Solved Porter Value Chain : DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing Analysis (2024)

Introduction to Porter Value Chain

EMBA Pro Porter Value Chain Solution for DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing case study


In early 2017, 15 years after being launched, DMart was India's second-largest and most profitable food and grocery retailer. To achieve its stellar growth, the company had followed a no-frills, limited assortment model and had restricted itself to limited geographies within the country. The company was listed in the capital market and attracted very favourable views from investors. As a listed company, DMart might be expected by shareholders to expand to new locations and develop an online presence. Would DMart be able to meet the challenges of exploring new geographies and new formats? What strategies would it need to adopt to remain competitive? Rakhi Thakur is affiliated with SP Jain Institute of Management & Research.


Case Authors : Rakhi Thakur

Topic : Sales & Marketing

Related Areas : Strategy

EMBA Pro Porter Value Chain Analysis Approach for DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing


At EMBA PRO, we provide corporate level professional Marketing Mix and Marketing Strategy solutions. DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Rakhi Thakur. The DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing (referred as “Dmart Geographies” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Sales & Marketing. It also touches upon business topics such as - Marketing Mix, Product, Price, Place, Promotion, 4P, Strategy.

Our immersive learning methodology from – case study discussions to simulations tools help MBA and EMBA professionals to - gain new insight, deepen their knowledge of the Sales & Marketing field, competitive advantage, steps to value chain analysis,industry analysis,primary activities, support activities, inbound outbound logitics,marketing & services, and more.


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Porter Value Chain Framework


Value Chain is developed by management guru Michael E. Porter and it was a major breakthrough in business world for analyzing a firm’s relative cost and value. Value Chain was first introduced in 1985 in Harvard Business Review article and Porter’s book “Competitive Advantage”. Value Chain is also known as “Porter’s Value Chain Framework” and it is extensively used to analyze relevant activities of a firm to shed light on the sources of competitive advantage. According to Michael Porter – Competitive Advantage is a relative term and has to be understood in the context of rivalry within an industry.

Porter Five Forces & Porter Value Chain


Porter started with the quintessential question – “Why are some companies more profitable than others?” He answered the question in two parts – How companies benefit or limited by the structure of their industry, and second a firm’s relative position within that industry.

To conduct industry structure analysis Porter developed Five Forces Model, and to understand the sources of competitive advantage of the firm in relation to competitors in that industry Porter developed Value Chain Analysis Method.

The strengths of the Porter’s Value Chain Analysis are - how it disaggregates various activities within the firm and how it put value to value creating activities in an industry wide context.


Industry StructureRelative Position
Porter's FrameworkFive ForcesValue Chain
The Analysis focuses onDrivers of Industry ProfitabilityDifferences in activities
The Analysis explainsIndustry average price and costRelative Price and Cost

What is Competitive Advantage?


According to Michael Porter – “If a strategy is to have real meaning then it should reflect directly into a company’s financial performance”. If Dmart Geographies have a real competitive advantage, it means that compared to its rivals Dmart Geographies is - operating at lower costs, commanding a premium price, or doing both. Competitive advantage is about superior performance and it is a relative term. When all rivals in the Dmart Geographies’s industry try to compete on the same dimension, no one firm gains a competitive advantage.

Key Steps in Porter's Value Chain Analysis


Step 1 - Start by laying out the industry value chain

What are the key value-creating activities at each step in the chain?

How far upstream or downstream do the industry’s activities extend?

Compare the value chains of rivals in an industry to understand differences in prices and costs


Step 2 - Compare firm in DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing case study value chain to the industry’s value chain

Present vs Alternative Value Chain - You should design an alternative value chain and map out areas where improvements can be made. Comparing two or more alternative value chains can provide a good insight into bottlenecks within the industry.


Step 3 - Zero in on price drivers, those activities that have a high current or potential impact on differentiation

Align price drivers in the value chain. Often price drivers are customer expectations that customers are willing to pay more for. For example customers are willing to pay more for flawless uniform experience in Apple products even though Apple products are not the cutting edge products.


Step 4 - Zero in on cost drivers, paying special attention to activities that represent a large or growing percentage of costs

If the strategy dictates cutting cost to be profitable then Dmart Geographies should focus on areas that are not adding value to customers' expectations, and costs that are there because of operational inefficiencies.


