The purpose of value chain analysis is to enable a company to understand the various activities involved in producing and delivering a product or service and to identify opportunities to gain a competitive advantage.
The concept of the value chain was introduced by Michael Porter and involves examining all activities a firm performs and how they interact to create a competitive advantage.
* Definition and Purpose:
* A value chain describes the series of activities that an organization carries out to create value for its customers.
* The primary purpose is to systematically identify and analyze these activities to understand where value is added to the final product or service, which can then be leveraged to gain a competitive advantage.
* Components of Value Chain:
* Primary Activities: These include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and services. Each of these activities adds value directly to the production and delivery of the product.
* Support Activities: These include procurement, technology development, human resource management, and firm infrastructure. These activities support the primary activities and add value indirectly.
* Systematic Approach:
* By analyzing each activity in the value chain, a firm can identify areas where efficiencies can be improved or where innovation can be introduced.
* This systematic approach helps the firm to focus on optimizing these activities to reduce costs, improve quality, and differentiate its products from competitors, thus developing a competitive advantage.
In summary, value chain analysis allows a company to use a systematic approach in developing a competitive advantage by identifying and optimizing the activities that create value.