Here’s some of the ways we’ve seen this capability created:

1) Define the Target:

• • Start by identifying what you want to monitor.
  • If the goal is production efficiency, define the metrics that matter most so your system knows exactly what to track.
  • This can be done quickly and easily with a simple internal stakeholder poll (Google or Microsoft Forms works great).

2) Identify Metrics:

• • Choose metrics that are updated frequently.
  • Continuous benchmarking requires data pools that are accessible and updated on a regular basis.
  • Look at your process and identify what data is collected, by who, and where does it go. That will point you in “updated & accurate” data pools.
  • If you need help creating a data set, Sedulo has assisted multiple companies in creating a process to collect and analyze both internal and external data through automation, AI, and system implementation.

3) Map the Universe:

• • Outline all players that influence performance.
  • Include direct competitors, adjacent markets, and substitute products.
  • This is easier said than done, especially if you haven’t built a formal market landscape before (if you haven’t, Sedulo can help)
  • However, once this is built, the map must stay updated through automated monitoring of the various competitors and partners. Which can be done through automated updates using web-scraping tools or APIs (i.e., Your Landscape + Diffbot + Import.io) to track competitor changes.

4) Connect Data and Expertise:

• • Create a data lake that blends the updated & accurate internal data and external universe you just built.
  • Use integration platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, or AWS Glue to centralize data streams.
  • Consolidate the insights via a dashboard (if one does not already exist).

5) Conduct Primary Research:

• • You rarely have every data point you need. Fill these gaps by building a primary research process.
  • Use pulse surveys or automated feedback loops to capture new data points quickly. Tools like Qualtrics, Typeform, or Medallia can capture insights at speed.
  • Targeted primary 1-on-1 interviews and focus groups can help you gain insight into the truly unique information.

6) Translate the Data:

• • Normalize incoming data in real time through AI.
  • If you compare global peers and performance, you must convert currencies and adjust for labor hours instantly and automatically to create an apples-to-apples comparison.
  • This is the step where we’ve seen some amazing automations and use of AI. Solutions built on Alteryx, DataRobot, or Azure Machine Learning can handle these transformations.

7) Extract Insights:

• • Use visual dashboards to flag anomalies immediately.
  • Platforms like Power BI, Tableau, or Looker can visualize trends, while AWS Forecast or Google Vertex AI predicts performance shifts.

8) Deliver Impact:

• • Feed data directly into decision making routines and dashboards.
  • You can even create automated alerts via Slack, Teams, or Zapier workflows
  • Improvements must happen as soon as opportunities appear.

Benchmarking used to be all about validating assumptions, but now it drives strategic action and organizational movement.

The future belongs to companies that see benchmarking as a dynamic, evolving process. Those who build continuous benchmarking engines today will set the pace tomorrow.

Ready to move beyond static benchmarking?
➡ Talk to Sedulo about building a continuous benchmarking system for your organization.