Comparability with other distribution centers

The identification of performance gaps is still one of the main tasks of executives. In addition to internal analysis, it is always useful to get an outside perspective on ones`s performance. To determine areas with performance gaps, it is beneficial to compare one's own distribution center with other centers. However, the basic requirement for making such comparisons is ensuring that "apples“ are only compared with "apples“.

Thus far, studies have only compared performance in a very aggregated way that did not guarantee comparability. Through the structure of the task-orientated Distribution Center Reference Model comparisons become significant. This is because requirements and the performance spectrum are only comparable on the level of particular tasks.