Value Chain Analysis of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing Case Study

Solved Porter Value Chain : DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing Analysis (1)

Value Chain and Value System


Dmart Geographies value chain is part of a larger value system of the industry that includes companies either upstream (suppliers) or downstream (distribution channels), or both. Manager at DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing needs to see each activity as part of that value system and how adding each activity or reducing each activity impact the DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing value chain. The decision is regarding where to sit in the value system.


Value Chain Activities – Primary Activities & Support Activities


As per the Value Chain model there are broadly two generic categories of activities – Primary Activities and Supporting Activities.


What are Primary Activities in Porter’s Value Chain?


As illustrated in the Value Chain diagram, Dmart Geographies has five generic categories of primary activities –


Inbound Logistics


These activities of Dmart Geographies are associated with receiving, storing and disseminating the inputs of the products. It can include warehousing of physical products, material handling, as well as architecture to receive and store customer information for digital media company. Dmart Geographies at present has outsourced most of its inbound logistics activities.


Operations


Activities that help the organization to transform raw material into finished products. For the purpose of this article the definition is broad – it can mean using customer data to serve advertisem*nts based on usage behavior to clients, moulding plastic to make products etc.


Outbound Logistics


Dmart Geographies under takes these activities to distribute the finished products to channel partners and final buyers. Outbound logistics activities include – scheduling, warehousing, distribution network, wholesalers and retailers order fulfillment, and processing.


Marketing and Sales


These activities are undertaken by Dmart Geographies to create means through which the buyer can buy a firm’s products. These activities include – sales force management, marketing, channel selection, pricing, advertising and promotion etc.


Services


Dmart Geographies needs to provide after sales services and maintenance for successful usage of the product. Service activities of Dmart Geographies can include – post sales maintenance, installation services, part supply, product forward and backend alignment of software, and training.


What are Support Activities in Dmart Geographies Value Chain?


As the name explains, Support Activities of Dmart Geographies are the one that supports the firm’s Primary Activities. Porter divided the Support Activities into four broad categories and each category of support activities is divisible into a number of distinct value activities that are specific to the industry in which Dmart Geographies operates. The four generic support activities are –


Firm Infrastructure


Firm infrastructure support activities at Dmart Geographies consists activities such as – general management, quality management, planning, legal services and finance and accounting.
Firm infrastructure activities at Dmart Geographies supports entire value chain though the scope varies given that Dmart Geographies is a diversified company even within the industry. For example the finance and planning at Dmart Geographies are managed at corporate level while quality management, accounting and legal issues are managed at business unit level.


Human Resources Management


In an environment where each organization is striving to become a learning organization, Human Resources Management is key to the success of any organization. HRM support activities include – Recruiting, Training & Development, People Planning, Skill Assessment, Selection, Hiring and Compensation at both business unit level and corporate level.
Human resource management affects competitive advantage in any firm, but in some industries it is defining factor. For example in the consulting companies HR is the main source of competitive advantage.


Technology Development


Technology supports almost all activities in modern day organization. In the technology industry, technology development has become a source of competitive advantage. Technology development at Dmart Geographies may include activities such as - component design, technology selection, field-testing, feature design, and process engineering.


Procurement Activities at Dmart Geographies


Procurement activities at Dmart Geographies include activities that are undertaken to purchase inputs that are used by Dmart Geographies’s value chain. It doesn’t include purchase inputs themselves. Purchased inputs may include - raw materials, supplies, machinery, laboratory equipment, office equipment, and buildings.
Like all other value chain activities procurement also employs technology for things such as – procedures, vendor management, information system, and supply chain partner qualification rules and ongoing performance evaluation.


Metrics and KPIs to Avoid while Analyzing DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing Value Chain


Growth in sales is not a good goal for value chain analysis as every managers know that boosting sales is easy to do by reducing the prices dramatically.

Shareholder value, measured by stock price, is not a good barometer to analyze value chain. It is preferred by top management but it is only useful in long run rather than competitive strategy in short to medium terms.

Growth or market share is also not a very reliable goal as often firms end up pursuing market share at the cost of profitability.


5C Marketing Analysis of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing

4P Marketing Analysis of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing

Porter Five Forces Analysis and Solution of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing

Porter Value Chain Analysis and Solution of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing


Blue Ocean Analysis and Solution of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing

Marketing Strategy and Analysis DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing


PESTEL / STEP / PEST Analysis of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing

Case Study Solution of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing

SWOT Analysis and Solution of DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing
References & Further Readings

M. E. Porter, Competitive Strategy(New York: Free Press, 1980)

Rakhi Thakur (2018), "DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.

