Seek Sustainable Competitive Advantage Amid Industry Change - Modern Distribution Management

Seek Sustainable Competitive Advantage Amid Industry Change

Balance your competitive advantage with new ideas and technologies.
lindsay-white

As I’ve said before, it’s critical for distributors to embrace competitive threats rather than run from them. Find what works for you and don’t rush to adopt every latest greatest thing.

A recent blog from the Harvard Business Review reinforces this idea, saying that strategy is about balancing your existing competitive advantage with new ideas and technologies. But don’t ignore the change that’s happening around you. “They must pay it attention because it may contain the seeds of their eventual destruction,” writes Roger Martin of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in Canada. He is also author of Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works.

In my introduction to our MDM Special Report, The Shifting Competitive Landscape in Distribution, I wrote that no company should outright ignore traditional and long-standing competitors. But because of an increasing pace of change, thanks in part to technology, distributors need to think outside the competitive box when considering their next moves.

Martin writes for HBR that there is plenty of time to figure out what to do next. He cites several examples of technologies – such as the mouse – that were around for as long as decades before they became the norm. That doesn’t mean you ignore those technologies or shifts; it just means that you can take your time in determining whether and how best to adapt to the change. First-mover advantages aren’t all backed by true competitive advantage, Martin says.

He writes: “Advantage is neither transitory nor immortal. Hence, strategy is not an either-or exercise about seeking flexibility OR sustainability. It is about both: seeking sustainable competitive advantage in a world full of far-reaching and tumultuous change.”

Read the full blog from Harvard Business Review here.

Find Lindsay on Google+

Share this article

About the Author
Recommended Reading
Leave a Reply

Leave a Comment

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

The MDM update newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

2

articles left

Want more Premium content from MDM?

Subscribe today and get:

  • New issues twice each month
  • Unlimited access to mdm.com, including 10+ years of archived data
  • Current trends analysis, market data and economic updates
  • Discounts on select store products and events

Subscribe to continue reading

MDM Premium Subscribers get:

  • Unlimited access to MDM.com
  • 1 year digital subscription, with new issues twice a month
  • Trends analysis, market data and quarterly economic updates
  • Deals on select store products and events

1

article
left

You have one free article remaining

Subscribe to MDM Premium to get unlimited access. Your subscription includes:

  • Two new issues a month
  • Access to 10+ years of archived data on mdm.com
  • Quarterly economic updates, trends analysis and market data
  • Store and event discounts

To continue reading, you must be an MDM Premium subscriber.

Join other distribution executives who use MDM Premium to optimize their business. Our insights and analysis help you enter the right new markets, turbocharge your sales and marketing efforts, identify business partners that help you scale, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!