To be successful, organizations must work collaboratively with external organizations—vendors, partners, agencies, investors, and more. The challenge is that most organizations have no structured way to align with other organizations in their value chain on common objectives, initiatives, and outcomes. That's where MetaCX can help.
MetaCX is a multi-stakeholder platform that enables organizations to build value networks that operationalize value chain management and analysis. These networks align internal and external stakeholders on shared initiatives and measure progress toward desired outcomes.
MetaCX creates a private, secure space for each organization in a value chain to instrument any application, system, or digital endpoint. The platform transforms this data into a real-time, comprehensive view of performance including how organizations are tracking toward the achievement of expected outcomes.
You may have heard about the importance of value chain analysis and how it can enable you to provide better products and services, but what is value chain analysis?
Value chain analysis is the process by which businesses evaluate each part of their value chain to determine overall value and areas for improvement. So what is value chain analysis in strategic management? Value chain analysis is key for strategic management, as strategic managers are constantly on the lookout for new ways that their companies can meet goals and objectives and gain a competitive advantage.
Without a value chain analysis example, it may be difficult to understand the impact of this concept. It can be helpful to view an “importance of value chain analysis” essay that outlines how the value chain analysis process works and why it’s critical to achieving business success. You might also browse a “what is value chain analysis” PDF form or handbook to learn more.
The primary benefit of value chain analysis is that it allows companies to identify hold-ups or blockages in the value chain that are preventing them from creating and delivering top value. A well-functioning value chain helps businesses provide quality products to customers at the lowest prices possible, and when there is a disruption in that chain, both quality and cost can be compromised. That is why it’s so important to regularly analyze the value chain and look for issues.
Value chain analysis is typically broken up into primary and support activities, which work together to drive profit and deliver greater value. Understanding each component of the process is key to conducting a successful analysis that yields actionable insights. MetaCX helps companies get the most out of their value chain analysis process with its Business Value Network. Unlike traditional enterprise software that a company buys to automate internally-focused, transactional processes, the Business Value Network is a platform companies join, as equals, to connect their externally-focused value chain.
It’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of value analysis before building your own framework. You should be aware of the benefits of this type of analysis, as well as the potential pitfalls. For example, one of the disadvantages of value chain analysis is that you can easily lose sight of the bigger picture when you start breaking down and focusing all of your attention on the finer details. This is why, when performing an analysis, you should outline your larger goals and overall purpose for the assessment. The value chain analysis process can also be costly and time-consuming, which can detract from your regular business operations. Strategic planning is vital to help prevent the disadvantages from taking over.
Despite its drawbacks, there are still plenty of advantages of value chain analysis. The importance of value chain analysis is largely tied to the process of value creation, helping businesses stand out from the crowd in terms of what they offer their buyers. But how does a value chain analysis help a firm gain a competitive advantage? First and foremost, it enables them to deliver better value to customers. Looking for gaps in your value chain can reveal areas for improvement, and depending on what you choose to do with that information, you can reconfigure your value chain moving forward. Businesses that use actionable insights to implement meaningful changes demonstrate their willingness to go above and beyond in serving consumer needs.
When considering value chain analysis advantages and disadvantages, it can be helpful to consult with an “advantages and disadvantages of value chain analysis” PDF or value chain analysis advantages and disadvantages PPT to get a better understanding of the pros and cons of the process. If you want to focus solely on the good, you can look at an “advantages of value chain analysis” PDF to learn more about how a value chain analysis can impact your bottom line in a positive way.
The value chain analysis process is part of a bigger value chain management strategy, meaning that those responsible for the actual analysis are also responsible for overseeing the day-to-day aspects of the value chain. When discussing the value chain in strategic management, it’s important to consider your entire management strategy and how the changes you might make as a result of your findings will impact the company overall. Basically, you want to keep the bigger picture in mind.
The features of value chain analysis vary, depending on your business and what you’re specifically aiming to accomplish, but they generally involve firm infrastructure, human resource management, tech development, procurement, and more. These elements work in conjunction as part of a larger value management strategy. To learn more about how you might structure your analysis, you might look at a value chain example in your industry for comparison.
If you like something concrete to look at, try getting your hands on an “importance of value chain analysis” PDF, value chain analysis PPT, or a similar document to learn more about how other businesses have approached the process. Be sure to share your findings with the rest of your team with value chain PDF notes. PDFs are good for conveying standardized information, which is critical when discussing value chain analysis and operations.
There are many types of value chain analysis, and while some companies come up with their own strategies, Michael Porter’s method remains the most widely used and illustrates the importance of value chain analysis. Michael Porter is an American academic known for his economic and business strategies, and in his 1985 book Competitive Advantage, he outlines a series of useful steps for conducting a successful value chain analysis. Porter’s value chain analysis consists of primary activities, which are directly related to the production of products and services, and secondary activities that support the primary functions.
There are many benefits of Porter’s value chain, but above all, it helps companies identify weak links in the value chain; it shows them exactly how and where problems are occurring and what they can do to achieve a more seamless process. You might view a Porter’s value chain PDF like this one to get a better understanding of the importance of value chain analysis. You could also check out a “steps in value chain analysis” PDF or value chain analysis template for further inspiration on how to structure your analysis.
MetaCX offers a method for value chain analysis, providing users full visibility into their value creation and delivery process. The Business Value Network enables businesses to establish persistent digital connections with other businesses in their ecosystem—customers, vendors, and stakeholders—to manage the expected value from these relationships. Within the network, companies connect through Bridges—co-owned, digital spaces where two or more organizations are able to come together to collaborate on shared initiatives and monitor progress toward desired outcomes. The network creates a private, secure space for each member to instrument any application, system, or digital endpoint. MetaCX transforms this data into a real-time, comprehensive view of how companies are tracking toward the achievement of expected outcomes, a view that can be easily shared with stakeholders across a business ecosystem.
If you’re looking for a good value chain analysis example, look no further than Apple. Apple’s value chain framework is a useful model for identifying areas for maximum value creation. In this value chain analysis example, Apple carries out both primary and support activities to deliver the highest quality products to consumers.
In another value chain analysis example, Amazon procures and stores materials to produce items. Starbucks also follows the value chain analysis process to ensure top value. In this value chain analysis example, Starbucks relies on Porter’s primary and support activities model to secure coffee beans, ramp up their marketing efforts, and more. Starbucks is a good value chain analysis example in the service industry. The Instagram value chain analysis follows a similar process.
Through a quick internet search, you can access a value chain analysis PPT free download to create your own slide deck for value chain analysis. This can be especially helpful for companies that are new to the value chain process and require some additional instruction on how to structure their analysis for maximum efficiency. You might also view a value chain analysis example PDF file to learn more about the process and easily distribute the information to the rest of your team.
By studying other value chain examples, including the way other businesses in your industry perform analyses, you can get a better sense of what the process can or should look like to help you deliver the most value while keeping costs low.
If you’re not sure how to get started in your value chain analysis, MetaCX can help. Request a demo to learn more about how MetaCX can help you transform your business.
