Benchmarks

Intro

Benchmarks are reference metrics used to compare performance across systems, processes, or organisations. In EA, they inform goals, investments, and risk decisions.

Key points:

• Provide external or internal reference points
• Support prioritisation and transparency
• Common use cases: capability KPIs, platform SLAs, cost per transaction, delivery velocity, quality measures
• Pitfall: poor context or apples‑to‑oranges comparisons mislead decisions

Examples:

• Industry uptime targets for key platforms
• Internal benchmark of cycle time across business units
• Cost benchmark per integration or API call

In practice:

Use benchmarks within Enterprise Architecture scorecards and governance reporting.

Related terms: KPI; SLA; Balanced Scorecard

FAQs:

Q: Where do benchmarks come from?
A: Industry reports, vendors, and internal historical data.

Q: How ensure fair comparisons?
A: Normalise for context, scope, and measurement method.

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