Strategic Management: Benchmarking (Definitions)

"The process of comparison in which one set of metrics comes from the entity being measured and the other set of metrics comes from averages for an industry, specific configuration, or other common attributes." (Janice M Roehl-Anderson, IT Best Practices for Financial Managers, 2010) 

Benchmarks: "Objective measures of performance, often available from industry trade associations." (Linda Volonino & Efraim Turban, "Information Technology for Management" 8th Ed., 2011)

"A systematic process of comparing an organization to other organizations for the purposes of identifying better work methods and determining best practices." (Joan C Dessinger, "Fundamentals of Performance Improvement" 3rd Ed., 2012)

"Benchmarking uses external and internal comparisons to plan for future improvements." (John R Schermerhorn Jr, "Management" 12th Ed., 2012)

"A point of reference for measurement." (Information Management)

"A technique in which an organization measures its performance against that of best-in-class organizations, determines how those organizations achieved their performance levels and uses the information to improve its own performance. Subjects that can be benchmarked include strategies, operations and processes." (American Society for Quality)