Strategy

Creating sustainable advantage in dynamic markets

Heightened uncertainty and rapidly changing markets are making the formulation of strategy more challenging. Too often, however, decision-makers are turning to stale planning processes mislabeled as good strategy. This often results in a mismatch between what an organization does, and what its customers and other relevant stakeholders consider valuable.

The foundation of Better Strategy is explicit, intentional, highly-structured choice-making. It starts with ambition supported by a robust fact base from which to draw relevant strategic insight. It articulates a clear, compelling value proposition. Finally, it ensures the configuration of capabilities and priority initiatives required to deliver, while maintaining the flexibility necessary to remain proactive in shifting markets.

Strategy done well requires a structured decision-making process that allows an organization to:

• Decide what it will do, and equally important, what it will not
• Clarify and enhance its unique value in the marketplace in the shorter-, medium-, and longer-term
• Determine how its activities fit together to create value
• Align its WHAT and HOW under a compelling WHY - the organization's mission, vision, and supporting aspirations.

AFC supports client strategy through three activities:

• We support enhanced insight into our clients' competitive / operating landscapes and internal sources of Competitive Advantage
• We facilitate structured conversation, beginning with an objective expression and assessment of current strategy. We then advise on the design of potential future strategic options and underlying choices;
• We support our clients to design and drive a sustainable approach to execution that keeps people engaged and brings strategy to life.