Category: Exalta Unsustainable Competitive Advantage

A ppt presentation with notes presenting Exalta (Unsustainable Competitive Advantage)
What are the resources and capabilities of Exalta?
With careful consideration of the issue militating against the firm from gaining a sustainable competitive advantage, how can these be effectively managed?
What could be their possible future challenges, and how can these be averted/managed?
(Application of strategic theories/ frameworks is vital)
Learning Outcomes
Subject-Specific Knowledge, Understanding & Application
a) Identify, critically appraise, and select approaches and techniques appropriate for analyzing the organisation’s internal and external environments, successfully applying a variety of academic frameworks, concepts,
and theories to select strategies for new and differing contexts. 
b) Demonstrate understanding of the dynamic nature of the inter-relationship between the module topics and make informed judgments about strategic
choices when faced with uncertain, incomplete or ambiguous information. 
c) Demonstrate comprehension of innovation, disruptive technologies and
strategic leadership in creating environment and cultures conducive to
innovation, recognising and addressing any ethical and coporate social
responsibility issues and wider stakeholder interests.
Indicative PPT structure
SLIDE 1: INTRODUCTION
Presentation Overview
§  In this section, we must clearly
outline the key sections of our 10-minute presentation and the aspects that
will be discussed.
§  A visual agenda is always
catchy to prepare and include.
Purpose of Analysis
The importance of strategic analysis in achieving sustainable competitive
advantage in the solar energy sector needs to be explained and discussed. This
should include:
§  strategic importance of
sustainable competitive advantage to Exalta’s goals in the solar energy
industry.
§ 
stressing
the relevance of strategic management in achieving market success and
innovation leadership.
SLIDE 2: COMPANY OVERVIEW
History and Evolution
In this section, we should include the
following:
§ 
A
brief history of Exalta, highlighting its origins in robotics and transition to
solar energy products.
§ 
We
should include a timeline graphic showing key milestones, from Exalta’s
founding to its current state.
§ 
Also,
we need to highlight pivot points like the shift from robotics to solar energy
and how these shifts were aligned with market demands or technological
advancements.
Vision and Mission Statements
§ 
The
vision and mission of Exalta also include an analysis of how those align with
its strategic operations and market actions.
§ 
A
critical analysis needs to be presented on how these statements have guided the
company’s strategic decisions.
§ 
Present
if there are gaps between the stated visions and mission of Exalta and actual
strategic actions.
Product Focus
§ 
The
current product focus and strategic shifts in response to market dynamics must
be presented. We could include a pie chart or table showing the distribution of
resources among Exalta’s products here.
§ 
We
should include a couple of sentences to present Exalta’s strategic shifts in
focus based on market performance and competitive pressures.
SLIDE 3:  EXALTA’S
STRATEGIC CHALLENGES
Innovation vs. Market Demand
§ 
This
subsection showcases how Exalta’s focus on innovation impacts its market timing
and product reception.
§  Useful would be to present
how Exalta tried to balance innovation and market demands. Maybe we can include
examples of Exalta that were either hits or losses and share our “why”
findings.
Imitation Issues
§ 
a
short presentation about the challenges of competitor product imitation and its
impact on market share and competitive advantage.
§ 
Here,
we need examples of how competitors have imitated Exalta’s products. This is
the place to present a SWOT analysis to frame these challenges within broader
market threats and internal weaknesses.
Stakeholder Concerns
§ 
A
stakeholders’ map (investors, government, customers) would be helpful to briefly
present how their needs and expectations influence Exalta’s strategic
decisions, including notes about stakeholders’ impact on strategic choices
(maybe a stakeholders’ matrix would be helpful).
SLIDE 4: ANALYSIS OF RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES
Resource Analysis (VRIO)
§  Here is the VRIO
framework part. We should include Exalta’s key resources — R&D,
technological expertise, etc.- to determine value, rarity, imitability, and
organisation.
§  For the VRIO, the main
elements should include value, rarity, imitability, and organisation. The
discussion should include how these resources contribute to or hinder Exalta’s
competitive advantage.
Capabilities Overview
§  Here, we should include
organisational capabilities such as product development and innovation and how
current strategies support or limit them.
§  Link these capabilities to
successful strategies or strategic failures.
IIT Incubation Impact
§  Effects of incubation at IIT
on their capabilities, market credibility, and network access.
§ 
Evaluation
of the tangible and intangible benefits received from IIT incubation, including
the mentoring process, network access, and technological support with specific
outcomes.
SLIDE 5: MARKET DYNAMICS AND COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Market Growth and Trends (PESTEL)
§  The use of visuals like
graphs or trend lines to show market growth. For each PESTEL factor, it
would be good to provide specific examples of how it affects Exalta (e.g.,
regulatory changes impacting product development).
Competitive Analysis (Porter’s Five Forces)
§  For this subsection, we need
to evaluate the intensity of competitive rivalry, the threat of new entrants,
the bargaining power of suppliers and customers, and the threat of substitute
products.
§  We need to analyse each force
specifically for the solar energy industry and discuss how Exalta can mitigate
these competitive pressures.
SLIDE 6: FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGIC FAILURES
Financial Overview
§ 
If
we find the relevant data, we should highlight key financial metrics and trends
over recent years in this subsection.
§ 
This
section would be enhanced by charts showing trends in revenue, profits, R&D
spending, and capital allocation over the last 5-10 years.
Review of Past Strategies
§ 
Past
strategic decisions, their outcomes, and lessons learned should be presented in
this subsection.
§ 
In
addition, we need to “somewhat” discuss specific strategic initiatives and
their outcomes and evaluate what worked and what did not. The strategic
initiatives may include product launches, market expansions, etc.
Opportunities Missed
§  A few lines discussing the
missed opportunities, including market timing and logistic failures, and their
strategic implications may benefit this exercise.
SLIDE 7: STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE
ADVANTAGE
Core Product Focus
§ 
Some
recommendations may include:
o  
Focus
on fewer products.
o  
More
competitive products to streamline operations.
o  
Effective
source allocation.
o  
Focus
on core products could streamline operations.
Market and Customer Engagement
§  In this subsection, we may
include strategies for improving marketing, customer relations, and stakeholder
engagement and propose enhanced marketing strategies supported by case studies
(if any) from similar industries.
SLIDE 8: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND FUTURE CHALLENGES
Short-Term and Long-Term Actions
§ 
A
graph that includes actionable steps for the short-term implementation of
strategies and long-term strategic goals.
§  A graph with a phased plan
for implementing our recommendations.
Including
a Gantt chart to visualise timelines and responsibilities as an appendix would
be good.
Scenario Planning
§ 
Here,
we can present potential future scenarios and how Exalta can prepare for these
outcomes. The scenarios may include high competition and/or technological
breakthroughs and how Exalta can strategically position itself in each
scenario.
Risk Management
§  Here, we need to present some
potential risks in strategy implementation and suggest mitigation strategies.
SLIDE 9: CONCLUSION
Summary of Key Findings
§ 
Here is the place for our recap of the main insights from our
analysis and the strategic implications for Exalta.
Closing Remark
Our closing remarks may include:
§ 
An
emphasis on the importance of strategic flexibility and innovation in
sustaining competitive advantage in the solar energy sector.
§  A robust and memorable
statement about Exalta’s potential future with the proposed strategic changes.
We should place emphasis on resilience and innovation
SLIDE 10: Q&A
SLIDE 11: REFERENCES
SLIDE 12: appendices