1. determine the research object and period

The first step in enterprise research is to determine "who is the benchmark enterprise". This requires comprehensive consideration of the visibility, market share, product characteristics, price strategy, channel layout, brand image and other factors of benchmarking enterprises according to their own business scope, target market, customer groups and other factors, from strong to weak, and then investigated in turn. At the same time, attention should also be paid to identifying potential benchmarking enterprises, such as new entrants, substitute providers, crossovers, etc., in order to prevent sudden attacks by benchmarking enterprises.

The second step in enterprise research is to determine the "research cycle". This requires a reasonable arrangement of the time and frequency of research based on its own strategic objectives, competitive environment, resource conditions and other factors. In general, corporate research can be divided into regular research and ad hoc research. Regular research refers to the systematic research of benchmarking enterprises according to certain time intervals, such as quarterly, semi-annual, annual, etc., in order to grasp the basic situation and development trend of benchmarking enterprises. Ad hoc research refers to the targeted research on benchmarking enterprises in the case of major changes in the benchmarking enterprises or the market, such as the introduction of new products, price adjustment, expansion of channels, replacement of executives, mergers and acquisitions, crisis, etc., in order to deal with the actions of benchmarking enterprises or seize the weaknesses of benchmarking enterprises.

Take Shangpu Consulting as an example. Its main benchmarking enterprises in the field of market research include Analysys, iResearch, Sadie, Zero Point, etc. Its main benchmarking enterprises in the field of investment and financing consulting include Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, KPMG, etc. Its main benchmarking enterprises in the field of IPO listing consulting include CITIC Construction Investment, Guoxin Securities, CICC, Guangfa Securities, etc. According to its own business characteristics and customer needs, Shangpu consulting has conducted regular and temporary research on these benchmarking enterprises to maintain the sensitivity and insight of benchmarking enterprises.

2. decomposition of research objects and dimensions

The third step of enterprise research is to decompose the "research object" and divide the "research dimension". This requires the analysis of the research object, find out all the roles associated with it, such as upstream suppliers, midstream enterprises themselves, downstream partners, end consumers, etc., and conduct research in turn. At the same time, it is also necessary to divide the research content, find out the various aspects that affect the benchmarking enterprise, such as time dimension, commodity dimension, price dimension, channel dimension, promotion dimension, etc., and refine the specific problems under each dimension.

Take Shangpu Consulting as an example, its research objects in the field of market research can be broken down into four directions: upstream data sources, midstream Shangpu Consulting, downstream customer enterprises, and end target markets. Its research content in the field of market research can be divided into five dimensions: project dimension, method dimension, quality dimension, efficiency dimension and value dimension. Under each dimension, the following questions can be refined:

project dimension: what projects have the benchmarking enterprise undertaken? what are the types, scales, industries, regions, cycles, etc. of the projects? what are the sources, backgrounds, objectives, etc. of the projects? what are the difficulties, highlights, risks, etc. of the projects?

Method dimension: What methods do benchmarking enterprises adopt? What are the theoretical basis, operation process, technical means, tool platform, etc. of the method? What are the advantages, disadvantages, innovation points, limitations, etc. of the method?

Quality dimension: What is the quality of the benchmarking enterprise? What are the standards, indicators, evaluation and control of quality? What are the level, stability, reliability and consistency of quality?

Efficiency dimension: What is the efficiency of the benchmarking enterprise? What are the measurement, promotion, optimization, management, etc. of efficiency? What are the speed, flexibility, responsiveness, synergy, etc. of efficiency?

Value dimension: What is the value of the benchmarking enterprise? What is the definition, creation, transmission and evaluation of value? What is the level, difference, influence and continuity of value?

3. mobilize all resources and channels

The fourth step of enterprise research is to mobilize "all resources" and use "all channels" to collect information about benchmarking enterprises. This requires giving full play to its own advantages, such as professional knowledge, industry experience, personal relationships, customer trust, etc., to obtain data and information of benchmarking companies from multiple, multi-angle, and multi-level. At the same time, it is also necessary to flexibly use various methods, such as desktop research, field trips, in-depth research, mysterious customers, web search, social media, industry reports, government disclosure, patent applications, recruitment information, financial statements, etc., from public and non-public channels to obtain information and news from benchmarking enterprises.

