В результате, несмотря на сохранение общих принципов решения задач, таких как, например, удержание старых и привлечение новых клиентов путем низкой цены или высокого качества продукции, рассмотренных в рамках обобщенной теории Портера, далеко не означает, что данная модель полностью учитывает особенности именно сегодняшних реалий. Новые технологии и концепции продвижения аналогичной продукции/услуг в кратчайший промежуток времени могут кардинально нарушить позиции ценового лидера. Аналогично организация, специализирующаяся на отдельном виде товара, может быстро утратить свои конкурентные преимущества в случае копирования конкурентами ее продуктовой линейки и сервисного обслуживания.
Вывод: никогда не следует слепо использовать модели, руководствуясь лишь успешностью их применения в прошлом.
(Продолжение см. в уроке 10)
Источник: 20.09.2005, www.franklin-grant.ru
Lesson 10
Strategic Management Analysis
Read and translate the text and learn terms from the Essential Vocabulary.
SWOT Analysis
A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis.
The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm’s resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection.
SWOT Analysis Framework
Strengths. A firm’s strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage. Examples of such strengths include:
– patents or certain expertise;
– strong brand names;
– good reputation among customers;
– cost advantages from proprietary know-how;
– exclusive access to high grade natural resources;
– favorable access to distribution networks.
Weaknesses. The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a weakness. For example, each of the following may be considered weaknesses:
– lack of patent protection;
– a weak brand name;
– poor reputation among customers;
– high cost structure;
– lack of access to the best natural resources;
– lack of access to key distribution channels.
In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength. Take the case in which a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity. While this capacity may be considered a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be considered a weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity prevents the firm from reacting quickly to changes in the strategic environment.
Opportunities. The external environmental analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and growth. Examples of such opportunities include:
– an unfulfilled customer need;
– arrival of new technologies;
– loosening of regulations;
– removal of international trade barriers.
Threats. Changes in the external environment also may present threats to the firm. Examples of such threats include:
– shift in consumer tastes away from the firm’s products;
– emergence of substitute products;
– new regulations;
– increased trade barriers.
The SWOT Matrix
A firm should not necessarily pursue the most lucrative opportunities. Rather, it may have a better chance at developing a competitive edge by identifying a fit between the firm’s strengths and upcoming opportunities. In some cases, the firm can overcome a weakness in order to prepare itself to pursue a compelling opportunity.
To develop strategies that take into account SWOT profile, a matrix of these factors can be constructed.
SWOT Matrix
– S-O strategies pursue opportunities that are a good fit to the company’s strengths.
– W-O strategies overcome weaknesses to pursue opportunities.
– S-T strategies identify ways that the firm can use its strengths to reduce its vulnerability to external threats.
– W-T strategies establish a defensive plan to prevent the firm’s weaknesses from making it highly susceptible to external threats.
Source: www.quickmba.com
The Value Chain
To analyze the specific activities through which firms can create a competitive advantage, it is useful to model the firm as a chain of value-creating activities. Michael Porter identified a set of interrelated generic activities common to a wide range of firms. The resulting model is known as the value chain:
Primary Value Chain Activities
Inbound logistics > Operations > Outbound logistics > Marketing & Sales > Service
The goal of these activities is to create value that exceeds the cost of providing the product or service, thus generating a profit margin.
– Inbound logistics include the receiving, warehousing, and inventory control of input materials.
– Operations are the value-creating activities that transform the inputs into the final product.
– Outbound logistics are the activities required to get the finished product to the customer, including warehousing, order fulfillment, etc.
– Marketing & Sales are those activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product, including channel selection, advertising, pricing, etc.
– Service activities are those that maintain and enhance the product’s value including customer support, after-sale services, etc.
Primary activities may be vital in developing a competitive advantage. For example, logistics activities are critical for a provider of distribution services, and service activities may be the key focus for a firm offering on-site maintenance contracts for office equipment. These five categories are generic and include specific activities that vary by industry.
Support Activities