1. 5 Generic Strategies the University of California Berkeley Extension pmcdermott@msn.com Copyright © 2008 Patrick McDermott Mintzberg, Henry & James Brian Quinn, The Strategy Process: Concepts, Context, Cases, Third Edition, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall (0-13-234030-5), 1996. Although Mintzberg was discussing business strategy generally, note the strategies apply equally well to Computer Systems.

2. Locating the Core Business Where your business is located amongst other industries. Where your System is located amongst other systems (both internal & external).

3. Distinguishing the Core Business PRICE Quality Design Image Support How your business is differentiated from competitors. Having no differentiation can be differentiating How your System is differentiated, or differentiates you, from competitors.

4. Elaborating the Core Business Elaborating your System’s Technology.

5. Extending the Core Business Extending the scope of your System.

6. Reconceiving the Core Business Re-engineering your Systems.