A Competitor Analysis Tool for a Small to Medium Sized Company
Laakso, Jussi (2017)
Laakso, Jussi
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2017
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017120519948
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017120519948
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this Master’s thesis was to create and test a competitor analysis tool for the virtual reality / augmented reality enterprise solutions industry. This tool enables the case company, a digital creative agency specializing in technical learning solutions and content creation, to better categorize and assess rival firms operating in this industry.
The conceptual framework of this thesis was based on the existing tools and frameworks in literature on competitive intelligence and competitor analysis in general, and focusing on competitor profiling and categorization. The competitor analysis tool was created based on the synthesis of existing theoretical knowledge, data gathered from within the case company, and data from external, publicly available Internet resources. Methods for data collection included interviews and a workshop with key company stakeholders, and content analysis of data from competitors’ websites, social media pages, as well as industry journals, reports, and periodicals.
The outcome of this thesis was the competitor analysis tool, and the initial results gotten from using the tool to analyze known competitors. The tool was used for competitor analysis on two levels. First, it was used to categorize known competitors into strategic groups. Secondly, it was used to evaluate those rival firms that belong to the same strategic group as the case company in more detail. This analysis was based on identified critical success factors in the industry.
The case company benefits from the results of the thesis by gaining a better understanding of the whole competitive landscape and the different strategic groups operating inside the industry, and by identifying key competitors and gaining insights into their capabilities and product quality. Additionally, the thesis work may also assist company stakeholders in making managerial decisions in the future. Last, new recommendations for further analysis of competitors were proposed based on the outcomes of this thesis.
The conceptual framework of this thesis was based on the existing tools and frameworks in literature on competitive intelligence and competitor analysis in general, and focusing on competitor profiling and categorization. The competitor analysis tool was created based on the synthesis of existing theoretical knowledge, data gathered from within the case company, and data from external, publicly available Internet resources. Methods for data collection included interviews and a workshop with key company stakeholders, and content analysis of data from competitors’ websites, social media pages, as well as industry journals, reports, and periodicals.
The outcome of this thesis was the competitor analysis tool, and the initial results gotten from using the tool to analyze known competitors. The tool was used for competitor analysis on two levels. First, it was used to categorize known competitors into strategic groups. Secondly, it was used to evaluate those rival firms that belong to the same strategic group as the case company in more detail. This analysis was based on identified critical success factors in the industry.
The case company benefits from the results of the thesis by gaining a better understanding of the whole competitive landscape and the different strategic groups operating inside the industry, and by identifying key competitors and gaining insights into their capabilities and product quality. Additionally, the thesis work may also assist company stakeholders in making managerial decisions in the future. Last, new recommendations for further analysis of competitors were proposed based on the outcomes of this thesis.