Development and application of a benchmarking information system in clusters of SMEs

Purpose – The paper aims to focus on the development and application of a benchmarking information system designed for use within a cluster.Design/methodology/approach – Case study as the field research methodology for theory testing and refinement.Findings – Despite the difficulties and a lack of maturity for benchmarking and performance management to be overcome, the governing institutions and most of the companies have realized that implementation of the system in itself represents a step towards managing improvement of the clusters.Research limitations/implications – Research is still at an early stage and applications of the information system need to be carried on further so as to review and validate it.Practical implications – Absence of a culture of decision making based on analysis of information and lack of resources may create some difficulty in using metrics for a cluster of SMEs.Originality/value – The paper proposes to apply the concepts and techniques of business performance management and ...

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