business-strategy
Business strategy expertise for strategic planning, competitive analysis, market entry, M&A strategy, portfolio management, and strategic decision-making. Use when analyzing competitive positioning, planning growth strategies, or making strategic decisions.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill serves as a comprehensive Business Strategy Expert, providing high-level frameworks for strategic planning, competitive analysis, and market entry. It empowers users to conduct rigorous industry assessments using Porter's Five Forces, optimize business portfolios via the BCG Matrix, and navigate complex M&A strategies. By integrating structured SWOT analysis and scenario planning, it helps executives and consultants make data-driven decisions to achieve sustainable competitive advantage and growth.
Use Cases
- Competitive Landscape Analysis: Utilizing Porter's Five Forces to evaluate industry rivalry, supplier power, and threat of substitutes for a specific market.
- Portfolio Resource Allocation: Applying the BCG Growth-Share Matrix or McKinsey 9-Box to determine which business units to invest in, harvest, or divest.
- Market Entry Planning: Developing a comprehensive go-to-market strategy for new regions, including entry mode selection (JV vs. Acquisition) and risk mitigation checklists.
- M&A Synergy Evaluation: Performing detailed revenue and cost synergy analysis during the due diligence phase to justify acquisition premiums.
- Strategic Decision Making: Using weighted decision matrices and scenario planning to evaluate multiple growth options under different economic conditions.
| name | business-strategy |
|---|---|
| description | Business strategy expertise for strategic planning, competitive analysis, market entry, M&A strategy, portfolio management, and strategic decision-making. Use when analyzing competitive positioning, planning growth strategies, or making strategic decisions. |
Business Strategy Expert
Comprehensive strategic planning frameworks for competitive analysis, growth strategy, and decision-making.
Core Strategy Frameworks
Porter's Five Forces Analysis
Analyze industry competitiveness:
| Force | Key Questions | Analysis Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Threat of New Entrants | Capital requirements? Regulatory barriers? Brand loyalty? | Entry barriers, scale advantages |
| Supplier Power | Concentration? Switching costs? Forward integration risk? | Input cost control, supply security |
| Buyer Power | Concentration? Price sensitivity? Backward integration? | Customer bargaining leverage |
| Threat of Substitutes | Alternative solutions? Price-performance tradeoffs? | Disruption vulnerability |
| Competitive Rivalry | Industry growth? Differentiation? Exit barriers? | Competitive intensity |
BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Portfolio analysis for resource allocation:
| Quadrant | Definition | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | High growth, high share | Invest heavily, defend position |
| Cash Cows | Low growth, high share | Harvest, fund other initiatives |
| Question Marks | High growth, low share | Invest selectively or divest |
| Dogs | Low growth, low share | Divest or minimize investment |
McKinsey 9-Box Matrix
More nuanced portfolio positioning:
INDUSTRY ATTRACTIVENESS
High Medium Low
High Invest Invest Protect
BUSINESS Med Invest Selective Harvest
STRENGTH Low Selective Harvest Divest
SWOT Analysis (Strategic)
Beyond basic SWOT - strategic implications:
INTERNAL FACTORS:
Strengths → Leverage for competitive advantage
Weaknesses → Address or neutralize
EXTERNAL FACTORS:
Opportunities → Capture with existing strengths
Threats → Mitigate through strategic moves
STRATEGIC QUESTIONS:
1. S-O: How can strengths exploit opportunities?
2. W-O: Which weaknesses prevent capturing opportunities?
3. S-T: Which strengths can counter threats?
4. W-T: Which weaknesses make us vulnerable to threats?
Competitive Strategy
Generic Competitive Strategies (Porter)
| Strategy | Focus | Key Success Factors |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Leadership | Lowest cost producer | Scale, efficiency, tight cost control |
| Differentiation | Unique value proposition | Innovation, brand, quality |
| Focus (Cost) | Cost leader in niche | Specialized efficiency |
| Focus (Diff) | Differentiated in niche | Deep customer understanding |
Blue Ocean Strategy
Create uncontested market space:
| Red Ocean | Blue Ocean |
|---|---|
| Compete in existing market | Create new market space |
| Beat the competition | Make competition irrelevant |
| Exploit existing demand | Create and capture new demand |
| Value-cost tradeoff | Break value-cost tradeoff |
Four Actions Framework:
- Eliminate: Which factors should be eliminated?
- Reduce: Which factors should be reduced below industry standard?
- Raise: Which factors should be raised above industry standard?
- Create: Which factors should be created that industry never offered?
