Which benchmarking compares against the best functional area in any industry?

• A. Internal benchmarking
• B. Competitive benchmarking
• C. Inter-Industry benchmarking
• D. Material requirements planning

Answer: (C)

Benchmarking looks for best practices by comparing processes with others to learn how to improve. Inter-industry benchmarking specifically contrasts your processes with the best-performing ones in any industry, not just your own or your direct competitors. This broad view helps you adopt innovative approaches from outside your sector, uncovering ways to achieve superior performance that you might not find by looking only within your industry or inside your organization.

Internal benchmarking compares processes within the same organization, focusing on different departments or units. Competitive benchmarking compares against rivals in the same market. Material requirements planning is a planning technique, not a benchmarking approach.