Baxter International VRIO / VRIN Analysis | Assignment Help

What is VRIO / VRIN Analysis ?

VRIO stands for – Value of the resource, Rareness of the resource, Imitation Risk, and Organizational Competence.

VRIO is a resource focused strategic analysis tool. To build a sustainable competitive advantage the resources that –casename— needs to be valuable, rare, and difficult to imitate. Secondly the –casename— needs to possess capabilities, organizational structure, and culture to optimize the available resources usage. VRIO analysis can help organizations such as Baxter International to do better resource allocation and build a defensible value and supply chain.

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VRIO / VRIN Analysis

What is a Valuable Resource for Baxter International? Defining Valuable in VRIO


A resource or capability is considered valuable for Baxter International , if it allows the Baxter International to exploit opportunities or negate threats emerging out of both the micro business environment and the macro environment. If a resource does not allow Baxter International to minimize threats or exploit opportunities, than it doesn't contribute signficantly to building a sustainable competitive advantage for Baxter International.

What are Rare Resources for Baxter International? Defining Rare in VRIO


In an industry that Baxter International operates in, valuable resources are held by number of competitors. So valuable resources themselves don’t provide a sustainable competitive advantage. Baxter International require rare resources to compete in the industry. If Baxter International don’t have rare resources that are required to succeed in the industry then Baxter International won’t be able to compete successfully in the marketplace. Secondly holding rare resources can provide Baxter International competitive advantage against players that don’t have those rare resources. HBR Case Study Solution

What is a Inimitable (Difficult to Immitate) Resource for Baxter International? Defining Inimitable in VRIO


A valuable and rare resource can provide a competitive advantage to Baxter International for certain period of time as all the competitors are going to try to imitate or replicate that resource. A sustained competitive advantage emerges, if the resource is difficult to imitate by the competitors. Baxter International can create inmitability by innovating on the product side, reducing pain points on service delivery, and having an effective post sales servicing strategy. Check out the SWOT analysis of Baxter International

What is a Organization for Baxter International? Defining Organization in VRIO


Even if the Baxter International has all the valuable resources that are both rare and difficult to imitate, it won’t automatically result into a sustainable competitive advantage. The key to build the sustainable competitive advantage is to have organizational capabilities, expertise, and structure to exploit the resources. If Baxter International is not organized based on its strengths then it won’t able to exploit all the resources that it possesses.

Resources Value Rare Imitation Organization Competitive Advantage
Baxter International Customer Network and Loyalty Yes, 23% of the customers contribute to more than 84% of the sales revenue Yes, firm has invested to build a strong customer loyalty Has been tried by competitors but none of them are as successful as Baxter International Baxter International is leveraging the customer loyalty to good effect Provide Baxter International medium term competitive advantage
Successful Implementation of Digital Strategy at Baxter International Yes, without a comprehensive digital strategy it is extremely difficult to compete No, as most of the firms are investing into digitalizing operations Can be imitated by competitors One of the leading player in the industry Digital strategy has become critical in the industry but it can't provide sustainable competitive advantage to
Sales Force and Channel Management of Baxter International Yes No Can be imitated by competitors Still there is lot of potential to utilize the excellent sales force Can provide Baxter International sustainable competitive advantage. Potential is certainly there.
Supply Chain Network Flexibility of Baxter International Yes Yes Near competitors also have flexible supply chain and share some of the suppliers Fully utilized by Baxter International organizational structure and capabilities Keeps the business running
Ability to Attract Talent in Various Local & Global Markets Yes, Baxter International strategy is built on successful innovation and localization of products Yes, as talent is critical to firm's growth Difficult to imitate for the current competitors of Baxter International To a large extent yes Providing Strong Competitive Advantage
Opportunities in the Adjacent Industries that Baxter International can exploit & New Resources Required to Enter those Industries Can be valuable as they will create new revenue streams No Can be imitated by competitors All the capabilities of the organization are not fully utilized yet Has potential
Distribution and Logistics Costs Competitiveness Yes, as it helps Baxter International in delivering lower costs No Can be imitated by competitors of Baxter International but it is difficult Yes Medium to Long Term Competitive Advantage
Brand Positioning of Baxter International in Comparison to the Competitors Yes No Can be imitated by competitors but it will require big marketing budget Yes, the firm has positioned its brands based on consumer behavior Temporary Competitive Advantage
Customer Community of Baxter International Yes, as customers are co-creating products Yes, the Baxter International has able to build a special relationship with its customers It is very difficult for Baxter International competitors to imitate the culture and community dedication Going by the data, there is still a lot of upside in building on Baxter International customers community ecosystem Providing Strong Competitive Advantage
Access to Critical Raw Material for Successful Execution Yes Yes, as other competitors have to come to terms with Baxter International dominant market position Can be imitated by competitors Yes Providing Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Track Record of Project Execution Yes, especially in an industry where there are frequent cost overun Yes, especially in the segment that Baxter International operates in No, none of the competitors so far has able to imitate this expertise Yes, Baxter International is successful at it Providing Strong Competitive Advantage
Vision of the Leadership for Next Set of Challenges Yes No Can't be imitated by competitors of Baxter International Not based on information provided in the case Can Lead to Strong Competitive Advantage
Opportunities for Brand Extensions for Baxter International products Yes, new niches are emerging in the market No, as most of the competitors are also targeting those niches Yes can be imitated by the competitors Brand extensions will require higher marketing budget Temporary Competitive Advantage
Marketing Expertise within Baxter International Yes, firms are competing based on differentiation in the industry No, as most of the competitors also have good marketing departments and expertise Pricing strategies of Baxter International are often matched by competitors Yes, Baxter International is leveraging both its inhouse marketing department and external expertise Temporary Competitive Advantage


Baxter International SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, Weighted SWOT Case Study Solution & Analysis





Books and References


Ahir Gopaldas and Anton Siebert (2022 July August) "What You’re Getting Wrong About Customer Journeys", Harvard Business Review , 92
Linda A. Hill, Emily Tedards, and Taran Swan (2021) "Drive Innovation with Better Decision-Making", Harvard Business Review 86
Dyer, J. H., & Hatch, N. (2004). Using Supplier Networks to Learn Faster. Sloan Management Review, 45(3), 57–63
Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17, 99–120
Dyer, J. H., Kale, P., & Singh, H. (2004, July–August). When to ally and when to acquire. Harvard Business Review, 109–115

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