Comparing Your Operation to Others

Our society loves to compare.  "Acme Rental's share price grew 10% while ABC Equipment's only grew 5%."  Comparison can provide some perspective...but it's largely a waste of time.  You see the comparison is between something you know (Your Company) and one you only know in part.    Remember the cliche that most of the iceberg lies unseen beneath the water...unseen by you and the captain of the Titanic.

A bit of research in your industry will yield many examples of advanced technology solutions applied to solve business problems.  Many required years of R&D and $100+ million investment....only to be scrapped years later.  If your company followed the "innovators" down the rabbit hole by comparing itself and trying to keep up with proverbial Joneses...you'll likely get the same result. 

Takin' it to the bank
When you decide to revamp a process or improve your company, it's wise to put up a big mirror and take a good look at yourself.  Knowing what the competition is up to is helpful but it can be debilitating if you follow the lemmings off the cliff.  Worry about you.