Which of the following is not regarded as an external driver for benchmarking?

Benchmarking is a process used by organizations to compare their performance metrics to industry bests or best practices from other companies. It typically involves assessing a variety of external drivers that can influence an organization's performance, helping to identify areas for improvement.

Market trends, competitor performance, and customer feedback are all considered external drivers for benchmarking. Market trends provide insight into the direction and changes occurring within an industry, which can influence expectations and performance standards. Competitor performance offers a direct comparison to what others in the industry are achieving, allowing organizations to gauge their standing relative to peers. Customer feedback is critical in understanding how products or services are perceived in the marketplace, allowing organizations to assess whether they meet customer needs and expectations.

Given that all the first three options represent valid external drivers for benchmarking, the correct response indicates that none of these options are excluded from being regarded as external drivers. Therefore, selecting ‘None of these’ accurately acknowledges that all listed drivers — market trends, competitor performance, and customer feedback — are indeed relevant to the benchmarking process.