benchmark

The definition, in our words

A reference point against which the performance of a system or component is measured.

Why the distinction matters

The reference can be another system, a published figure, a practice statement or a threshold set by a policy maker. The working draft uses the ISO/IEC 29155 series as its benchmarking framework.

How to use it in a comparison

Name the reference in the report. A benchmark without a named reference is an opinion with a decimal point.

Where it changes the evidence

A definition is not decoration. It decides which test is meaningful and which result can be compared. Where a supplier's material uses the term differently, the comparison should quote the supplier's use and place it beside this one. A difference in definition is a finding about comparability, and it belongs in the report rather than in a footnote.

The analysis units on this site use the term as the framework defines it. Where a unit turns the term into a question, the question is written on the unit page and the evidence artefact is named. The kit repeats both, so a row in the register and a paragraph in the report use the same meaning.