Business Value Chain Model series of activities activities where competitive strategies can be applied primary vs secondary
Porters competitive forces model view of firm, competitors and environment
Traditional Competitors
New Market Entrants
Substitute products and services
Customers
Suppliers
Analyze Amazon and Walmart.com using the value chain and competitive forces model
Amazon
Activity
Example
Secondary Activity
Administrative, finance infrastructure
Legal, accounting, financial management
HR Management
Personnel, lay recruitment, training, staff planning
Product and technology development
Product and process design, production engineering, market testing, R&D
Procurement
Supplier management, funding, subcontracting, specialization
Primary Activities
Inbound Logistics
Quality control, receiving, raw materials control, supply schedules
Operation
Manufacturing, packaging, production control, quality control, maintenance
Outbound Logistics
Finished goods, Order handling, Dispatch, delivery, invoicing
Sales and Marketing
Customer management, order taking, promotion, sales analysis, market research
Servicing
Warranty, maintenance, education and training, upgrades
Value Chain Competitive advantages
Strong technological infrastructure with a single platform
High investments in technology development (Kindle) to leverage digital products
Great product forecasting system
Print on demand
Constantly soliciting suggestions on new products
East and fast payment system
24 hour operations
Free returns within 30 days
Amazon
Activity
Example
Secondary Activities
Infrastructure
Look ahead and strategize, plan, organize determine how to deal with threats and competitors
HR
Hire employees worldwide, coordinate benefits, design training programs
Real Estate
Find and open new store locations worldwide and locate best locations for warehouses
Technology and IT Systems
Integrate prices, costs, vendors, and sales to