以尚普咨询为例，其在投融资咨询领域的调研资源和渠道包括：自身的专业团队、行业的专家顾问、客户的内部人士、标杆企业的前员工、投资机构的合作伙伴、上市公司的公告信息、证券交易所的监管规则、金融媒体的报道评论、投资论坛的讨论交流、数据平台的统计分析等。尚普咨询通过这些资源和渠道，为客户提供了全面的投融资咨询服务，帮助客户实现了资本市场的成功登陆。

4. avoid superficial research

The fifth step of enterprise research is to avoid "superficial research", that is, to understand some basic information of benchmarking enterprises on the surface, without in-depth analysis of the internal logic and motivation of benchmarking enterprises. It is necessary to summarize, classify, organize and analyze the information of benchmarking enterprises, find out the laws, patterns, characteristics and differences of benchmarking enterprises, reveal the thinking, behavior, decision-making and strategy of benchmarking enterprises, and predict the trends, changes, reactions and influences of benchmarking enterprises. At the same time, it is also necessary to verify, compare, evaluate and test the information of benchmarking enterprises, distinguish the true, false, important, secondary, advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, measure the level, ability, potential and threat of benchmarking enterprises, and formulate the optimization, improvement, transcendence and prevention of benchmarking enterprises.

以尚普咨询为例，其在IPO上市咨询领域的调研分析包括：对标杆企业的上市项目进行归纳和分类，按照行业、地域、市场、规模等维度进行划分，找出标杆企业的上市布局和特色；对标杆企业的上市流程进行整理和分析，按照申报、审核、发行、上市等阶段进行划分，找出标杆企业的上市难点和亮点；对标杆企业的上市效果进行验证和比较，按照募资、估值、市盈率、股价、回报等指标进行划分，找出标杆企业的上市优势和劣势；对标杆企业的上市策略进行评价和检验，按照定价、定位、宣传、配售等方面进行划分，找出标杆企业的上市创新和局限。

5. to remove the false and keep the true and organize the report.

The sixth step in corporate research is to remove "false information" and retain "true information" and organize it into a systematic report. This requires screening, verifying, correcting and updating the collected information of benchmarking enterprises, eliminating misleading, concealing, exaggerating and falsifying benchmarking enterprises, and retaining the facts, evidence, data and logic of benchmarking enterprises. At the same time, it is also necessary to sort out, summarize, summarize and present the information of the benchmarking enterprises, so as to form a report with clear structure, complete content, rigorous logic and clear views, so as to facilitate the reading, understanding and use of themselves and customers.

以尚普咨询为例，其在各个领域的企业研究报告的基本结构包括：背景介绍、调研目的、调研方法、调研对象、调研内容、调研结果、调研分析、调研建议、调研总结等部分。尚普咨询在每个部分中，都尽量使用客观、准确、有力的信息，避免使用主观、模糊、无效的信息，力求使报告具有高度的专业性和可信度。

6. analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises and strategies

The seventh step of enterprise research is to analyze "the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises" and formulate "the strategy of benchmarking enterprises". This requires a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the benchmarking company to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the benchmarking company, such as product quality, service level, technical capabilities, innovation capabilities, market share, brand awareness, customer satisfaction, cost control, and profit levels., Risk management, etc. At the same time, it is also necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the behavior and motivation of benchmarking companies to find out the goals and means of benchmarking companies, such as market development, product development, price wars, channel building, branding, marketing promotion, cooperative alliances, mergers and acquisitions, etc.

以尚普咨询为例，其在市场调研领域的标杆企业分析包括：对标杆企业的优势进行认识和尊重，如易观在大数据分析方面的领先地位、艾瑞在互联网行业的深厚积累、赛迪在政府和企业的广泛影响、零点在垂直领域的专业服务等；对标杆企业的劣势进行发现和利用，如易观在非互联网行业的覆盖不足、艾瑞在新兴领域的跟进不及、赛迪在中小企业的渗透不深、零点在综合领域的能力不强等；对标杆企业的策略进行研究和应对，如易观在扩大行业覆盖和提升服务质量方面的努力、艾瑞在加强新兴领域和拓展国际市场方面的举措、赛迪在增加中小企业和提高客户满意度方面的措施、零点在拓宽服务范围和提升品牌形象方面的计划等。

7. the value chain and portrait of benchmarking enterprises.

The eighth step of enterprise research is to construct "the value chain of benchmarking enterprises" and "the portrait of benchmarking enterprises". This requires sorting out and presenting the whole and parts of the benchmarking enterprise to form a clear picture and details of the benchmarking enterprise. The value chain of a benchmarking enterprise refers to all the activities and links involved in the process of providing products or services, such as R & D and design, manufacturing, logistics and distribution, sales service, after-sales support, etc., as well as the value and cost created by these activities and links. The portrait of a benchmarking enterprise refers to the description of the basic information and characteristics of the benchmarking enterprise, such as name, logo, slogan, vision, mission, culture, values, organizational structure, management team, core personnel, key resources, important partners, etc.