O. E. Williamson, Markets and Hierarchies(New York: Free Press, 1975)

Kotler & Armstrong (2017) "Principles of Marketing Management Management", Published by Pearson Publications.

Solved Porter Value Chain : DMart: Disrupting Food Retailing Analysis (2024)

FAQs

What is Porter's value chain Summary the the Porter's value chain and explain why it is a useful business model? ›

Porter's Value Chain is a useful strategic management tool. It works by breaking an organization's activities down into strategically relevant pieces, so that you can see a fuller picture of the cost drivers and sources of differentiation, and then make changes appropriately.

What is value chain analysis What does the firm gain by successfully using this tool? ›

Value chain analysis is a strategy tool used to analyze internal firm activities. Its goal is to recognize, which activities are the most valuable (i.e. are the source of cost or differentiation advantage) to the firm and which ones could be improved to provide competitive advantage.

What is value chain analysis example? ›

In contrast, the differentiation advantage model seeks to create customer value through superior products. The best value chain example is the car manufacturing industry, where companies use both approaches of value chain analysis to create value for the customer depending on their target market.

What is the first step of value chain analysis? ›

Identify Value Chain Activities

The first step in conducting a value chain analysis is to understand all of the primary and secondary activities that go into your product or service's creation. If your company sells multiple products or services, it's important to perform this process for each one.

How value chain analysis helps identify a company strengths and weaknesses? ›

Value chain analysis identifies the separate activities and business processes that are performed from the designing of a product to supporting it. Value chain analysis is viewed as a means of evaluating a firm's strengths and weaknesses. It assumes that a firm's basic economic purpose is to create value.

Which 5 primary processes are part of Porter's value chain model? ›

The five key (primary) activities that generate higher profits include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and services.

What are the limitations of value chain analysis? ›

Due to the breaking of operations into various segments, there is a chance of losing firm's overall vision and strategy. Its application is limited to the manufacturing industries only as service industries found it difficult to implement this technique.

How can value chain analysis be improved? ›

Five steps to developing a value chain analysis
  1. Step 1: Identify all value chain activities. ...
  2. Step 2: Calculate each value chain activity's cost. ...
  3. Step 3: Look at what your customers perceive as value. ...
  4. Step 4: Look at your competitors' value chains.

How value chain excellence affects customer satisfaction? ›

The research indicates that value chain analysis has a strong impact on organisational processes and practices. The study also study found that value chain analysis has a positive impact on customer satisfaction which results on improved customer relationships, reduced delivery times and improved customer loyalty.

What is an example of a value chain activity? ›

The activities associated with this part of the value chain are providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the product after it has been sold and delivered. Examples: installation, repair, training, parts supply and product adjustment.

What are the types of value chain analysis? ›

At the end of the process, customers enjoy high-quality products at lower costs, which will lead them to choose you over your competition. There are two approaches to value chain analysis: cost advantage and differentiation advantage.

What is the overall goal of value chain analysis? ›

The purpose of value-chain analysis is to increase production efficiency so that a company can deliver maximum value for the least possible cost.

Is value chain analysis internal or external? ›

The value chain analyses the business's internal environment so it can be used in place of the strengths and weakness portion of the SWOT. Most often, the value chain is used in conjunction with SWOT, creating a comprehensive business analysis that incorporates both internal and external evaluation.

What is Porter's value chain model? ›

Porter's value chain is a framework for developing an analytic structure that follows interdependent activities from raw material acquisition or idea through production and finally, into the hands of a customer.

Why is it important for data analysts to understand the value chain process associated with information and the analytical process? ›

Value Chain Analysis helps you identify the ways in which you create value for your customers, and then helps you think through how you can maximize this value: whether through superb products, great services, or jobs well done.

What are the six requirements for successful value chain management? ›

Six Requirements for Value Chain Management
  • Coordination and Collaboration. To increase efficiency within an organization, coordination and collaboration is essential. ...
  • Technology Investment. ...
  • Organizational Process. ...
  • Leadership. ...
  • Employee/Human Resources. ...
  • Organizational Culture and Attitudes.
26 Sept 2017

What are the six elements of successful value chain management? ›

What Are the Six Requirements for Successful Value Chain Management? by Charles Green
  • Research and Development. The first step in value chain management is researching the products your customers want. ...
  • Product Design. ...
  • Production Process. ...
  • Marketing and Sales. ...
  • Distribution Management. ...
  • Customer Service.
14 Mar 2016

What are the 3 steps in value chain analysis in order? ›

Three main steps can be distinguished in value chain analysis: (1) Identify the main functions and types of firms in the value chain; (2) Analyze structural connections; and (3) Analyze dynamics.

