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Gaining Competitive Advantage
Success demands much more than simply having a superior product. It is
essential that companies understand the full range of market drivers and
how to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Chartic works with clients
to develop the critical insights that are essential for positioning the
business for success. Here, our work typically incorporates a range of
analyses, including:
Competitor Analysis
As markets evolve, key players – and their competitive advantage –
change.
In this environment, it is critical to continually assess who is best
placed to succeed and what those competitors are doing to position
themselves. Also, any strategic action you take will elicit a competitive
response. Only by predicting the impact of these responses, can you
effectively develop your strategy.
Chartic’s
work comprises rigorous analysis of the competitive environment, the
levers of success and the ways in which industry dynamics will impact the
key competitors. Particular analyses may include:
- Relative cost and economic
modeling
- IP and manufacturing
strategy
- Targeted customer segments
- Competitive capability
assessment
- Marketing and distribution
strategy modeling
- Assessment of new,
emerging competitors
- Competitive scenario
modeling
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Value Chain Analysis
Every company is part of a value chain, consisting of suppliers,
manufacturers or service providers, logistics partners, distribution
channels, and customers. Other companies in the value chain have a
significant direct or indirect impact on your business.
Chartic helps companies identify players in the value chain and
understand the dynamics between them. This knowledge is crucial to
address issues such as:
- Can we profitably
integrate vertically by moving up or down the value chain?
- Could we increase profits
by narrowing our focus?
- What is likely to happen
if we try to bypass one step of the chain?
- What is the “value-add” of
each step in the value chain – and how can we capture more of it?
- Who has the strongest
position in the value chain, and how does this affect our business?
- How critical is access to
certain suppliers and distributors?
- Who has access to the
customer, and how important is that for us?
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Channel Economics and Strategies
Sales channels are a critical component of a successful market strategy.
A misaligned channel strategy can prevent a company from connecting with
target customers and severely damage its brand.
To be effective, channel strategy must be aligned with customer needs,
product offering, and competitive positioning. Chartic helps companies
understand channel economics and develop strategies to reach target
customers in a way that maximizes profits. Issues addressed include:
- Which channels are most
appropriate to serve target customer segments?
- How dependent are we on
various channels to reach key customers? Can we bypass any steps?
- What are the economics of
the channel?
- How much is the channel
partners likely willing to pay for our products?
- How can we add value to
channel partners to capture higher margins?
- Can we leverage our
channels to grow in adjacent markets?
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Capability Assessment
and Benchmarking
To design a market strategy, it is crucial to understand the company’s
capabilities and competitive advantage. However, too many companies fail
to understand how their capabilities can be leveraged for growth – or,
conversely, what critical competencies they lack to compete successfully.
Chartic identifies the critical needs for each market and compares them
to our clients’ core capabilities relative to their competitors – thus
identifying competitive advantages and unveiling potential gaps. Once the
necessary capabilities have been identified, we assess whether they are
sufficient to succeed in the given market, and how they can best be
applied to outmaneuver the competition. If there are critical gaps in the
company’s capabilities, we offer suggestions on how to remedy
shortcomings.
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Go-To-Market Strategy
Understanding market needs, competitors and capabilities is the
foundation of a solid market strategy. However, to succeed, companies
must apply critical thinking to leverage market knowledge when developing
their go-to-market strategy.
Chartic helps develop comprehensive strategies for successful market
penetration, including the full range of market levers. We work closely
with our clients to develop the complete execution plan, elements of
which typically include:
- Critical path and timing
- Management process and
responsibilities
- Communication strategy
- Product positioning and
sales materials
- Channel alignment
- Sales force focus
- Pricing strategy
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