This document discusses benchmarking, which is a strategic analysis tool used to identify areas for improvement through best practices. There are three types of benchmarking: internal, which compares a company's current performance to its past performance; competitor, which compares a company's performance to its industry rivals; and process/activity benchmarking, which compares a company's business processes to best practices of other companies. The document also outlines advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking, as well as a 7-step process for effective benchmarking.