Strategic Competitive Analysis Questionnaire Adapted from Michael Porter The Arena What industry are we in?

Specify any particular market niche in which you focus. Who are our competitors in that market niche (arena)? How do we compare to our competition? Consider factors such as current market sh are, product/services mix, price, delivery, quality, value-added services, sales and distribution channels, technology, ease of doing business. External Influences What major external trends are/will be affecting your arena? Consider economic, political, social/cultural, demographic, technological, geographic, and environm ental. Which of these trends will pose opportunities and which will pose problems for t he players in your arena? Customer Influences Identify current customers in market niche. How might their needs change over th e next few years? Consider how their changing needs will affect you and your com petitors in terms of products, price, quality, etc. Identify potential customers or markets who currently do not buy from you or you r competitors. How might their needs change over the next few years that could a ffect you and your competitors? Provider Influences Identify current vendors/providers who supply you and your competitors. How migh t they change over the next few years? Consider how their changes will affect yo u and your competitors in terms of raw materials, labor, quality, response time, costs, etc. Identify potential vendors/providers who you and your competitors currently do n ot buy from at all or in significant quantity. What changes might occur over the next few years that could affect how and who you and your competitors depend on ? Barriers to Entry Consider how easy or difficult it is for a new competitor to enter the arena. Wh at makes it easy or difficult? What strategies could you employ to make it easie r or harder? Who is/might be on the horizon that could soon enter your arena and with what effect? Replacement Hardest question: What could possibly happen in your market niche that would dra

stically shift the current way business is done? What could wipe out the market niche you target? What products or services could possibly erase the need for wh at you provide? Positioning Statements Write a current positioning statement. It should answer the following questions: Who are we? What business are we in? or What problem(s) do we solve? What/where is our customer base now? With whom do we compete? What are our core competencies (process, product, other)? In which of the following areas are we as strong or stronger than our competitio n: marketing, technology, organization, people, capital? How do we differentiate ourselves from our competitors? Why are those strengths and our difference important to our customers? What unique benefits do our customers derive from doing business with us? Now, write another positioning statement for how you plan to answer these questi ons in the future.