Enterprise research is a kind of market research activity, which aims to collect, analyze and evaluate the relevant information of other enterprises that have direct or indirect competitive relationship with their own enterprises, so as to reveal the relative advantages and disadvantages of their own enterprises in the market, as well as the strategic intention, behavior mode and development trend of benchmarking enterprises, so as to provide basis and reference for their own enterprises to formulate reasonable strategic decisions. The importance, objectives, methods, and steps of corporate research are as follows:

The Importance of Corporate Research

The importance of enterprise research is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Help their own enterprises to understand the market environment and competitive situation, timely find market changes and benchmarking enterprise trends, predict the future actions and possible impact of benchmarking enterprises, so as to do a good job in response and prevention.

Help their own enterprises to identify and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, find out their own advantages and disadvantages, so as to formulate targeted competitive strategies to improve their competitiveness and market share.

Help your own company discover and grasp the shortcomings and opportunities of benchmarking companies, find and create differentiated and innovative value propositions, meet and create customer needs, and increase your own company's core competitiveness and brand influence.

To help their own enterprises learn from the successful experience and lessons of benchmarking enterprises, absorb and use the excellent practices and resources of benchmarking enterprises, avoid and correct the mistakes and defects of benchmarking enterprises, and improve the management level and operational efficiency of their own enterprises.

Purpose of Enterprise Research

The main purpose of enterprise research is the following:

Understand the basic situation of benchmarking enterprises, such as enterprise scale, development process, organizational structure, operating status, financial situation, market position, etc.

Understand the strategic direction of benchmarking enterprises, such as corporate vision, mission, values, strategic objectives, strategic choices, strategic implementation, etc.

Understand the core competitiveness of benchmarking enterprises, such as corporate culture, brand image, product quality, service level, technological innovation, channel construction, customer relationship, etc.

Understand the market performance of benchmarking enterprises, such as market share, sales, profit margin, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, market influence, etc.

Understand the competitive strategies of benchmarking enterprises, such as product strategy, price strategy, promotion strategy, channel strategy, human resource strategy, public relations strategy, etc.

Understand the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, such as product advantages, cost advantages, technical advantages, channel advantages, brand advantages, innovation advantages, etc., as well as product disadvantages, cost disadvantages, technical disadvantages, channel disadvantages, brand disadvantages, innovation disadvantages, etc.

Understand the shortcomings and opportunities of benchmarking enterprises, such as product shortcomings, service shortcomings, quality shortcomings, reputation shortcomings, management shortcomings, risk shortcomings, etc., as well as market opportunities, technical opportunities, policy opportunities, cooperation opportunities, innovation opportunities, etc.

Methods of Enterprise Research

The main methods of enterprise research are as follows:

Desktop research method, that is, by collecting and analyzing the public information of benchmarking enterprises, such as official websites, annual reports, news reports, industry reports, market research reports, patent applications, trademark registration, etc., to obtain the basic situation and market performance of benchmarking enterprises.

On-the-spot investigation method, that is, by personally or entrusting a third party to the business premises, production bases, sales outlets, etc. of the benchmarking enterprise to conduct on-the-spot observation and investigation, to obtain the product quality, service level, channel construction and other information of the benchmarking enterprise.

Customer research method, that is, through the benchmark enterprise's existing or potential customers to conduct research or questionnaire survey, to obtain the benchmark enterprise's customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, customer needs, customer preferences and other information.

Employee research method, that is, through the existing or former employees of the benchmark enterprise to conduct research or questionnaire survey, to obtain the benchmark enterprise's corporate culture, organizational structure, management level, human resources strategy and other information.

Espionage law, that is, through secret or illegal means, such as sneaking into the inside of the benchmark enterprise, buying the employees of the benchmark enterprise, stealing the confidential documents of the benchmark enterprise, etc., to obtain the strategic direction, core competitiveness, competitive strategy and other information of the benchmark enterprise.

