Few thoughts on business warfare

Firms should always be prepared for the eventuality of business warfare when competition turns worse. Wherewithal for meeting opponents in the battlefield is collectively known as means. We are all familiar that business strategy implies the relationship between means, ways and ends. Here are few of my thoughts on business warfare:

Tools, techniques and weapons are in fact the means firms possess and must be used for defence, attack or for both. Deployment of these means have one or two aims: firstly respond to an attack by the opponent that throws you at crisis point. Secondly react to an imminent threat that might materialize in the near future. You make the choice of either defend or counter attack whetted by the following conditions:

a) Proportionate to the severity of attack and no more where the concerned attack is not expected to shake your market position in its entirety

b) The attack could result in a paradigm shift in your market standing

In the case of former care must be made not to over react. Because this depletes your means, leaving to the point of gross insufficiency especially in the case of recurrent offensive. There again you cannot fall into the trap Sun Tzu cautioned where expecting attack in every conceivable places you spread your defence thin.

Firms must be aware of the “Attacker’s Privilege” in business warfare. The option of the choice of time & place is with him. Liability of defending is then cast upon the defending firm who could run through major losses in its means inventory. One way of managing potential surprise attack is to institutionalize a system of intelligence & surveillance that could forewarn as regards to enemy intention, probable place/s of offensive, the level of severity and the deployment of means. Moreover, whether the opponent can sustain the attack in the short to medium terms must also be indicated.

A word of caution is not out pf place. Never get into false confidence that you can meet up with every challenges. “Homer Nods”. Geoeconomics forewarn that every cent spent on attack or defence must be recouped by a firm within a reasonable time frame.

A contrast between destructive construction versus constructive destruction must be made. The former entails destruction first but is generally followed by belter times dawning in terms of enhancement of product features in coming days that would compensate for the losses incurred. The latter runs with a big risk. Assuming you are going for a major phase of construction as a prelude to deliver destruction to the enemy quarter might end up both you and the opponent lose the market share to an incoming competitor who is poised to reap the advantages at your peril.

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist