Strategy Exercise: Basic Competitive analysis

Purpose

Comparing the relative position of your company with respect other two competitors.

Tips

You have the template below.

• Before start downloading the template: Read first the exercise!
• If it’s the first time you use diagrams-net get familiar with the tabs.
  • Practice copy and paste.
  • Review the menu, specially the “view” section.
  • Visualize the layers: view -> layers.
• Use the “glossary of terms” tab and the “properties” tab to
• Keep the consistency of the capabilities with a similar level of granularity.
• I don’t mention it during the exercise, but components that are linked each other should be linked with a line.

Drawing & thinking Steps

Set-up

1. Download the template map (diagrams.net)
2. Open it.
3. Save it.

Draw the basis

1. Set the layer named: user + needs.
2. Unlock it, so you can write on it.
3. Define your user (give him/her a name and describe as much as you can from the user).
4. Define the main user needs (3 – 5 needs).
5. Describe the need (at least 1 line).
6. Categorize the needs:
   • Cost of being in market,
   • User needs,
   • Decent bets,
   • And speculative.

Competitor Mapping Loop

Think about three companies: your company and two competitors.

For Each Competitor (n):
      Lock the layer (so it cannot be modified).
      Set the layer Competitor-i.
      Unlock it, so you can write on it.
      Pick one of the competitors you have defined.
      Draw what are the main capabilities of the competitor-i (in the position you consider right).
      Lock the writing mode.
      Hide the layer Competitor-i.
Repeat

Note: the template is prepared for 3 companies, but if the reader considers that adding more competitors is something useful, you just have to add more layers and continue the loop.

Basic competitive analysis

Follow these steps:

• Visualize all the layers of the map.
• Look at each need and how they are satisfied in a different way.
• Try to focus on the similar capabilities and articulate reasons why there is differences in the way each company provides them.
• Review the table of climatic patterns and highlight the ones you consider that are relevant for the momentum you are drawing.
• Review the table of gameplays and highlight what are the main gameplays used by each one of the three companies.

Try to see the pros/constrains of each approach.

Template

To use the template click the edit button (pencil) and open it. Once is open first step is to save it in your computer or Google Drive.

• Before start downloading the template: Read first the exercise!
• If it’s the first time you use diagrams-net get familiar with the tabs.
  • Practice copy and paste.
  • Review the menu, specially the “view” section.
  • Visualize the layers: view -> layers.

The map template:

Feedback

• Is the exercise useful?
• Did you learn something?
• Anything to improve?

Many thanks, any constructive feedback is welcome.