Virtual benchmarking in logistics: a concept for the determination of benchmarks

Benchmarking has been discussed controversially in the past as a method to learn about processes of other companies known for their outstanding capabilities. Identifying best-in-class companies in specific processes is difficult. Comparable benchmarks are scarce and influential factors have a large impact on the performance. Therefore the virtual benchmarking concept has been developed. First step was to define the objectives in logistics. In order to transfer the objectives into processes, a set of top priority logistics measures along with influential factors has been developed and validated. The concept was filled with empirical data from more than 120 companies and transformed into a software tool called LogCheck. It presents an appropriate possibility to gain information about benchmarks in logistics, depending on the conditions influencing a company. The virtual benchmarks are immediately available after an analysis of the respective company’s conditions. The database is constantly updated.