${?}_{{?}_{{?}_{?}}{?}_{{?}_{?}}is\text{t}\text{h}\text{e}\text{c}\text{o}\text{n}\text{t}\text{i}\text{n}\text{u}\text{o}\text{u}\text{s}\text{m}\text{e}\text{a}\text{s}\text{u}\text{r}\text{i}\text{n}\text{g}of\text{p}\text{r}\text{o}\text{d}\text{u}\text{c}\text{t}\text{s}\text{,}\text{s}\text{e}\text{r}\text{v}\text{i}\text{c}\text{e}\text{s}\text{,}\text{p}\text{r}\text{o}\text{c}\text{e}\text{s}\text{s}\text{e}\text{s}\text{,}\text{a}\text{c}\text{t}\text{i}\text{v}\text{i}\text{t}\text{i}\text{e}\text{s}\text{,}\text{a}\text{n}\text{d}\text{p}\text{r}\text{a}\text{c}\text{t}\text{i}\text{c}\text{e}\text{s}\text{a}\text{g}\text{a}\text{i}\text{n}\text{s}\text{t}\text{a}\text{f}\text{i}\text{r}\text{m}s\text{b}\text{e}\text{s}\text{t}\text{c}\text{o}\text{m}\text{p}\text{e}\text{t}\text{i}\text{t}\text{o}\text{r}\text{s}or\text{t}\text{h}\text{o}\text{s}\text{e}\text{c}\text{o}\text{m}\text{p}\text{a}\text{n}\text{i}\text{e}\text{s}\text{r}\text{e}\text{c}\text{o}\text{g}\text{n}\text{i}\text{z}\text{e}\text{d}as\text{i}\text{n}\text{d}\text{u}\text{s}\text{t}\text{r}\text{y}or\text{f}\text{u}\text{n}\text{c}\text{t}\text{i}\text{o}\text{n}\text{a}\text{l}\text{l}\text{e}\text{a}\text{d}\text{e}\text{r}\text{s}\text{.}}$

${?}_{{?}_{?}}{?}_{{?}_{?}}{?}_{i}s$ the continuous measuring $of$ products, services, processes, activities, and practices against a firm$s$ best competitors $or$ those companies recognized $as$ industry $or$ functional leaders.

Effectiveness

Benchmarking

$TQM$

TCO

Efficiency