Benchmarking

There can be few companies worldwide that can match Ricardo’s long-standing skills, experience and track record in the development of new products incorporating the very latest in technological innovations. Benchmarking by Ricardo provides a valuable mechanism for customers to judge in a highly objective and informed manner the competitiveness of their own products. Ricardo offers a wide range of benchmarking services that enable such robust technical and commercial comparisons to be made, helping customers develop a more competitive future product strategy.

Benchmarking – an objective and informed assessment of competitor products: 

• Design benchmarking - comparison of customer product designs, in either finished or concept form, against Ricardo design guidelines and/or competitor products to evaluate all aspects of design competitiveness – includes materials evaluation and component weight analysis
• Cost benchmarking – detailed analysis to compare customer and competitor products in order to identify cost reduction opportunities. Ricardo uses validated and standardized internal cost analysis methods to build up total cost component by component
• Engine component and systems design benchmarking including for example the comparison of crankshafts, valve trains, timing drives
• Competitor benchmarking of a specific product of interest to identify improvement areas and targets
• Powertrain performance & emissions benchmarking based on test bed and/or in-vehicle evaluation
• NVH benchmarking both through direct examination of products and detailed testing either in vehicle or in a semi-anechoic test cell – can include noise levels, sound quality and vibration analysis as well as subjective NVH assessments

Key benefits of the Ricardo service:

• Broad ranging product knowledge, engineering expertise and benchmarking test and evaluation facilities for engines, drivelines, transmissions, and vehicles
• Access to extensive internal Ricardo databases of benchmark information including many off-the-shelf reports on market-leading products
• Evaluation against the processes and design guidelines of Ricardo’s world-class in-house design team