Ch. 2: Identifying Competitive Advantages Learning Outcomes Explain Porter’s Five Forces Model Compare Porter’s three generic strategies Demonstrate how a company can add value by using Porter’s value chain analysis A detailed review of the learning outcomes can be found at the end of the chapter in the textbook

A few concepts Business strategy Competitive advantage First-mover advantage Competitive intelligence Business process Value chain analysis Competitive advantage – a product or service that an organization’s customers place a greater value on than similar offerings from a competitor First-mover advantage – occurs when an organization can significantly impact its market share by being first to market with a competitive advantage Competitive advantages are important for an organization It is even more important to understand that competitive advantages are typically temporary since competitors are quick to copy competitive advantages Can you list a few companies that achieved success through competitive advantages? United was the first airline to offer a competitive advantage with its frequent flyer mileage (this first-mover advantage was temporary) Sony had a competitive advantage with its portable stereo systems (this first-mover advantage was temporary) Microsoft had a competitive advantage with its unique Windows operating system Does Microsoft still has a competitive advantage with its Windows operating system? Perhaps – primarily due to its first-mover advantage since it is difficult to switch operating systems and users face interoperability if they are using different operating systems at the same organization. How many students in your class are currently using Windows? What are the competitors to Windows? Linux and Macintosh Why are there only three primary competitors in this large operating system market? What would happen if you had 50 different operating systems to choose from? Issues with interoperability How many different types of Microsoft Office would be required to support all 50 different operating systems? 50 2-2

Porter’s Five Forces Model Baby-sitting business in Athens Sheraton purchases fresh juice Pizza shop in Athens Selling Pepsi products in Athens CLASSROOM EXERCISE Analyzing Porter’s Five Forces Porter's Five Forces is an easy framework to understand and offers a quick way to analyze a market. Porter’s Five Forces was introduced in the text and you can review the below examples to ensure you have a solid understanding of each force. For this assignment, choose a product from the following list and perform a Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Feel free to use the below Porter’s Five Forces template for your assignment. Desktop Computer Address Book Walkman VHS Player Polaroid Camera Telephone Textbook Be sure to add in examples of loyalty programs or switching costs you could implement to help retain your market share.

THE THREE GENERIC STRATEGIES CHOOSING A BUSINESS FOCUS Broad strategies reach a large market segment Focused strategies target a niche market Focused strategies concentrate on either cost leadership or differentiation Ask your students to choose an industry such as fast food or potato chips and perform a Porter’s Three Generic Strategies analysis

Porter’s Value Chain For a detailed breakdown of Value Chain, see: Primary value activities acquire raw materials and manufacture, deliver, market, sell, and provide after-sales services Support value activities support the primary value activities Customers determine the extent to which each activity adds value to the product or service The competitive advantage is to: Target high value-adding activities to further enhance their value Target low value-adding activities to increase their value Perform some combination of the two For a detailed breakdown of Value Chain, see: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_10.htm

VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS – EXECUTING BUSINESS STRATEGIES Value Chain and Porter’s Five Forces Model If an organization wants to decrease its buyer’s or customer’s power, it can construct its value chain activity of “service after the sale” by offering high levels of quality customer service This will increase the switching costs for its customers, thereby decreasing their power (buyer power)

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