以尚普咨询为例，其在投融资咨询领域的标杆企业价值链和画像包括：对标杆企业的价值链进行分析和比较，如德勤在提供全球一体化的专业服务方面的优势、普华永道在提供多元化的行业解决方案方面的优势、安永在提供创新性的商业模式方面的优势、毕马威在提供高效性的执行能力方面的优势等；对标杆企业的画像进行概括和展示，如德勤的logo是一个蓝色的字母D，其口号是“Make an impact that matters”，其愿景是“成为全球影响力的专业服务机构”，其使命是“为客户、员工和社会创造卓越的价值”，其文化是“以人为本，以客户为中心，以协作为基础，以创新为动力”，其组织结构是由四大业务板块组成，分别是审计、税务、咨询和企业风险服务，其管理团队是由全球首席执行官、全球主席、各地区首席执行官、各业务板块负责人等组成，其核心人员是由各个领域的专家、顾问、合伙人等组成，其关键资源是由其全球网络、品牌声誉、客户关系、人才储备、知识资本等组成，其重要合作伙伴是由其全球成员所、行业协会、政府机构、社会组织、学术机构等组成等。

8. monitoring the dynamics and changes of benchmarking enterprises

The ninth step of enterprise research is to monitor the "dynamics of benchmarking enterprises" and "changes in benchmarking enterprises". This requires continuous attention and tracking of the current situation and future of benchmarking enterprises, and timely discovery of the actions and trends of benchmarking enterprises, such as new products, new services, new technologies, new markets, new customers, new cooperation, new changes, New problems, new opportunities, new threats, etc. At the same time, it is also necessary to feedback and adjust the dynamics and changes of benchmarking enterprises, and timely revise their own strategies and actions, such as their own product improvement, service improvement, technological innovation, market expansion, customer maintenance, cooperation expansion, change response, problem solving, opportunity grasp, threat prevention, etc.

以尚普咨询为例，其在IPO上市咨询领域的标杆企业监测和调整包括：对标杆企业的动态进行关注和跟踪，如中信建投在科创板的领先地位、国信证券在创业板的突出表现、中金公司在主板的优势地位、广发证券在中小板的活跃表现等；对标杆企业的变化进行反馈和调整，如尚普咨询在提高自身的专业水平和服务质量方面的努力、在拓展不同的市场和客户方面的举措、在提升自身的品牌形象和声誉方面的计划、在应对不同的风险和挑战方面的措施等。

9. the development of targeted response measures

The final step in corporate research is to develop "targeted responses". This requires a reasonable competitive strategy and action plan based on the situation of the benchmarking company and its own goals, in order to achieve its own advantages and disadvantages of the benchmarking company. Competitive strategies can be divided into four types: leader strategy, challenger strategy, follower strategy, and focus strategy. Leader strategy refers to the strategy adopted by enterprises that occupy a dominant position in the market to maintain and expand market share, such as improving product quality, reducing product costs, increasing product types, improving service levels, strengthening brand promotion, and establishing loyal customers. Challenger strategy refers to the strategy adopted by enterprises with a certain share of the market to challenge market leaders, such as innovative product features, reducing product prices, expanding product channels, improving product image, strengthening marketing promotion, and attracting potential customers. Follower strategy refers to the strategy adopted by enterprises with a small share of the market to imitate the market leader, such as imitating product design, following product pricing, borrowing product channels, simulating product image, imitating marketing methods, and retaining existing customers. Focus strategy refers to the strategy adopted by enterprises that focus on a certain market segment in the market to meet the needs of the market segment, such as customizing product features, providing product differentiation, establishing product expertise, shaping product personality, implementing precision marketing, and cultivating loyal customers.

以尚普咨询为例，其在各个领域的竞争策略和行动计划包括：在市场调研领域，采取的是挑战者策略，其主要行动是创新市场调研的方法和工具，提供更高效、更精准、更深入的市场分析和解决方案，挑战易观等标杆企业的市场地位和影响力；在投融资咨询领域，采取的是追随者策略，其主要行动是模仿德勤等标杆企业的专业服务和成功案例，提供更全面、更可靠、更有价值的投融资咨询服务，追随德勤等标杆企业的市场表现和客户认可；在IPO上市咨询领域，采取的是专注者策略，其主要行动是专注于科技创新类企业的IPO上市咨询，提供更专业、更个性、更有针对性的IPO上市咨询服务，满足科技创新类企业的特殊需求和期望。