Essential Business Strategy Concepts and Best Practices

1. Vitale and Giglierano B2B MKTG 2002 Edition Chapter 5 Concepts and Context of Business Strategy Prepared by John T. Drea, Western Illinois University

2. A qualitative description/definition of who the organization is and what it expects to accomplish. It is further defined by goals and objectives. Mission A general statement of desirable outcomes, directly supportive of and aligned with the mission. Goals Specific, measurable expressions of the stated goals, with specific targets and time periods. Objectives Business Strategy Basics

3. Key Strategy Concepts:Fit and Providing Superior Value 1. Business strategy designers should seek a fit between the business strategy and the environment 2. The key element of fit in business strategy revolves around providing superior value for customers.

4. Key Strategy Concepts:Providing Superior Value, Differentiation, and Core Competencies 3. Superior value – the offering must be differentiated from offerings of competitors (in the minds of targeted customers) 4. Differentiation is produced by using core competencies to advantage. As core competencies become more distinct, customer value Increases. Core competencies: a company’s skills, capabilities, and knowledge assets necessary to compete in its markets.

5. Key Strategy Concepts: Providing Superior Value, Quality, Measuring and Tracking Results 5. Quality and process Improvement are fundamental to providing superior value. 6. Measuring and tracking results creates learning and sets the stage for later improvements.

6. Additional Observations on Strategy 1. Changes in customers, channels and competitors interact to create discontinuities in industries or markets. 2. Companies may influence how markets change, but they seldom influence the pace of change. 3. Companies need to look for ways to change the rules of the markets in which they compete. 4. Changes in the rules are still subject to constraints in the business environment. 5. Companies need to identify the core competencies that will translate into advantages in the future. 6. Advantages are not sustainable for long – companies must innovate and change the rules to stay ahead.

7. Business Unit Strategy Business Unit Strategy Product Product Strategies Strategies Hierarchy of Strategy Corporate Strategy Functional area strategies Functional area strategies

8. Strategic Business Units • SBU • Organizational entities within within a corporation that address a single business. • SBUs must be capable of being planned and measured separately from the rest of the organization (though this does not imply independence from the larger organization).

9. Business Portfolio • A collection of strategic business units that serve various needs in the corporate structure. • An ongoing firm will need • Sources of cash to fund investment in growing markets • New possibilities emerging from research and development that may be valuable business opportunities in the future.

10. Exhibit 5-2 Growth-Share Matrix

11. Growth Share Matrix: Stars + Relative market share - • Stars- • Must invest heavily to maintain position in the growing market. • Likely a SBU with a prominent position in a market in the growth stage of the product life cycle • Should be managed with market ownership as an objective. Question Marks Stars - Market Growth Rate + Cash Cows Dogs

12. Growth Share Matrix: Cash Cows + Relative market share - • Cash Cows- • Found in slower-growth markets where the SBU may be the market owner. • SBUs generate cash that fuels other parts of the organization. • “Cash cows” are often found in the late growth, maturity, or decline stages of the product life cycle. Question Marks Stars - Market Growth Rate + Cash Cows Dogs

13. Growth Share Matrix: Dogs + Relative market share - • Dogs- • Slow or negative growth relative to organizational goals, and a less than prominent market share. • Can occur at any stage of the product life cycle. • Must choose to either divest of the business or continue to harvest it for short-term cash. Question Marks Stars - Market Growth Rate + Cash Cows Dogs

14. Growth Share Matrix: Question Marks + Relative market share - • Question Marks- • Significant market potential, but the SBU does not have a significant share. • The SBU may require significant investment, may not be associated with the competencies of the firm, and may never grow to be prosperous. • Can exist when a business discovers an opportunity not aligned with corporate goals or core lines. Question Marks Stars - Market Growth Rate + Cash Cows Dogs

15. Potential Issues with the Growth-Share Matrix • The relationship between market share and profitability is suspect. • There is inherent subjectivity in the analysis of shares and growth. • Investment implications of the categories are not consistent. • The matrix is a snapshot in time.

16. Invest/grow Selectively earn Harvest/divest Exhibit 5-5 Attractiveness-Strength Matrix Market attractiveness Build selectively Protect position Invest to build High Build selectively or manage for earnings Limited expansion or harvest Build selectively Medium Protect and refocus Manage for earnings Low Divest Strong Medium Weak Business strength

17. Strategic Management Steps in the Business-to-Business Company 1. Develop goals and objectives 2. Environmental analysis 3. Strategy design 4. Implementation plan design 5. Strategy implementation 6. Monitoring of environment and performance results 7. Analysis of performance 8. Performance

18. Strategy development and the Internet Special Issues in Strategy Development Volatility and uncertainty require flexibility Strategy implications of value networks Strategic implications of market ownership Strategy development in new business

19. Strategy Development and the Internet • The Internet can be used to • Manage customer relationships • Streamline purchasing relationships • Increase the speed with which the environment changes • Reduce transaction costs, shipping costs, and inventory costs

20. Volatility and Uncertainty Require Flexibility • Increased uncertainty and speed of change make visions of the future increasingly inexact. • Choices of which businesses to pursue are less enduring as business boundaries and definitions are blurred. • Budgets are more difficult to set, since it is difficult to know what investments will be needed to compete and grow.

21. Strategy Implications of Value Networks • Successful strategies hinge on developing a portfolio of core competencies, including changing strategies and models rapidly: “Fast vertical integration” • Identification of SBUs that can generate cash flow, and identification of SBUs and markets in which the company can play a dominant role

22. Strategy Implications of Market Ownership • Developing competencies that are important in multiple businesses allows a company to produce value across a range of possible scenarios. • Companies can strive to shape the market by taking a proactive approach. • Yearly planning cycles are too slow – a time frame that recognizes the rapid life cycle of many offerings is needed.

23. Strategy Development in New Business • Some business-to-business Internet start-ups begin with only one customer – but this can result in becoming too dependent on a single customer, missing translation opportunities. • Increased pressures on time and other resources may make it difficult to get a strategy developed.