What are the 5 competitive strategies? ›

Here are five types of competitive strategy and an example for each:
  • Cost leadership. ...
  • Product differentiation. ...
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) ...
  • Cost focus. ...
  • Commitment to customers strategy.
16 Nov 2021

What are the benefits of value chain analysis? ›

Advantages of Value Chain Analysis

With value chain analysis, you can easily identify those activities where you can quickly reduce cost, optimize effort, eliminate waste, and increase profitability. Analyzing activities also gives insights into elements that bring greater value to the end user.

How does value chain analysis create competitive advantage? ›

Value chains help increase a business's efficiency so the business can deliver the most value for the least possible cost. The end goal of a value chain is to create a competitive advantage for a company by increasing productivity while keeping costs reasonable.

How can SWOT analysis be used in value chain analysis? ›

SWOT analysis allows companies to evaluate internal and external factors and develop effective marketing plans. The value chain deals with several departments in a company, while SWOT is primarily analyzed by the marketing department.

Which scenario is an example of the production function of the value chain? ›

economies of scale. Companies pursue a(n) _____ strategy when they take the products first produced for their domestic market and sell them internationally with only minimal local customization. An example of the production function of the value chain is? a car manufacturer advertising its new minivan.

What is SWOT analysis explain in detail? ›

SWOT analysis is a framework for identifying and analyzing an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. These words make up the SWOT acronym. The primary goal of SWOT analysis is to increase awareness of the factors that go into making a business decision or establishing a business strategy.

What is value chain in simple words? ›

"Value chains are an integral part of strategic planning for many businesses today. A value chain refers to the full lifecycle of a product or process, including material sourcing, production, consumption and disposal/recycling processes.”

What is value chain in pdf? ›

A value chain includes the activities that take place within a company in order to deliver a valuable product or service to their market. Each stage of the value chain adds more value. The value chain provides a tool to visualize a firm's productivity by identifying the thousands of discrete activities involved.

Which of the following is not a primary activity of the value chain model? ›

The correct answer is D) procurement. This option is correct because procurement is one of the secondary activities of the value chain.

What are the problems of value analysis? ›

Two distinct problems in the extreme value analysis are identified in this paper: (1) Assessing the probability positions for the order ranked extremes is commonly done incorrectly; and (2) The belief in the applicability of the extreme value theory is so strong that the analysis is commonly done even when a good fit ...

What obstacles stand in the way of successful value chain management? ›

The primary obstacles to having an efficient and effectively operating value chain management process include organizational barriers cultural attitudes required capabilities and people.

What are some characteristics of an effective value analysis? ›

It is a disciplined approach which ensures the necessary functions for the minimum cost without diminishing quality, reliability, performance and appearance. It is a creative approach to eliminate the unnecessary costs which add neither to quality nor to the appearance of the product.

What is situation analysis and why is it so important? ›

Situation Analysis is a process that helps you identify opportunities and challenges, both internal and external, to your organization, service, or product. You can also use it to define the scope of a problem.

What is Porter's value chain model explain the role of information systems in value chain analysis? ›

Porter's Value Chain is a useful strategic management tool. It works by breaking an organization's activities down into strategically relevant pieces, so that you can see a fuller picture of the cost drivers and sources of differentiation, and then make changes appropriately.

How does value chain enhance customer value? ›

Value is key to business success. Delivering value to customers = Increased acquisition, retention and advocacy, and delivering value to the business = Better margins and increased profitability.

How does supply chain affect customer satisfaction? ›

The Importance of the Supply Chain in Customer Satisfaction

It directly dictates the two most vital parts of customer satisfaction: price and delivery. Having an efficient supply chain means you can beat your competitors on retail price and improve your profitability.

What can increase customer value to supply chain management? ›

9 ways to improve your brand's customer value
  • Personalize your support interactions. ...
  • Provide multichannel support options. ...
  • Create a robust onboarding program. ...
  • Prioritize customer success. ...
  • Address patterns in support issues. ...
  • Make sure customers know you've heard them. ...
  • Find opportunities to surprise and delight.
26 Aug 2021

What is value chain analysis and how do you use it? ›

Value chain analysis is a means of evaluating each of the activities in a company's value chain to understand where opportunities for improvement lie. Conducting a value chain analysis prompts you to consider how each step adds or subtracts value from your final product or service.

