Who Will Dominate

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Chapter 9 Case Study: Who Will Dominate Edith Landeros Management Information Systems Bus 177_1 December 5, 2013 1. Analyze each of these companies using the value chain and competitive forces models. According to Kenneth C. Laudon, author of Essentials of Management Information Systems, a value chain model highlights the specific activities in a business where competitive strategies are best applied and where information systems are most likely to have a strategic impact. “The value chain model views the firm as a series or chain of basic activities that add a margin of value to a firm’s products or services. These activities can be categorized as either primary activities or support activities” (Laudon, 85). Primary activities include the production and distribution of the firm’s products and services that create value for the customer. Activities included are: inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, and service. Support activities include the execution of the primary activities made by infrastructure, human resources, technology and procurement. Michael Porter created the competitive forces model, which is the most widely used model for understanding competitive advantage. The model “provides a general view of the firm, its competitors, and the firm’s environment and the dependence of firms on environments…in this model, five competitive forces shape the fate of the firm” (Laudon, 77). The five competitive forces are: traditional competitors, new market entrants, substitute products and services, customers and suppliers. Amazon’s competitive advantages are that the company has a strong technological infrastructure, high investments in technology development (the kindle, drones), easy and fast payment system, reliable product forecasting system, 24/7 operations, free returns within 30 days, partnership with UPS.
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