Benchmarking

AUTOMOTIVE BENCHMARKING

Benchmarking is a process of comparing and measuring the performance of various cars against their competitors to find areas of improvement. This can be achieved by analyzing various factors such as the efficiency of the car, product quality, customer satisfaction, etc. In the automobile industry, benchmarking is a crucial process for identifying best practices and continuously improving performance. For example, if Tata motors decide to make a new sedan model car, employees in Tata motors would study the market and requirements of customers that are not fulfilled by their competitors.

There are two types of benchmarking:

1. Benchmarking I - First-level benchmarking is the process of understanding competitors and common differences in performance, aesthetics, safety, mileage, etc. This is based on customer feedback, feature comparisons, etc.
2. Benchmarking II - Second-level benchmarking is the process of deep comparisons like the body in white, the weight of sheet metal, etc, and studying where to make changes to improve the performance and sales of the car.

Benchmarking is not only used for making new products but also for improving product quality and performance to compete and hold their position in the market. For example, if a company finds that its vehicles are not as fuel-efficient as its competitors, it may invest in research and development to improve the fuel efficiency of its vehicles.

In conclusion, benchmarking is an important aspect of the automobile industry as it helps companies remain competitive by identifying areas for improvement and making necessary changes. It also helps companies stay up-to-date with industry standards and technologies

CASE

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 500 km 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

REPORT

Studying the above case of Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii features recommended for his car according to his requirements are as follows:

• Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii is looking for a five-seater car.
• He is very interested in big cars and needs comfortable leg space in the front seat and the rear seat.
• He drives through highly dense city traffic daily, and once every month, he goes for a long-distance drive.
• His budget falls between 8 - 10 lakh rupees.
• Considering the above factors the suggested model of the car would be a sedan model car with automatic transmission. Since he drives a lot, mileage is also a factor.

Based on the requirements a detailed benchmarking is prepared to compare various cars.

COMPARISONS

• When comparing these vehicles Honda Amaze and Swift Dzire deliver maximum power, but Swift Dzire produces better torque than Amaze. Tata Tigor also delivers reasonable power and torque.
• When comparing the mileage Dzire gives the best mileage in this segment but Tigor is not that bad when comparing city mileage as most of his use will be in Bengaluru city.
• Since they travel long distances boot space is very important. Here Amaze and Tigor provides better boot space than others.
• When looking for safety Tigor and Amaze have a 4-star rating on the global NCAP safety test.

CONCLUSION

In my observation, I would recommend Tata Tigor XMA AMT because it is the most value-for-money car. The power figures and mileage is good enough for a sedan car with 8.82 lakh rupees. It provides better safety with enough boot space and leg room. The door opens almost 90 degrees so that old people can easily get in or get out of the car.

FRONT VIEW REAR VIEW

SIDE VIEW TOP VIEW

NCAP SAFETY

Image courtesy: Global NCAP