Benchmarking

BENCHMARKING

• Benchmarking involves a structured comparison between similar products, services or processes on some dimensions of performance.

For example

• It can be used to compare the availability and delivery of features in a product and in this form often provides the basis of consumer tests and reviews.
• These look at products and services to provide recommendations based on which is best or some form of ranking among competitors.
• It is particularly useful when comparing not only performance but also best practice.
• Bench marking is a powerful tool in process innovation, since studying how the ‘best’ achieve their performance can provide for changing the way processes operate.

Process benchmarking of this kind can operate at several levels:

• Between similar processes in the same factory or service branch
• Between different factories or service branches
• Between different competing organizations
• Between different sectors using the same process

Benefits of benchmarking

• Keep improving internal operations.
• Understand what's working and what isn't.
• Adopt or improve upon competitors' practices.
• Reduce costs by increasing efficiency.
• Focus on practices and offerings that promote customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Case study

Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii is a married man who lives in Bangalore which is a highly crowded city. His Family comprises five members including his wife, a five-year-old boy, his father, and his mother. He visits his native place Madurai which is 500kms away from Bangalore once a month. Also, he will be using his car to commute to his office. His budget falls between 8 to 10 lakhs on road. Please suggest to him options so that he will buy a good car for his family.

Note: Pughazhyendhii is fond of big cars

Benchmark with presently available cars in the market for the following case.

Mr. Pughazhyendhii is fond of big cars and have family members of 5 who lives in Bangalore .He use to travel his car to office as well as monthly once to travel 500kms to his native which is far away from Bangalore.

In my opinion

I would suggest for SUV and Hatchback cars for his budget.

Below are the suggested cars

1.Maruthi Baleno

2.Tata Altroz

3.Hyundai venue

4.Honda Jazz

1. MARUTHI BALENO

Maruthi Baleno Pros

• Reasonably priced and well equipped
• Plenty of features for middle variants too
• Best-in-class fuel efficiency figures - even for engines without hybrid technology
• Maruthi Suzuki’s wide network makes it easy to find spares and competent mechanics
• Good resale value

Maruthi Baleno Cons

• Expensive automatic transmission variants
• Absurdly overpriced hybrid petrol engine
• Acceptable but unimpressive parts’ quality

2. Tata Altroz

Tata Altroz Pros:

• Turbo-petrol is vastly superior to the n/a petrol. Altroz finally gets the petrol engine it deserves
• 2T offers good driveability & satisfactory performance
• Looks absolutely stunning! Solid build too
• Nice interior with good quality parts & adequate space
• Accommodating 345-litre boot is among the biggest of the segment
• 5-star NCAP safety rating! Safety package includes dual airbags, CSC, break reminder etc.
• Enjoyable Harman 8-speaker ICE. One of the better audio systems in this segment
• Impressive kit (auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control, leatherette seats, adjustable armrest...)

Tata Altroz Cons:

• Not a hot hatch! Performance is fair
• The Altroz turbo-petrol inexplicably makes 9 BHP & 30 Nm lesser than the Nexon!!!
• No automatic gearbox option in a market that loves its ATs
• Some missing features (auto-dimming IRVM, thinner spare tyre on top trims, split-folding rear seat...)
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble

3.Hyundai Venue

Hyundai venue Pros :

• Most refreshing design
• Interior quality, fit and finish top notch
• 0L GDI Turbo petrol engine best in segment
• DCT auto box most advanced in segment
• Blue Link feature unique and very useful
• Priced very competitively

Hyundai venue Cons:

• Rear washer and wiper available in top trim only
• 60:40 split seats and rear armrest also only in top trim
• Rear seat legroom least in segment
• 2 Petrol feels lethargic
• No option of Diesel Automatic
• Long term reliability of DCT not known, VW DSGs were very problematic

4.Honda Jazz

Honda Jazz Pros

Mileage: The Honda Jazz returns great mileage. On highways, it has a fuel efficiency of more than 26kmpl. This is a boon because of rising global fuel prices.

Space: The seats can be folded upwards to yield more space. This makes carrying taller items easier. The Jazz otherwise has an unparalleled amount of space in the B segment.

