Competitive benchmarking is the process of comparing a company's products against those of its competitors. The goal of competitive benchmarking is to identify areas where the company can improve its performance and competitiveness in the market. We have performed benchmarking on servers, switches, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, servers, game controllers and more.
The process of competitive benchmarking typically involves identifying key competitors, collecting data on their solutions, analyzing the product which includes detailed photos and and comprehensive hardware analysis, identifying best practices and insights, and developing a plan of action to improve the company's own performance. It's typically used as a tool for strategic planning, performance measurement, and continuous improvement.
We start at the box level, reviewing all labels, and create a detailed list of all components. We basically take the product apart, layer by layer, and evaluate each key component for functionality, reliability, serviceability, complexity, cost, and supply chain logistics.
The benchmarks can provide valuable insights on product material, assembly and serviceability costs. They allow you to uncover competitor design decisions and apply them to your offerings assuming they are not patented or trade secrets.
Example Insights
Improve Serviceability
Image Source: https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/gorodenkoff
Some products excel at serviceability and make it very straightforward to fix or update. Great products set the bar by having all the serviceable items that are presented right on top. In some cases, no fasteners or screws or tools like screwdrivers are required; everything is all secured in place by hand.
Service personnel open the latch on these products and lift it up a safety cover; the commonly serviced / upgraded items are presented with guidance labeling. It's like working on a car where they actually put the dipstick where you can reach it and tell you where it in a label under the hood
Calculated Profit Margin with a Costed Bill of Materials
We develop a detailed spreadsheet of all components in a competitive benchmark and estimate their cost. We estimate the price based on volume, assembly operations required, material usage, complexity, and supply chain logistics. For example, we can weigh injection molded parts and look at the complexity to estimate how long it will take to manufacture. With our expert experience, these reports are very comprehensive and supported by industry best practices.
Predict Product Reliability with a Thermal Map
Image source: https://aesgs.com/
On some projects, we run thermal tests and develop a thermal map of the product. We have a thermal camera and typically run a system all night. The thermal map depicts the temperature and heat generated by the components. It is often valuable information for R&D engineers to understand how others manage unwanted product heat.
Reduce Cost by Minimizing the Number of Product Parts
Another example of a cool insight is how to do many things with a single part. For common items like fans and fasteners, you can minimize the number of product parts for easy manufacturing, assembly and service. We always look at (1) design costs, (2) manufacturing costs, and (3) assembly costs - Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA).
We pride ourselves on hunting for part count minimization wherever possible. Often you can combine parts by using more sophisticated tooling. This may have a higher NRE cost but can easily reduce long term costs if production volumes are high. We have a “less is more” attitude with low-part-count solutions that promise weight, cost, and upkeep savings.
Improve Labeling
Like serviceability, much insight can be gained by looking at labeling. Great product labels provide information when and where you need it. For example, when you take the top cover off, there are directions on how to swap any service parts. The label provides the information right there at the time and place of need.
Contact us
Contact us if you need competitive benchmarking to identify areas where you can improve your performance and competitiveness in the market.
