Research by IBM Global Business Services, Innosight and the benchmarking organization APQC has shown the fallacy in the assumption that successful innovation will come simply by replicating the approach used by successful innovators.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"You can go into analysis-paralysis, " says Patricia Greene, an entrepreneurship professor at Babson College, who warns that benchmarking could discourage companies from using innovative business models.

WSJ: Learning How Your Start-Up Stacks Up

Larger corporations should also consider the business benefits of having certification that include: attracting and retailing investors, benchmarking performance and helping to secure a SLO.

FORBES: Three Ways to Secure Your Social License to Operate in 2013