Benchmarking IT

The aim of this paper is to describe benefits of benchmarking IT in wider context and benchmarking scope at all. I specify benchmarking as a process and mention basic rules and guidelines. Further I define IT benchmarking domains and describe possibilities of their use. Best known type of IT benchmark is cost benchmark which represents only a subset of benchmark opportunities. In this paper, is cost benchmark rather an imaginary first step to benchmarking contribution to company. IT benchmark is not only a method for comparing IT efficiency, but also a way to better co-ordinate IT work with company strategy or make IT work more transparent for their customers. IT benchmark facilitates continual improvement not only to internal IT processes, but also to services that IT provides and in consequence to supported business services. Reader will further familiarize with practical example of IT process benchmark and with specifics in benchmarking of outsourced processes. It should be possible based on this paper to set strategic aims in benchmarking. And second, to run an initial IT process benchmark project