Select Strategic Themes

Porter s framework begins with strategic themes. Strategic themes are the cornerstones of the activity system. Porter observes that the themes require clear choices regarding how to compete. This is a difficult but necessary step and one that should not be taken lightly. Too often, companies try to be all things to all people. Failure to choose how one will or will not compete means there is no strategy at all. 

The choices for Acme centered on the four themes listed in the left-hand column of Table 10.1. The table shows the as-is choice implicit in the way Acme operated. These positions had evolved historically and were not the result of conscious strategy decisions along the way. The two right most columns illustrate the range of strategic options from the high to the low end. Various competitors had chosen to compete along 

Technical leadership Maintain technical leadership position Find ways to more fully exploit the advantage from laboratories, savvy sales force, and engineering department 

Flexible production Deploy production capability to match service levels 

Customized service options Develop different levels of service for each customer segment 

---

Select Strategic Themes to Underpin Your Strategy... 

We illustrate the building of an activity system with strategic themes and supporting activities in Figure 48.2. The figure shows the three themes we have selected to illustrate the case. Around them are the activities pursued by SQA to implement the themes. Some activities support other activities. Some support multiple activities and themes. In the table below we describe the contribution of each activity to implementing SQA s strategy. 

---