Benchmarking: The end of the process

A typical NASA Applied Sciences Program project will involve transformation of a partner\´s national, state, or local decision support system (DSS) to accept and use new NASA research products. The baseline DSS is typically called State 1 and the transformed, enhanced DSS is State 2. Benchmarking measures the performance of a DSS before and after enhancement. It measures the differences in a partner\´s DSS resulting from enhancements to it arising from use of new Earth science results, and as such, it is the end of the process. We use the Defect Detection and Prevention [1,2] (DDP) process and tool for benchmarking. DDP is both a process for information collection and quantification, and a tool for analysis and visualization of changing "risk profiles" and levels of objectives attainment between DSS State 1 and State 2. Examples of Benchmarking are discussed.