Huge boot: The car has a 363-liter boot space, much more than the Toyota altroz.

Efficient powertrain: The 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a CVT is a great combination for city driving.

Honda Jazz Cons

Sound: The sound insulation of the Honda Jazz is not good. The sound inside the cabin is 71dB while driving at 110 kmph. It’s one of the noisiest in class.

Design: The design and styling of the car are pretty odd. It doesn’t look like a proper crossover. In fact, that’s a deterrent to many prospective buyers.

Hard gears: Gear shifting in the entry-level manual version is a bit hard. It kills the driving experience

Here are the comparision of cars

COMPARISION OF CARS
Car Brand Name	Maruti Baleno	Tata Altroz	Hyundai venue	Honda jazz
On Road Price	Rs.9,89,620	Rs.9,12,748*	Rs.10,52,134	Rs.9,77,809
User Rating	4.4	4.6	4.6	4.4
Engine and Transmission
Engine Type	1.2 L K Series Engine	1.5 l Turbocharged Revotorq	1.2 Kappa Petrol	1.2 i-VTEC
Displacement (cc)	1197	1497	1197	1199
Max Power (bhp@rpm)	88.50bhp@6000rpm	88.77bhp@4000rpm	81.80bhp@6000rpm	88.50bhp@6000rpm
Max Torque (nm@rpm)	113Nm@4400rpm	200nm@1250-3000rpm	113.8Nm@4000rpm	110Nm@4800rpm
Valves Per Cylinder	4	4	4	4
Transmission type	manual	manual	manual	manual
Fuel & Performance
Fuel Type	Petrol	Diesel	Petrol	Petrol
Mileage (City)	20.0 kmpl	20.0 kmpl	16.0 kmpl	18.0kmpl
Mileage (ARAI)	22.35 kmpl	23.03 kmpl	18.0kmpl	22.0 kmpl
Fuel Tank Capacity	37.0 (Litres)	37.0 (Litres)	45.0 (Litres)	40.0 (Litres)
Suspension, Steering & Brakes
Front Suspension	MacPherson Strut	Independent MacPherson Dual Path Strut with Coil Spring	McPherson strut with coil spring	MacPherson Strut,Coil Spring
Rear Suspension	Torsion Beam	Twist Beam with Coil Spring and Shock Absorber	Coupled torsion beam axle with coil spring	Torsion Beam Axle,Coil Spring
Steering Type	Electric	Electric	Power	Electric
Steering Column	Tilt & Telescopic	Tilt	Tilt	Tilt
Dimensions & Capacity
Length (mm)	3990	3990	3995	3989
Width (mm)	1745	1755	1770	1694
Height (mm)	1500	1523	1617	1544
Ground Clearance Unladen (mm)	170mm	165mm	190mm	165
Wheel Base (mm)	2520	2501	2500	2530
Kerb Weight (kg)	920-955	980-1150	1036	1042
Grossweight (kg)	1410	1450-1550	1510-1570	1450-1490
Seating Capacity	5	5	5	5
Boot Space (Litres)	318	345	-	354
No. of Doors	5	5	5	5
Exterior
Body Type	HatchbackAll Hatchback Cars	HatchbackAll Hatchback Cars	SUVAll SUV Cars	HatchbackAll Hatchback Cars
Safety
Advance Safety Features	Curtain airbags	5 Star Global NCAP Safety Rating,Advanced ABS 9.3 with Corner Stability Control,Puncture Repair Kit,Drive Away Locking,Mechanical Child Safety Lock on Rear Doors	Headlamp Escort Function,Rear Defogger with Timer	Advanced Compatibility Engineering(ACE) Body Structure,Multi View Rear Camera with Guidelines,Key Off Reminder,Horn Type(Dual)

CONCLUSION

• I would suggest TATA Altroz for Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii family.
• TATA Altroz is really a safe car as compared to other three cars.This car also passed the NCAP safety test with 5 star rating.
• Also the Car is good in looks with not so high in budget compare to other three cars.
• Car interiors are so premium and good quality material is used .
• This car comes with Airbags as a standard and that’s a really good thing. It also gives you good mileage.
• More over user rating also 4.6/5 compared to other three cars