STRATEGYMonths to result

Strategic Group Map

Visualize competition in an industry

Problem it solves

unclear strategic direction

Best for

Businesses looking to understand their industry and competitors

Not ideal for

Small businesses or startups with limited resources

Overview

Why this framework exists

The Strategic Group Map is a tool for visualizing competition in an industry. It involves mapping the industry's strategic groups and analyzing their positions and movements. This framework can help businesses identify opportunities and threats in their industry and develop a competitive strategy.

Core principles

3 total
  1. Industries are composed of strategic groups
  2. Strategic groups can be mapped and analyzed
  3. Understanding the strategic groups in an industry is crucial for developing a competitive strategy

Steps

3 steps
  1. Identify the industry's strategic groups
    Analyze the industry's companies and identify the strategic groups. This will help you understand the competitive landscape of the industry.
    Pro tipUse tools such as cluster analysis to identify the strategic groups
    WarningBe aware that strategic groups can change over time, so it's essential to regularly update your analysis
  2. Map the strategic groups
    Use the Strategic Group Map to visualize the strategic groups and their positions. This will help you understand the competitive relationships between the companies in the industry.
    Pro tipUse tools such as multidimensional scaling to map the strategic groups
    WarningBe aware that the map is not static, so it's essential to regularly update your analysis
  3. Analyze the strategic groups
    Use the Strategic Group Map to analyze the strategic groups and their movements. This will help you identify opportunities and threats in the industry and develop a competitive strategy.
    Pro tipUse tools such as scenario planning to analyze the strategic groups
    WarningBe aware that the analysis is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process

Checklist

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Examples

1 cases
IBM

IBM used the Strategic Group Map to analyze the computer industry and identify opportunities and threats. This helped the company to develop a competitive strategy and achieve significant success.

OutcomeIBM was able to achieve significant success and gain a competitive advantage in the industry

Common mistakes

2 traps
Failing to regularly update your analysis
Strategic groups can change over time, so it's essential to regularly update your analysis to stay ahead of the competition
Failing to consider multiple scenarios
It's essential to consider multiple scenarios when analyzing the strategic groups. Failing to do so can lead to a lack of preparedness for changes in the industry

Origin story

How this framework came to be

The Strategic Group Map was developed by Michael E. Porter as a way to visualize competition in an industry. It is based on the idea that industries are composed of strategic groups, which are groups of companies that pursue similar strategies.

Source

Traced to primary
Source · BOOK
Competitive Strategy
Michael E. Porter · 1980
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