How can value chain analysis identify a company's strengths and weaknesses? ›

Value chain analysis identifies the separate activities and business processes that are performed from the designing of a product to supporting it. Value chain analysis is viewed as a means of evaluating a firm's strengths and weaknesses. It assumes that a firm's basic economic purpose is to create value.

What is food value chain? ›

A food value chain (FVC) consists of all the stakeholders who participate in the coordinated production and value-adding activities that are needed to make food products.

What is difference between supply chain and value chain? ›

To recap: the supply chain is the process between producing and distributing the product, dealing with the suppliers and logistics of getting the product to market. The value chain is a set of activities carried out by the company which maximises the competitive advantage.

What are the limitations of value chain analysis? ›

Due to the breaking of operations into various segments, there is a chance of losing firm's overall vision and strategy. Its application is limited to the manufacturing industries only as service industries found it difficult to implement this technique.

What are the 5 primary activities of a value chain? ›

The value chain framework is made up of five primary activities -- inbound operations, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, service -- and four secondary activities -- procurement and purchasing, human resource management, technological development and company infrastructure.

What are the 5 primary activities of a value chain? ›

The value chain framework is made up of five primary activities -- inbound operations, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, service -- and four secondary activities -- procurement and purchasing, human resource management, technological development and company infrastructure.

Which are the activities required when conducting a value chain analysis? ›

To provide an accurate picture of the organization, the analysis must include support activities as well as primary production tasks. The value chain consists of the procurement and deployment of resources, overhead costs such as buildings and administration, and supply chain activities.

What is value chain process? ›

A value chain is a series of consecutive steps that go into the creation of a finished product, from its initial design to its arrival at a customer's door. The chain identifies each step in the process at which value is added, including the sourcing, manufacturing, and marketing stages of its production.

What is an example of a value chain activity? ›

The activities associated with this part of the value chain are providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the product after it has been sold and delivered. Examples: installation, repair, training, parts supply and product adjustment.

What is value chain in simple words? ›

"Value chains are an integral part of strategic planning for many businesses today. A value chain refers to the full lifecycle of a product or process, including material sourcing, production, consumption and disposal/recycling processes.”

Which is a primary activity in Porter's value chain model? ›

The five key (primary) activities that generate higher profits include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and services.

Which tool is used for value chain analysis? ›

Choice experiments are definitely among the tools that can be useful for value chain research. You may want to assess farms' and firms' preferences for alternative business models. This may provide information on which institutional innovations are needed for value chain upgrading.

What are the two approaches using Porter's value chain analysis? ›

There are two approaches to value chain analysis: cost advantage and differentiation advantage.

What are the limitations of value chain analysis? ›

Due to the breaking of operations into various segments, there is a chance of losing firm's overall vision and strategy. Its application is limited to the manufacturing industries only as service industries found it difficult to implement this technique.

Why is value chain important? ›

Value chain increases the efficiency of the business so that customers can receive the product with the most value-added at the lowest possible cost. The end goal of value chain management (VCM) is to create a competitive advantage for the company by increasing the overall margin.

What is food value chain? ›

A food value chain (FVC) consists of all the stakeholders who participate in the coordinated production and value-adding activities that are needed to make food products.

What is difference between supply chain and value chain? ›

To recap: the supply chain is the process between producing and distributing the product, dealing with the suppliers and logistics of getting the product to market. The value chain is a set of activities carried out by the company which maximises the competitive advantage.

How can value chain analysis identify a company's strengths and weaknesses? ›

Value chain analysis identifies the separate activities and business processes that are performed from the designing of a product to supporting it. Value chain analysis is viewed as a means of evaluating a firm's strengths and weaknesses. It assumes that a firm's basic economic purpose is to create value.

How many steps are there in value chain analysis? ›

Three main steps can be distinguished in value chain analysis: (1) Identify the main functions and types of firms in the value chain; (2) Analyze structural connections; and (3) Analyze dynamics.

What are the 5 competitive strategies? ›

Here are five types of competitive strategy and an example for each:
  • Cost leadership. ...
  • Product differentiation. ...
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) ...
  • Cost focus. ...
  • Commitment to customers strategy.
16 Nov 2021

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