The Application of Benchmarking to Marketing

Abstract

A definition and explanation of benchmarking for total quality management demonstrates how this approach contributes to marketing thought and practice. The special considerations of marketing problems are highlighted along with the development of a systematic and analytical framework for the process of benchmarking. This framework begins with guidelines for selecting the most promising marketing processes in your firm for benchmarking. The next step is to break a process into activities. The third step is to analyze the activities considering such variables as throughput, capital and operating expenses and value added to the customer. The fourth step is to break selected activities into tasks and analyze the tasks. Finally, the workings of a process in another organization can be considered. Managerial implications for the overall process and consideration of how the results may impact the corporation operations are given.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Warren S. Martin

Warren S. Martin (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is a professor of marketing, University of Alabama at Birmingham and president of training and Marketing Consultants (205-969-2577).He has been an active researcher (publications in Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science) as well as working with the business community. He was the first chair of the Department of Marketing at UAB and started the Industrial Distribution Program.

Wendy K. Martin

Wendy K. Martin (Ph.D. student, University of Alabama) has published in the Journal of Advertising and the Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science. She is actively involved in business as President of ICECa, Inc.