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Energy Future Holdings 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 Energy Future Holdings to do better resource allocation and build a defensible value and supply chain.
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What is a Valuable Resource for Energy Future Holdings? Defining Valuable in VRIO
A resource or capability is considered valuable for Energy Future Holdings , if it allows the
Energy Future Holdings to exploit opportunities or negate threats
emerging out of both the micro business environment and the macro environment. If a resource does not allow Energy Future Holdings to minimize threats or exploit opportunities, than it doesn't contribute signficantly to building a sustainable competitive advantage for Energy Future Holdings.
What are Rare Resources for Energy Future Holdings? Defining Rare in VRIO
In an industry that Energy Future Holdings operates in, valuable resources are held by number of competitors. So valuable resources themselves don’t provide a sustainable competitive advantage. Energy Future Holdings require rare resources to compete in the industry. If Energy Future Holdings don’t have rare resources that are required to succeed in the industry then Energy Future Holdings won’t be able to compete successfully in the marketplace. Secondly holding rare resources can provide Energy Future Holdings competitive advantage against players that don’t have those rare resources. HBR Case Study Solution
What is a Inimitable (Difficult to Immitate) Resource for Energy Future Holdings? Defining Inimitable in VRIO
A valuable and rare resource can provide a competitive advantage to Energy Future Holdings 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. Energy Future Holdings 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 Energy Future Holdings
What is a Organization for Energy Future Holdings? Defining Organization in VRIO
Even if the Energy Future Holdings 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 Energy Future Holdings 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pricing Strategies of Energy Future Holdings | Yes, Energy Future Holdings has sound pricing strategies | No | Pricing strategies are regularly imitated in the industry | Yes, firm has a pricing analytics engine | It can only provide Energy Future Holdings with a Temporary Competitive Advantage |
Financial Resources of Energy Future Holdings | Yes | No | Financial instruments and market liquidity are available to all the nearest competitors | Energy Future Holdings has reasonably sound financial position | Energy Future Holdings has relatively sustainable Competitive Advantage |
Energy Future Holdings 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 Energy Future Holdings | Energy Future Holdings is leveraging the customer loyalty to good effect | Provide Energy Future Holdings medium term competitive advantage |
Brand awareness of Energy Future Holdings products and services | Yes, the brand awareness of Energy Future Holdings products are high | Yes, Energy Future Holdings has one of the leading brand in the industry | No | Energy Future Holdings has utilized its leading brand position in various segments | Sustainable Competitive Advantage |
Position among Retailers and Wholesalers – Energy Future Holdings retail strategy | Yes, Energy Future Holdings has strong relationship with retailers and wholesalers | Yes, Energy Future Holdings has dedicated channel partners | Difficult to imitate though not impossible | Yes, over the years company has used it successfully | Sustainable Competitive Advantage |
Product Portfolio and Synergy among Various Product Lines of Energy Future Holdings | Yes, it is valuable in the industry given the various segmentations & consumer preferences. | Most of the competitors are trying to enter the lucrative segments | Can be imitated by the competitors | The firm has used it to good effect, details can be found in case exhibit | Provide short term competitive advantage but requires constant innovation to sustain |
Access to Critical Raw Material for Successful Execution | Yes | Yes, as other competitors have to come to terms with Energy Future Holdings dominant market position | Can be imitated by competitors | Yes | Providing Sustainable Competitive Advantage |
Supply Chain Network Flexibility of Energy Future Holdings | Yes | Yes | Near competitors also have flexible supply chain and share some of the suppliers | Fully utilized by Energy Future Holdings organizational structure and capabilities | Keeps the business running |
Brand Positioning of Energy Future Holdings 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 |
Distribution and Logistics Costs Competitiveness | Yes, as it helps Energy Future Holdings in delivering lower costs | No | Can be imitated by competitors of Energy Future Holdings but it is difficult | Yes | Medium to Long Term Competitive Advantage |
Intellectual Property Rights, Copyrights, and Trademarks | Yes, they are extremely valuable for Energy Future Holdings to thwart competition | Yes, IPR and other rights are rare and competition of Energy Future Holdings will find it extremely difficult to copy | Risk of imitation is low but given the margins in the industry disruption chances are high | So far the firm has not utilized the full extent of its IPR & other properties | Providing Strong Competitive Advantage |
Marketing Expertise within Energy Future Holdings | 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 Energy Future Holdings are often matched by competitors | Yes, Energy Future Holdings is leveraging both its inhouse marketing department and external expertise | Temporary Competitive Advantage |
Successful Implementation of Digital Strategy at Energy Future Holdings | 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 |
Track Record of Leadership Team at Energy Future Holdings | Yes | Yes | Can't be imitated by competitors | Yes | Providing Strong Competitive Advantage |
Energy Future Holdings 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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