Benchmarking

BENCHMARKING

Definition:

Benchmarking in the Automobile industry involves a structured comparison between similar products, services, or processes on some dimensions of performance.

Benchmarking is defined as the process of measuring products, services, and processes against those of organizations known to be leaders in one or more aspects of their operations.

Benchmarking provides necessary insights to help you understand how your organization compares with similar organizations, even if they are in a different business or have a different group of customers.

Benchmarking can also help organizations identify areas, systems, or processes for improvements—either incremental (continuous) improvements or dramatic (business process re-engineering) improvements.

This will be done with respect to some case studies.

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 and provide recommendations based on which is best or some form of ranking amongst competitors.

It is particularly useful when comparing not only performance but also practice – in other words what do the different organizations do to enable that performance to be delivered? And applied in this way it is a powerful tool in process innovation sin e studying how the ‘best’ achieve their performance can provide powerful clues 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

Benchmarking has been classified into two distinct categories:

• Technical Benchmarking
• Competitive Benchmarking

TECHNICAL BENCHMARKING
Technical benchmarking is performed by design staff to determine the capabilities of products or services, especially in comparison to the products or services of leading competitors.

COMPETITIVE BENCHMARKING
Competitive benchmarking compares how well (or poorly) an organization is doing with respect to the leading competition, especially with respect to critically important attributes, functions, or values associated with the organization’s products or services.

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

POINTS TO CONSIDER IN THE GIVEN CASE STUDY:

1. Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii lives in Bangalore, which is a highly crowded city.
2. And lives with his family of 5 members. So, he needs a 5 Seater car.
3. He visits his native place Madurai which is 500kms away from Bangalore once a month. So, he needs a milage-giving car and the car should perform well.
4. Also, he will be using his car to commute to his office.
5. His budget is between 8 to 10 lakhs on road.

From the above considerations, I've chosen 4 types of cars from different make based on the budget, Long drive, Seaters, and Commute to the office.

They are,

1. MARUTI DZIRE VXI AT
2. TATA PUNCH ACCOMPLISHED DAZZLE
3. TOYOTA GLANZA S AMT
4. RENAULT KIGER RXT opt DT

Here I've prepared the comparison for the above-mentioned 4 cars.

From the above image, we can see an overview of benchmarking in the automotive industry.

It shows 4 different vehicles of different manufacturing companies compared with their respective service, dimensions, performance, price, mileage, etc.

From this comparison, we get a new result for producing a new vehicle in the market and also as a customer, we get a better option to select a vehicle to buy.

BENCHMARKING FOR THE GIVEN CASE

1. MARUTI DZIRE VXI AT

Why I've chosen first this, because of the following considerations

• Budget - It falls at 9.57 Lakhs on road price at Bengaluru.
• Mileage - It gives 22.61kmpl by ARAI
• Seating capacity - 5 Members.
• Transmission - Automatic transmission which is considered for high traffic area like Bengaluru.

The Maruti Dzire VXI AT is one of India's best-selling cars and the subcompact sedan has beaten its sibling, the Alto, as India's best-selling car in the past. It's a car that holds strong goodwill in the market and the third-generation version added more premium appeal when it arrived in 2017 with a complete design overhaul.

While the car also received a facelift last year, but in the used car market you are more likely to get the pre-facelift model.

Here are the Pictures of the car.

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

Additional Features - Idle Start Stop, Pollen Filter, Rear Accessory Socket with Mobile Pocket

ADVANTAGES:

1. The 1.2-litre, four-cylinder K-Series petrol engine is the peppiest naturally-aspirated engine in the subcompact sedan segment. It doesn't feel underpowered, belting out 89 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque.
2. The Maruti Dzire offers all the segment standard features and is well-equipped in the creature comfort department. It gets LED projector headlamps with DRLs, auto-foldable ORVMs, and LED taillights. The car also comes equipped with auto climate control, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, a multi-function steering wheel, 4.2-inch colored TFT MID, cruise control, and more. The Dzire also gets dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, and Brake Assist on the manual, while the automatic version adds an ESC with Hill Hold Assist.
3. The Maruti Suzuki Dzire also scores higher in the seating comfort and space department offering more than adequate space for four. The knee room at the rear and legroom at the front are enough and the seats offer decent thigh support.

CONS:

1. The 1.3-litre, diesel engine has been discontinued and if you are planning to opt for one, parts availability in the future might be an issue.
2. If you are going for the automatic variant, the only choice you'll get is of an AMT and the gearbox isn't the best when it comes to performance and shifts. A perceptible delay is felt.
3. The Maruti Suzuki Dzire doesn't score high when it comes to crash test ratings and has a NCAP rating of just two-stars.

2. TATA PUNCH ACCOMPLISHED DAZZLE

Why I've chosen second this, because of the following considerations

• Budget - It falls at 9.76 Lakhs on road price at Bengaluru.
• Mileage - It gives 20.09 kmpl by ARAI
• Seating capacity - 5 Members.
• NCAP rating - 5 star

Tata Motors has launched the all-new Punch micro SUV in India, priced at Rs. 5.49 lakh to Rs. 9.09 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The car was first revealed to us as the HBX concept at the 2020 Auto Expo, and ever since, the micro SUV has been one of the most anticipated products from Tata Motors.

