Table 1.

Classification scheme for benchmarking by Fong et al. [16]

Classification	Type	Meaning
Nature of benchmarking partner	Internal	Comparing within one organization about the performance of similar business units or processes
	Competitor	Comparing with direct competitors, catch up or even surpass their overall performance
	Industry	Comparing with company in the same industry, including noncompetitors
	Generic	Comparing with an organization which extends beyond industry boundaries
	Global	Comparing with an organization where its geographical location extends beyond country
Content of benchmarking	Process	Pertaining to discrete work processes and operating systems
	Functional	Application of the process benchmarking that compares particular business functions at two or more organizations
	Performance	Concerning outcome characteristics, quantifiable in terms of price, speed, reliability, etc.
	Strategic	Involving assessment of strategic rather than operational matters
Purpose for the relationship	Competitive	Comparison for gaining superiority over others
	Collaborative	Comparison for developing a learning atmosphere and sharing of knowledge