Strategy of weaponizing time

Time is a crucial element in business warfare. A firm can play a long game or short game depending on the frame that it sets upon its business strategy. Short game parameters are different from the long term ones. Here are few of my thoughts:

In law, “time is of the essence” means that the parties are bound to perform contracts in timely manner. However in business warfare, “time is of the essence” is entirely a different creature. It speaks of duration and choices that are made by a firm while persecuting operations in a market.

Time is on the side of the winner who distinguishes acceleration and deceleration of hostilities in a given period of time. There again a firm has to choose from either a short time operation or the one that goes much longer. Whatever the option chosen by a firm it should bear in mind that time always moves forward and not backwards. Once you miss a moment there is not going to be another one over the horizon.

Short duration business warfare succeeds if all four conditions are fulfilled, namely precise timing, speed, secrecy and effective manoeuvres. If one of the conditions is missing then the effort would be easily foiled. It is similar to the absence of vital condiment while making a soup rendering it to be spoiled at the end.

Long war requires using the time as weapon. We call it as weaponization of time. Historically Russia is well known for long lasting warfare. In today’s context firms could easily undertake weaponization of time in business warfare. This requires attrition that depletes the resources of the opponents and tire him till such time the opponent either retreats or folds up.

Weaponization of time is a business strategy that goes well in exploration, mining, manufacture and sale of minerals such as diamonds and rear earths. For example, diamond company De Beers in South Africa and its Russian counterpart Alrosa are engaged in weaponization of time in a big way and with much success too!

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist

Internal, external paradigms in business competition

A paradigm is the way of looking at anything; it incorporates standard, perspective or set of notions bound together to make a pattern or model. Facing business competition a firm must have both internal and external paradigms. Read for more:

No business can compete in the market without stipulating two sides of a paradigm. One is the internal side where the central theme of making revenue and profit hinges on approach to business competition. The bottom line always remain as the sustainability in the short and long terms.

Internal paradigm

All issues related to internal paradigm could be summed up in few words: maintaining the edge. This pervades in all departments of a firm. Chiefly Research & Development, production, marketing, human resource and financials. Even thigh every company is focussed on making more sales along with higher margins, it cannot be ignored that the right approach to customers is a sine-qua-non. R&D takes the initiative by fashioning a new product or the existing one with additional features.

Production department must be able to manufacture it with least cost with optimum use of human and other inputs. Concurrently, finance boss should be able to marshal momentary resources for this purpose optimally. In doing so marketing side continuously updates both production and R&D regarding fashions and fads prevailing in the market currently and in the foreseeable future. It behoves on marketing to illustrate the probable reception of the new or improved product and the likely market share it could bring about.

External paradigm

All issues regarding the external paradigm could be summed up in few words: maintaining the competitiveness. Unlike in the case of internal paradigm this one does not pervade throughout the length and breadth of a company but solely sits on the marketing department where the proverbial “buck ends here” maxim hanging like Damoclean Sword over the heads of the marketing professionals. They are mostly treated ad a useful idiots if the new product is not scaling the heights envisaged initially. Where the innovation fails to take off they are simply guillotined.

Simply put, it is the marketing that gets into the crosshairs of management for anything bad that could happen. Hence, it is doubly important that marketing does its homework thoroughly before pitching itself upon sale and distribution of an untested product. Plainly speaking, marketing is forever in tight situation in keeping competitiveness glowing. If at any time anything contrary is seen in the radar it must appraise management that it would be better to keep product innovation in cold storage until the right moment appears in the horizon!  

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist

 

Managing escalation ladder

In military warfare as well as in business warfare managing escalation ladder is an all important task. Failure to grasp the timing, volume, location and deterrence in escalating would bring unintended results and devastation. Read for more:

Time is in essence in every manoeuvre opponents might undertake. A manoeuvre can be purely tactical or strategic or tactical in nature but strategic in intent. Whatever the purpose, timing the manoeuvre in escalation should be considered as of utmost importance. In business warfare for sure, timing is the real leitmotif. It pervades throughout the entire escalation exercise. Entry into a market and escalation steps in business competition must be perfectly timed to surprise the competitors in the market place.

The steps of escalation need to be slow and gradual in order not to alarm the existing competitors. Select a particular area or locality and come with small doses in varied steps so that you avoid panic spreading in the enemy camps. If you go for a blitzkrieg then the opponents respond seriously and take stronger measure of opposing you in tooth and nail. Therefore, volume is a key determinant in visualizing the likely response of opponents in the market. High stake drama as an initial step is almost counterproductive.

Responders have two choices to make. One is either respond in accordance with the severity of your escalation or simply suffer patiently and wait for the opportunity to counter attack. On the contrary, depending on the timing and volume of escalation an enemy may perceive that teaching a lesson to you is appropriate measure and come out with the forceful response.

Here comes two factors: 0ne is location and the other is the deterrence that he can endure during the course of escalation. If he chooses to hit you at high point you will be forced to withdraw. An illustration is that enemy increases wholesaler discount to his distributors who in turn go pell-mell in marketing his products. The deterrence factor is how long he can continue with large discount without it affecting his financials. Moreover your ability to hold deterrence in facing serious competition is also a crucial factor to be reckoned with.

In sum, when both parties are engaged in a battle they must be concerned with the degree of deterrence and the time span where deterrence would last. Hence, business warfare must be fought with discretion and the escalation ladder must be managed taking into account of timing, volume, location and the ability to deter attack and defence.

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist