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2022 | Book

# The Art of Benchmarking

## An Analytical Guide to Methods and Applications for IT Management

Author: Prof. Dr. Martin Kütz

Publisher:

Book Series: Contributions to Management Science

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Benchmarking is considered a must for modern management. This book presents an approach to benchmarking that has a solid mathematical basis and is easy to understand and apply. The book focuses on three main topics. It shows how to formalize the representation of benchmarking objects. Furthermore, it presents different methods from decision making and voting and their application to benchmarking. Finally, it discusses suitable features for different benchmarking objects. The objects considered are taken from IT management, but can be easily transferred to other business areas, which makes the book interesting for all practitioners in the management field.

##### Chapter 1. Terms and Definitions
Abstract
To be able to work effectively we first have to establish the vocabulary. If we work with diffuse terms and without sound definitions, our investigations will be diffused, too, and the result will not have any value.
Martin Kütz
##### Chapter 2. Mathematical Foundations
Abstract
To establish and apply the methods, which are presented in this book, we need some mathematics. The mathematical toolbox for benchmarking is presented in this chapter.
Martin Kütz
##### Chapter 3. Benchmarking Methods
Abstract
In this chapter we present and discuss various methods to conduct (IT) benchmarking based on mathematical methods. We will generally consider the output part and the input part of our benchmarking objects separately and combine it only finally, when calculating added value and efficiency .
Martin Kütz
##### Chapter 4. Objects of Benchmarking
Abstract
As we discuss it in this book, benchmarking is the art of comparing complex objects. Following our approach of representing a management object by a pair of vectors, the output vector $$\vec s$$ and the input vector $$\vec r$$, we must come to the conclusion that we are only able to compare objects, if they can be described or modeled by the same output characteristics s n, 1 ≤ n ≤ N, and the same input characteristics r m, 1 ≤ m ≤ M. Thus we can select interesting objects and then have to define the relevant output and input characteristics (whatever the meaning of “relevance” really is).
Martin Kütz
##### Chapter 5. Established Benchmarking Approaches
Abstract
In this chapter we will present some well known approaches to (IT) benchmarking. We will show, how these approaches coincide with the theoretical approach of this book, and we hope that the reader will find some good ideas in this chapter, which might help him or her to develop his or her own benchmarking approach. However, the selection of approaches, which we have given here, is, of course, subjective. And there is no claim for completeness.
Martin Kütz
##### Chapter 6. The Benchmarking Process
Abstract
Now we come to the last chapter of this book. And here we want to summarize our considerations and give an overview on the benchmarking process as we think it is reasonable and ready for practical application.
Martin Kütz
##### Backmatter
Title
The Art of Benchmarking
Author
Prof. Dr. Martin Kütz