Editorial

Benchmarking: An International Journal

ISSN: 1463-5771

Article publication date: 1 December 2001

222

Citation

Gunasekaran, A. (2001), "Editorial", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 8 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij.2001.13108eaa.001

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited


Editorial

Benchmarking: An International Journal in 2002

With the advent of Internet, World Wide Web (WWW), e-commerce and economic liberalization policies, the market has become global and companies have to compete in such a market not just based on price alone, but based on multiple competitive performance objectives such as quality, flexibility, responsiveness, and dependability. This has made companies look constantly for best practices for improving their productivity and quality and hence competitiveness. The subject and practice of benchmarking have received tremendous attention from both academic researchers and practitioners for research and applications. In an information intensive world, benchmarking has become a key strategy as well as a tool for performance management that is based on performance measures and metrics together identifying best practices for enhancing organizational competitiveness. Also, the Internet and WWW have enhanced the success of benchmarking studies and their applications.

BIJ has been covering a wide spectrum of topics on benchmarking strategies, methodologies and tools, and practices. The articles that appeared in BIJ span across the theoretical frameworks, empirical research and case studies including mathematical and simulation models that would facilitate benchmarking research and applications. Also, the journal has placed higher emphasis on the practice of benchmarking.

In the new millennium, BIJ has ventured out with a new look for integrating information technologies in benchmarking research and applications. BIJ has succeeded to a great extent in its efforts of bringing the application of information technology to benchmarking. In addition, due consideration has been given by the authors of the articles which appeared in BIJ for identifying suitable performance metrics and measures. I would like to overview some of the changes that BIJ introduced in 2001.

Each issue has started with an editorial from the Editor to highlight the implications of benchmarking theory and applications in new emerging manufacturing/service strategies that include supply chain management, logistics, technology management, e-commerce, business process reengineering, information technology/systems in benchmarking. This has provided readers with information on the significance of benchmarking in a wired global market. E-commerce has changed the market paradigm in the twenty-first century and this has eliminated several intermediate transactions and emphasized the role of benchmarking as a management strategy as well as a tool. Benchmarking in logistics operations such as transportation and warehousing have become critical factors in managing a global Internet-enabled supply chain. Authors were encouraged to submit articles that deal with these issues and we were satisfied by the response from the audience of BIJ.

Professor Ronald McGaughey (Internet editor, BIJ) of the University of Central Arkansas has been contributing editorials on the Internet and WWW applications for benchmarking research and practice. Professor McGaughey reviewed interesting benchmarking Web sites and their features to demonstrate how online benchmarking studies and practices would be effective. Professor McGaughey has generated the interest of the audience on Internet-enabled benchmarking applications. Professor McGaughey can be contacted when you have interesting Internet sites for benchmarking. The number of Web sites on benchmarking is just overwhelming and this clearly indicates the scope of the benchmarking theory and applications. Benchmarking has entered almost all types of industries which include healthcare, academic institutions, manufacturing, IT industry, transportation, and human resource management. These demonstrate the scope of the benchmarking.

In 2002, BIJ is poised to emerge with a mission of helping researchers and practitioners in benchmarking research and applications. Some of the forthcoming articles in 2002 deal with benchmarking performance management systems, a methodology for enhancing enterprise agility, and benchmarking product standards. These articles employ a variety of research methodologies, which include conceptual framework, case studies and empirical analysis. I am sure the readers will find forthcoming articles in BIJ for the year 2002 useful for research and applications of benchmarking.

BIJ is also going to publish two special issues in year 2002. The first special issue deals with the benchmarking and evaluation of information systems, which is edited by one of the most active research groups in information systems evaluation in Europe (Professors Sarmad Alshawi, Zahir Irani and Marinos Themistocleous of Brunel University). The second special issue is on corporate environmental benchmarking edited by Professor Joseph Sarkis from Clark University. I am sure this special issue will help readers to develop some interesting insights and future research directions on corporate environmental benchmarking.

The year 2002 will be an exciting year for BIJ readers with a lot of new developments in the areas of benchmarking theory and applications. The journal is about to embark on a mission of giving support to conferences on benchmarking theory and practices. Also, additional emphasis will be placed on Web-enabled benchmarking methodology and practices. The editors of BIJ welcome any suggestions or ideas from readers for further improvement of benchmarking theory and applications.

A. Gunasekaran

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