The carmaker, which begun accepting bookings for the Punch on October 4, 2021, says the micro SUV has bagged the highest-ever bookings compared to any other Tata model.

Here are the Pictures of Tata Punch

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

ADVANTAGES:

1. Tata Motors had promised that the production version of the Punch will remain similar to the HBX concept, and the company has kept its promise. Borrowing cues from the likes of the Nexon, Harrier, and Safari, the new Punch has the proportions and stance of an SUV. And that's what will attract customers.

2. The Punch offers a host of smart features like - projector headlights, LED DRLs, 16-inch diamond-cut alloys, LED taillamps, and faux skid plates. Inside, the Punch comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a multi-functional steering wheel, a part digital instrument cluster, and more.

3. While the Tata Punch is not a 4-Wheel-Drive (4WD) SUV, it still comes with some cool off-road credentials. Apart from the best-in-class ground clearance of 187 mm, the Punch comes with high approach (20.3-degree) and departure (37.6-degree) angles. Also, its water wading ability stands at 365 mm. Furthermore, the AMT version also comes with a new feature called 'traction pro' mode that offers the extra boost of power to navigate through muddy and low-traction surfaces.

CONS:

1. At this point, more than a con, we just wished the Punch had a turbo petrol engine on offer. While the 1.2-litre Revotron is a refined motor, a punchier turbo petrol would have sweetened the deal. Considering Tata already offers one with the Altorz it should have been offered at least with the top-end trims.

2. No diesel engine. Yes, there is a growing demand for petrol cars, but considering the company is not offering a turbo petrol engine, it should have at least considered offering a diesel option. As mentioned earlier, the Punch is based on the Altroz's platform, and the carmaker offers a diesel option for the premium hatchback.

3. While we appreciate that Tata is offering an AMT option for Punch right from the launch, we wish it had a better automatic transmission. The AMT certainly does the job of offering clutch-less driving but it still has the negatives that come with any AMT and is not as fun to drive as the manual.

3. TOYOTA GLANZA S AMT

Why I've chosen third this, because of the following considerations

• Budget - It falls at 9.77 Lakhs on road price at Bengaluru. which is quite near price to Tata Punch
• Mileage - It gives 22.94 kmpl by ARAI
• Seating capacity - 5 Members with more room space
• Transmission - Automatic transmission which is considered for high traffic area like Bengaluru.
• The body type is Hatchback with 405 litres boot capacity

The Toyota Glanza is possibly the most popular product to come out of the Suzuki-Toyota partnership. And it proved its mettle by making more than 65,000 deliveries of the car, especially to a younger audience from Tier II and Tier III markets since its launch in 2019. For 2022, the company has introduced a refreshed Glanza, in time with the 2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno, but this time around, the company has reworked elements of the car to make it look more like a Toyota, rather than a Maruti Suzuki, certainly upping the stakes in the already congested premium hatchback space. We have the car with us today to check everything that is new, and improved than the previous version, and if it makes sense to buy once.

Here are the pictures of cars

EXTERIOR:

INTERIOR:

Pros of Toyota Glanza

• Handling & ride quality
• After-sales support
• Fuel efficiency
• Value-for-money
• Warranty package

Cons of Toyota Glanza

• No diesel option
• AMT is not suited for spirited driving
• Engine mid-range feels dull
• Below Average Performance From CVT Gearbox

4. RENAULT KIGER RXT opt DT

Why I've chosen fourth this, because of the following considerations

• Budget - It falls at 9.86 Lakhs on road price at Bengaluru.
• Mileage - It gives 19.17 kmpl by ARAI
• Seating capacity - 5 Members.
• NCAP rating - 4 star

Renault Kiger RXT Opt is the mid petrol variant in the Kiger lineup. This RXT Opt variant comes with an engine putting out and of max power and max torque respectively. The safety measure is 4 star given by the NCAP.

Here are the pictures are

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

ADVANTAGES

• Choice of 4 engine-transmission combinations
• Both petrol engines are very fuel-efficient
• A solid 4-star GNCAP adult crash test safety rating
• All variants are well priced over the base variant for the additional features
• Biggest boot space in the segment; it’s considerably bigger than even the Magnite, which shares the platform and mechanicals with the Kiger
• 205mm ground clearance is second only to the Nexon’s 209mm
• 16-inch wheels are standard on all variants

CONS:

• 16-inch wheels with the 1.0L normal petrol engine may affect its drivability because of the higher rotating mass
• Doesn’t offer the road presence like the Magnite; from a distance, it looks like a slightly larger Kwid
• Limited sales and service network
• No sunroof and 6 airbag options

CONCLUSION:

From comparison and benchmarking, I will suggest customer TATA PUNCH ACCOMPLISHED DAZZLE. because it fits in this budget.

Even though the budget of the Maruti Dzire is less than Tata Punch, For considering the safety precaution, I would strongly suggest this car.

It's a 5 seater vehicle complete for this family and we all family's safety is most important, this vehicle is the safest vehicle of India with 5 star NCAP rating and the average mileage is good, with very good performance and overall it's a stylish vehicle with new technology.