Steps of Enterprise Research

The main steps of enterprise research are as follows:

Determine the research object, that is, according to the market positioning and target customers of their own enterprises, determine other enterprises that have direct or indirect competitive relationship with their own enterprises. Generally, benchmarking enterprises can be classified and screened according to the standards of popularity, market share, competition intensity, etc., that is, according to the characteristics and importance of benchmarking enterprises, benchmarking enterprises are divided into different categories, such as main benchmarking enterprises, secondary benchmarking enterprises, potential benchmarking enterprises, etc, according to the purpose and resources of the research, the benchmarking enterprises that need to be focused on are selected.

Collect and organize information, that is, according to the purpose and content of the research, the use of appropriate methods, such as desktop research, field visits, customer research, employee research, espionage, etc., to collect relevant information about benchmarking enterprises, and organize and summarize them to form information files of benchmarking enterprises.

Analysis and evaluation of information, that is, according to the purpose and content of the research, the use of appropriate tools and techniques, such as SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces model, value chain analysis, strategic group analysis, competition map method, etc., analysis and evaluation of benchmarking enterprise information, draw the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, short board and opportunities, as well as the threat and impact on their own enterprises.

Formation and presentation of reports, I .e., preparation and presentation of corporate research reports based on the purpose and content of the research, including the background, purpose, methodology, results,Conclusion, recommendations, etc., as well as related charts, data, attachments, etc., to provide reference and support for their own strategic decisions.

The Case for Enterprise Research

Shangpu Consulting Company is a company specializing in market research and consulting services, providing customized solutions for customers from all walks of life to help customers improve market competitiveness and performance growth. When conducting corporate research, Shangpu Consulting followed the above methods and steps, combined with its own professional knowledge and experience, to find the shortcomings and opportunities of benchmarking enterprises for customers, so as to formulate effective competitive strategies for customers. Here are some examples of corporate research from Champ Consulting:

Case 1: Shangpu Consulting provided enterprise research services for an automobile manufacturer to understand the development and strategic direction of benchmarking enterprises in the field of new energy vehicles, as well as their own advantages and disadvantages in this field. Through desktop research, fieldwork and customer research, Shangpu Consulting collected the basic situation, strategic direction, core competitiveness, market performance, competitive strategy and other information of benchmarking enterprises, and analyzed and evaluated the information of benchmarking enterprises through SWOT analysis and value chain analysis.Conclusion：

Advantages of benchmarking enterprises: benchmarking enterprises have strong technological innovation ability in the field of new energy vehicles, and have a number of patents and leading technologies, such as battery management system, intelligent driving system, etc., which improve the performance and safety of products; benchmarking enterprises have high brand awareness and influence in the field of new energy vehicles, through a variety of channels and methods, such as advertising, public relations, social media, etc, it has shaped the image of environmental protection, fashion and avant-garde of products, attracting a large number of target customers; benchmarking enterprises have a wide market coverage and penetration in the field of new energy vehicles, and improve the accessibility and sales of products by establishing and expanding a variety of sales channels, such as direct stores, dealers, online shopping malls, etc.

Disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises: the product prices of benchmarking enterprises in the field of new energy vehicles are relatively high, which exceeds the consumption ability and expectations of some customers, and reduces the market competitiveness and customer satisfaction of products; benchmarking enterprises have fewer product types in the field of new energy vehicles, which can not meet the personalized and diversified needs of different customers, thus limiting the market potential and customer loyalty of products; the low level of service of benchmarking enterprises in the field of new energy vehicles and the lack of effective after-sales service and customer relationship management have led to product quality problems and customer complaints, affecting the reputation and reputation of products.

The short board of benchmarking enterprises: benchmarking enterprises have weak product supply capacity in the field of new energy vehicles, which is subject to the production capacity and cost of batteries, and can not meet the market demand in time, resulting in the imbalance of product supply and demand and the loss of customers; benchmarking enterprises have weak product innovation ability in the field of new energy vehicles, relying too much on existing technologies and models, and lacking sensitivity and adaptability to market changes and customer needs, this has led to the homogenization and backwardness of products; benchmarking enterprises have weak product compliance in the field of new energy vehicles, facing policy uncertainty and regulatory pressure, such as emission standards, subsidy policies, safety regulations, etc., which affect the legitimacy and sustainability of products.

