Benchmark

Benchmark
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The term benchmark originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made, into which an angle-iron could be placed to bracket ("bench") a leveling rod, thus ensuring that the levelling rod can be repositioned in exactly the same place in the future.[citation needed]

Benchmark may refer to:
[edit] Geology

* Benchmark (surveying), a point of reference for a measurement
* Benchmark (crude oil), a reference for and discussion of cost and/or pricing of petroleum, such as Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate in terms of benchmarks based on classification differences.
* Benchmarking (geolocating), a sport similar to geocaching in which participants individually go out and find benchmarks

[edit] Other uses

* Benchmark (computing), the result of running a computer program, or a set of programs, in order to assess the relative performance of an object by running a number of standard tests and trials against it
* Benchmarking, the process used in management in which organizations evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to the best practice, usually within their own sector
* Benchmark Capital, a venture capital firm behind various startups, such as (and including) eBay.