At its most basic level a company can differentiate its offering or compete on cost. Strategies that blend the two create earnings headwinds. Resources are channeled inefficiently. The productivity of the strategy is maximized when a company is solely a differentiator or a cost leader. This is referred to Michael Porter as competitive positioning.
The synchronization of the various value chain activities creates good strategy. These activities should be consistent and reinforce each other. The whole of the activities must be greater than the sum of the activities. A company’s resources, capabilities, and systems are the main factors along the value chain. Prashant Kale has provided comprehensive research on this topic. How these factors work together determines the effectiveness of a firm’s chosen competitive positioning.
For a company to lead with costing, the entire system of moving parts must be engineered to eliminate waste. Failure to do so will result in operating margin pressure. Walmart and Southwest are two good examples of cost leaders. Both offer low costing and make money because their entire ecosystem exists to reduce costs, inefficiencies, and poor throughput.
Differentiators create a unique solution to a consumer problem. Consumers recognize, appreciate, and expect the value-added elements and are willing to pay a premium price point. Tiffany’s and Apple are both examples. The products they offer are aesthetically and/or technologically advanced. Every step of the chain adds additional value and differentiation, from sourcing, marketing, retail operations, to customer service.
Creating a winning strategy can be a time-consuming process when you’re just starting, but fortunately, there is help at hand. Synergy Strategy helps small businesses launch new strategies and succeed in the marketplace. Find out more today.
A full service small business consulting firm, Synergy aspires to provide the tools and resources small businesses need to transform and win in the marketplace. Our core values of integrity, work ethic, and client service are the core of everything we do. From data analysis projects to comprehensive business plan proposals, Synergy offers clients a full menu of solutions to maximize productivity, earnings, cash flow, and sales growth.
Since he was a little boy, Kyle Proctor, the Founder, was immersed in small business. He is a third generation small business owner. After undergraduate studies in California, he moved to Houston, TX where he began his professional career in the consumer packaged goods industry. After 12 years of industry experience and a MBA from Rice University, Kyle started Synergy Small Business Strategy in 2018.
Kyle loves working with small business owners and is blessed to have been given the opportunity to play a role in strengthening the roots of the U.S. economy. Kyle lives in Florida and is married with three beautiful children. Synergy brings over 25 years of collective professional experience spanning multiple Fortune 100 corporations. The diversity of the team creates the right mixture of talent to best deliver to client expectations. Upholding our core values and producing remarkable results have enabled Synergy Small Business Strategy to help fulfill its mission.