Opportunities for benchmarking companies: benchmarking companies have greater market opportunities in the field of new energy vehicles. With the improvement of environmental awareness and the advancement of energy transformation, the market demand and development prospects of new energy vehicles will continue to grow, providing benchmarking companies with a broad Market space and growth potential; benchmarking companies have greater technical opportunities in the field of new energy vehicles. With the advancement of technology and the development of innovation, the technical level and performance of new energy vehicles will continue to improve, providing strong technical support and advantages for benchmarking enterprises; benchmarking enterprises have greater opportunities for cooperation in the field of new energy vehicles, with the integration and cooperation of the industry, the industrial chain and ecosystem of new energy vehicles will continue to improve, providing benchmarking enterprises with diversified partners and resources.

Case 2: Shangpu Consulting Company provides enterprise research services for a catering chain enterprise. The purpose is to understand the development and strategic direction of benchmarking enterprises in the field of takeout service, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their own enterprises in this field. Through desktop research, fieldwork and customer research, Shangpu Consulting collected the basic situation, strategic direction, core competitiveness, market performance, competitive strategy and other information of benchmarking enterprises, and analyzed and evaluated the information of benchmarking enterprises through SWOT analysis and value chain analysis.Conclusion：

Advantages of benchmarking enterprises: benchmarking enterprises have strong platform advantages in the field of take-out service, with a huge user base, rich business resources, efficient logistics system, perfect payment function, etc., which improve the flow and transaction volume of the platform; benchmarking enterprises have high brand advantages in the field of take-out service, through a variety of channels and methods, such as advertising, public relations, social media, etc, it has shaped the convenient, safe and preferential image of the platform, and enhanced the trust and recognition of users; benchmarking enterprises have a wide market advantage in the field of takeout services, and through continuous expansion and coverage of multiple cities and regions, the market share and influence of the platform have been improved.

Disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises: the product quality of benchmarking enterprises in the field of take-out service is low, which is subject to the food safety and hygiene standards of merchants, as well as the time and temperature control of logistics, which leads to the dissatisfaction of some users with the taste and hygiene of take-out, reducing the satisfaction and loyalty of users; the product innovation of benchmarking enterprises in the field of take-out service is weak, and they rely too much on existing products and models, the lack of sensitivity and adaptability to market changes and user needs has led to the homogenization and backwardness of products; the low level of service of benchmarking enterprises in the field of takeaway services and the lack of effective after-sales service and customer relationship management have led to product complaints and disputes, affecting the reputation and reputation of the platform.

The short board of benchmarking enterprises: benchmarking enterprises have great cost pressure in the field of takeout service, which is subject to the commission of the platform, the cost of logistics, the subsidy of users, etc., which leads to the low profit margin of the platform and it is difficult to achieve profit; benchmarking enterprises have great risks and challenges in the field of takeout service, facing policy uncertainty and regulatory pressure, such as tax policy, labor regulations, consumer rights and interests, etc, affects the legitimacy and sustainability of the platform; benchmarking enterprises in the field of takeaway services competition is fierce, facing the strong entry and preemption of other platforms, such as meituan takeaway, hungry, Baidu takeaway, etc., affecting the competitiveness and market position of the platform.

Opportunities for benchmarking enterprises: benchmarking enterprises have greater market opportunities in the field of e-commerce platforms. With the upgrading of consumption and the formation of online shopping habits, the market demand and development prospects of e-commerce platforms will continue to grow, providing benchmarking enterprises with broad market space and growth potential. Benchmarking enterprises have greater technical opportunities in the field of e-commerce platforms. With the progress of science and technology and the development of innovation, the technical level and performance of e-commerce platforms will continue to improve, providing strong technical support and advantages for benchmarking companies; benchmarking companies have greater opportunities for cooperation in the field of e-commerce platforms. With the integration and collaboration of the industry, the industry of e-commerce platforms The chain and ecosystem will continue to improve, providing benchmarking companies with diversified partners and resources.