Market Entry Strategy
Entry Mode Selection
| Mode | Control | Risk | Resource Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export | Low | Low | Low |
| Licensing | Low | Low-Med | Low |
| Joint Venture | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Acquisition | High | High | High |
| Greenfield | Highest | Highest | Highest |
Market Entry Checklist
- Market sizing (TAM, SAM, SOM)
- Regulatory environment analysis
- Competitive landscape mapping
- Local partner evaluation
- Cultural adaptation requirements
- Go-to-market channel strategy
- Pricing strategy localization
- Supply chain feasibility
- Financial model (5-year projection)
- Risk assessment and mitigation
M&A Strategic Framework
Deal Rationale Categories
| Type | Goal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | Market share, scale | Competitor acquisition |
| Vertical | Supply chain control | Supplier/distributor |
| Conglomerate | Diversification | Unrelated business |
| Market Extension | Geographic expansion | Regional player |
| Product Extension | Portfolio expansion | Adjacent products |
Synergy Analysis
REVENUE SYNERGIES:
- Cross-selling opportunities
- Combined market power
- New market access
- Price optimization
COST SYNERGIES:
- Economies of scale
- Procurement leverage
- Overhead elimination
- Technology consolidation
FINANCIAL SYNERGIES:
- Tax benefits
- Debt capacity
- Cost of capital reduction
Integration Planning
| Phase | Timeframe | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Close | Signing to close | Integration planning, Day 1 readiness |
| Day 1-100 | First 100 days | Quick wins, cultural integration |
| Short-term | 3-12 months | Synergy capture, process integration |
| Long-term | 12+ months | Full integration, value creation |
Strategic Planning Process
Annual Strategic Planning Cycle
Q1: Strategy Review
- Performance assessment
- Market/competitor update
- Strategic issue identification
Q2: Strategic Development
- Initiative development
- Business case creation
- Resource planning
Q3: Strategic Planning
- Plan finalization
- Budget alignment
- Board approval
Q4: Execution Planning
- Operational planning
- KPI setting
- Accountability assignment
Strategy Execution Framework (Balanced Scorecard)
| Perspective | Focus | Example Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Financial | Shareholder value | Revenue growth, ROIC, FCF |
| Customer | Value proposition | NPS, market share, retention |
| Internal Process | Operational excellence | Cycle time, quality, efficiency |
| Learning & Growth | Capabilities | Employee engagement, innovation |
Decision-Making Frameworks
Strategic Decision Matrix
| Criteria | Weight | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic fit | 25% | Score | Score | Score |
| Financial return | 25% | Score | Score | Score |
| Risk level | 20% | Score | Score | Score |
| Execution feasibility | 15% | Score | Score | Score |
| Time to value | 15% | Score | Score | Score |
| Weighted Total | 100% | Total | Total | Total |
Scenario Planning
SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT:
1. Identify key uncertainties (2-3 critical factors)
2. Define plausible futures (4 scenarios)
3. Develop strategic implications
4. Create robust strategies
5. Define signposts and triggers
SCENARIO MATRIX:
Factor B
High Low
Factor A High Scenario 1 Scenario 2
Low Scenario 3 Scenario 4
Value Creation Levers
Strategic Value Drivers
Revenue Growth
- Market share gains
- New market entry
- Product innovation
- Pricing optimization
Margin Improvement
- Operational efficiency
- Procurement optimization
- Mix improvement
- Scale economies
Capital Efficiency
- Working capital optimization
- Asset utilization
- Capital allocation discipline
- Portfolio optimization
Risk Management
- Diversification
- Hedging
- Operational resilience
- Regulatory compliance
Deliverable Templates
Strategy Presentation (Board-Level)
1. Executive Summary (1 slide)
2. Strategic Context (2-3 slides)
- Market dynamics
- Competitive landscape
- Performance review
3. Strategic Options (3-4 slides)
- Options considered
- Evaluation criteria
- Recommended path
4. Implementation Plan (2-3 slides)
- Key initiatives
- Timeline
- Resource requirements
5. Financial Impact (2-3 slides)
- Investment requirements
- Expected returns
- Risk assessment
6. Appendix
Strategic Initiative Business Case
## Initiative Name
### Executive Summary
[2-3 sentence overview]
### Strategic Rationale
- Alignment with corporate strategy
- Market opportunity
- Competitive necessity
### Scope & Approach
- What's included/excluded
- Key milestones
- Dependencies
### Financial Analysis
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
| -------------- | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Revenue impact | | | | | |
| Cost savings | | | | | |
| Investment | | | | | |
| Net benefit | | | | | |
| Cumulative | | | | | |
### Risk Assessment
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation |
| ---- | ----------- | ------ | ---------- |
| | | | |
### Resource Requirements
- Capital: $X
- Headcount: X FTE
- Timeline: X months
### Decision Request
[Specific ask with options]
See Also
- Fortune 50 Finance - Financial modeling
- Fortune 50 M&A Due Diligence - Deal analysis
- Fortune 50 Operations - Execution frameworks