its response and prevention;

Help the automaker to develop a targeted competitive strategy and action plan to provide solutions for achieving market goals and customer needs.