Benchmarking

Aim: To explain Benchmarking and to suggest a car that satisfies all the needs of Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii in his price range.

Benchmarking:

        Benchmarking is the process of comparing your organization, its operations, or processes against the best in the industry.

• Benchmarking is all about setting a standard for a product or a service of a company. So, Benchmarking can be applied to any product, process, function, or approach in any business.

• Benchmarking is the process of obtaining a standard Measure - the measure of quality, the measure of comfort, or the quality of equipment it purely depends on the Product we want to benchmark.

• Benchmarking is the process of improvising the product to the best of the industrial standards which will make a huge impact on the market.

Steps to do Benchmarking:

• Select the process to benchmark -Here we select the indicators that are fundamental for the product that we are gonna develop.
• Determine who you want to Benchmark against - this might involve competitor brands or our previous-generation product.
• Document your current process - This will help you specify areas that need improvement and also make it easy to compare with competitors or our previous generation product.
• Collect and Analyze Data -  Collection of all the data needed for the analysis of that specific product from all the competitors in that segment and now do a proper analysis to improve the product.
• Create a Plan - While creating a plan we have to consider a lot of things like financial terms, the technical skill set needed, Manufacturability of the product within the equipment.
• Implement changes - Here all the changes are implemented for the product and a close look at the performance of the product is needed.
• Repeat the Process -  If the product is not performing well or manufacturability is not possible we have to repeat the process again.

 Consideration for choosing a good car:

• Safety features of the car.
• Drive quality for a high-traffic city like Bangalore.
• Mileage of the vehicle.
• Brand.
• Service quality.

Car Comparison:

Cars	Tata Nexon Verdict	Hyundai i20 Verdict	Maruti Suzuki Swift Verdict	Renault Kiger Verdict
Price(lakhs)	9.34	9	8.85	9.82
Engine	1199 cc, 3 Cylinders Inline, 2 Valves/Cylinder, SOHC	1197 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC	1197 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC	999 cc, 3 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC
Engine Type	1.2L Turbocharged Revotron	1.2 l Kappa	1.2L Dual Jet	1.0L Turbo
Fuel Type	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol
Max Power (bhp@rpm)	118 bhp @ 5500 rpm	87 bhp @ 6000 rpm	89 bhp @ 6000 rpm	99 bhp @ 5000 rpm
Max Torque (Nm@rpm)	170 Nm @ 1750 rpm	115 Nm @ 1500 rpm	113 Nm @ 4400 rpm	160 Nm @ 2800 CPM
Mileage (ARAI) (kmpl)	16.3	19.6	22.56	20.5
Driving Range (Km)	719	727	835	800
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD	FWD	FWD
Transmission	AMT - 6 Gears, Manual Override, Sport Mode	Automatic (CVT) - CVT Gears, Manual Override	AMT - 5 Gears, Manual Override	Automatic(CVT)- 5 Gears
Emission Standard	BS 6	BS 6	BS 6	BS 6
Turbocharger/Supercharger	Turbocharged			Turbocharged
Others			Idle Start/Stop
Safety
NCAP Rating	5 Star (Global NCAP)	3 Star (Global NCAP)	2 Star (Global NCAP)	4 Star (Global NCAP)
Airbags	2 Airbags (Driver, Passenger)	2 Airbags (Driver, Front Passenger)	2 Airbags (Driver, Passenger)	4 Airbags (Driver, Front Passenger, Driver Side, Front Passenger Side)
Good Things	Upmarket looks - Exciting and impactful design, proper no-nonsense SUV stance	Conspicuous styling - The i20 now looks sharp, sporty and thoroughly modern	Fun to drive - Hatchback dimensions, light steering/controls, nimble road manners	Sprightly performance - Capable powertrains offer adequate grunt for most situations
	G-NCAP safety - A five-star NCAP safety rating ensure buyers get a very safe car	Exhaustive feature list - Loads of equipment plus a noteworthy list of safety kit	Powerful engine - The petrol motor is flexible, peppy, refined and fuel-efficient	Safety - Four-star rating for adult occupant protection in the GNCAP safety tests
	Performance - The powertrains offer a satisfying mid/top-end grunt for most situations	Spacious interior - The i20 is one of the more spacious hatches in its segment	Fairly spacious - By hatchback standards, one won't be left wanting for more space	Easy maneuverability - Good all-round visibility, light steering, and compact footprint
	Spacious cabin - Despite the compact footprint, it is roomier than segment rivals	Powertrain choices - Appeals to a large audience via abundant engine/gearbox options	Sporty design - It’s still one of the most stylish-looking hatchbacks in our country	Interior space - Proper dimensions/wheelbase ensure it is on par with segment rivals
	Sorted ride/handling - Nicely tuned suspension offers apt damping at most speeds	Hyundai service - Wide network of sales/service/spares and superior resale value	Aftersales experience - Excellent service network and ready availability of spares	Handsome - An affordable SUV that does not compromise on styling and road presence
Could be Better	Interior quality, fit/finish - Scratchy hard plastics, rough edges, panel gaps	Firm low-speed ride - The ride is a little bumpy as the ruts/bumps filter into the cabin	Lacks modern features - Maruti could have offered new-age gizmos to delight buyers	Rear seating - Having three adults occupying the rear bench can be a tight affair
	Low-end grunt - The diesel motor needs some revving to get off the line properly	More expensive now - The i20 is significantly costlier to buy than its segment rivals	Build quality - Lower cabin looks ordinary due to the 'average' plastic quality	Tall boot - Baggage needs to be lifted higher to clear the boot's high loading lip
	Infotainment screen - Slow responses, low-resolution screen, interface not intuitive	Iffy plastic quality - The quality of some cabin materials is not up to the mark	Firm slow-speed ride quality - One can also hear the suspension working underneath	Cost cutting - Hard/scratchy plastics, quality is not as per segment standards

Images for reference as per the above-mentioned order:

               

Conclusion:

• After a detailed Comparison, I suggest Tata Nexon to Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii as per the following considerations
• Pros:  Good drive quality with 6-gear automatic transmission for daily commute in a city like Bangalore.
•           5-star rating and they are providing 2 airbags.
•           Offering a very good mileage of  Kmpl.
•           Good power of 118 bhp & 170 Nm of torque.
•           Best Service quality.
•           Good drive range of 719 km for the monthly trip to Madurai.
• Cons: Offering a comparatively less mileage of 16 Kmpl.