Budgeting & Forecasting › The Budgeting Process

How does benchmarking support budgeting?

Intermediate

Answer

Benchmarking compares the organization's costs, ratios, and performance against internal history, competitors, or industry standards to set informed, challenging budget targets and identify improvement opportunities. It grounds targets in evidence rather than just last year's figures, countering slack and complacency.
Real-world example Comparing cost-per-unit to industry leaders informs a tougher, evidence-based cost budget.

Common follow-ups: What can you benchmark against? | How does benchmarking counter slack?