Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this thesis is to conduct a competitor analysis for the case company using Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas. With this objective, the case company intends to understand the mega trends, identify the current positioning of its competitors in the automotive industry in certain countries (Germany, US, China and India) and then formulate strategic options that will differentiate them from its competitors.

Design/Methodology/Approach – In the thesis three different theoretical frameworks are used. Grant’s (2008) Four Element Framework was used to conduct internal analysis of the case company. Fleisher & Bensoussan’s (2007) Nine Forces Framework analyses the external environment of the company. Finally, Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas is used to visualize current position of the case company in relation to its competitors in the industry. The type of the research is qualitative and includes primary as well as secondary data.

Findings – Due to the trends of material changes in automotive industry, the demand on special tools will increase in the future. Presently the focus of the case company is standard tools. That is the reason why the case company is considerably slow in providing customized solutions to their customers compared to its competitors. Moreover, the company is facing increasing competition in emerging markets from the low priced brands from its competitors.

Research limitation - Like other case studies, the particular conditions found in the case company may not be found in other organisations. Therefore, authors are aware that the findings and the conclusions drawn in this thesis may have limited suitability to other companies. The provided suggestions are the hypotheses that are based on the results of the finding from internal sources. These hypotheses have to be checked with the customers’ needs.

Practical implication – The thesis depicts the suggestions that the case company can use to innovate and gain larger market share.

Originality/Value – There are no academic works that apply Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas to metal cutting industry. From this perspective the thesis fills in this gap and is one of its kinds.

Keywords - Blue Ocean Strategy, Competitor Analysis, Strategy Canvas.