Operations & Supply Chain Management
Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain
A five-day course on positioning a supply chain against competitors and choosing the right strategic direction, covering strategic planning frameworks, competitor and market analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic options, scenario planning, and roadmap development. Participants learn to choose between network options on quantified trade-offs.
Introduction
A supply chain competes against other supply chains, not just against other products. Whether a company wins depends on how its network compares with rivals in cost, lead time, flexibility, and resilience, and those comparisons rarely come from intuition. This Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Training Course gives supply chain strategists, planners, and senior managers a complete working method for that analysis. Participants learn industry and competitor analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic options development, scenario planning, and the roadmap that turns analysis into action.
Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Course Objectives
- Apply strategic planning frameworks to supply chain positioning.
- Conduct competitor and industry analysis with Porter's Five Forces and value chain mapping.
- Benchmark network design, cost structure, and service performance.
- Apply SWOT, PESTLE, and capability analysis to supply chain strategy.
- Develop strategic options with cost, service, and risk trade-offs.
- Apply scenario planning and stress testing to strategic choices.
- Design network configuration options: centralised, regional, and hybrid.
- Apply make-or-buy, near-shoring, and outsourcing strategic analysis.
- Build a strategic roadmap with initiatives, owners, and milestones.
- Measure strategic performance with cost to serve, agility, and resilience indices.
Course Methodology
- Facilitated sessions built on real market data, network maps, and cost benchmarks.
- Case workshops on competitor moves, network redesigns, and strategic failures.
- Competitor, benchmarking, and cost-to-serve analysis exercises with live data.
- Scenario planning and option evaluation labs.
- Group exercise on a supply chain strategy with options and a roadmap.
Who Should Take This Course
- Supply chain strategy and planning managers.
- Network design and logistics analysts.
- Procurement and sourcing strategy staff.
- Operations and manufacturing planning managers.
- Corporate strategy and business development officers.
- Finance business partners supporting supply chain strategy.
Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Course Outlines
Strategic Planning Foundations
- • Strategic planning process and its supply chain application.
- • Mission, value proposition, and competitive priorities.
- • Porter's Five Forces applied to supply chain industries.
- • Value chain and value system mapping.
- • PESTLE analysis and external environment assessment.
- • SWOT and capability analysis for supply chain functions.
- • Strategic intent, objectives, and success criteria.
Competitive and Market Analysis
- • Competitor identification and profiling methods.
- • Cost structure benchmarking across competitors.
- • Service level and lead time comparison.
- • Supply market analysis and supplier power assessment.
- • Customer requirement analysis and segmentation.
- • Industry trend analysis and disruption signals.
- • Competitive intelligence sourcing and ethics.
Network and Cost Analysis
- • Network design principles: centralised, regional, and hybrid.
- • Facility location analysis and total cost modelling.
- • Transport mode and lane cost analysis.
- • Inventory positioning and cost-to-serve analysis.
- • Make, buy, and outsourcing strategic evaluation.
- • Near-shoring and supplier footprint analysis.
- • Network resilience and single-point exposure review.
Strategic Options and Scenario Planning
- • Option generation and strategic choice frameworks.
- • Cost, service, and risk trade-off modelling.
- • Scenario planning: drivers, uncertainties, and narratives.
- • Stress testing options against disruption scenarios.
- • Investment appraisal for network and capability options.
- • Strategic risk assessment and mitigation design.
- • Decision criteria and governance for option selection.
Roadmap, Execution, and Performance
- • Translating strategy into initiatives and owners.
- • Roadmap phasing and milestone planning.
- • Capability, technology, and talent requirements.
- • Strategic KPI design: cost to serve, agility, and resilience.
- • Governance and review cadence for strategy delivery.
- • Communicating strategy to stakeholders and the board.
- • Building a supply chain strategy and analysis roadmap.
Conclusion
By successfully completing the Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Training Course, participants will have acquired a thorough working knowledge of strategic planning frameworks, competitor and market analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic option development, scenario planning, and roadmap construction. They will leave able to position a supply chain against competitors with evidence, choose between network options on quantified trade-offs, and present a strategy that withstands scrutiny. Gentex Training Center delivers this programme with supply chain strategy and network design practitioners working in live organisations.
FAQs for the Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain course
— What is the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course about?
It is a five-day programme on positioning a supply chain against competitors and choosing the right strategic direction. It covers strategic planning frameworks, competitor and market analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic options, scenario planning, and roadmap development.
— What are the key benefits of the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course?
Participants compare their supply chain with competitors on cost, service, and resilience using evidence rather than opinion, choose between network options on quantified trade-offs, and test strategic choices against disruption scenarios before committing. They also present a strategy with a phased roadmap that boards can approve.
— What skills will I gain from the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course?
You will gain supply chain strategic planning and framework application, competitor and market analysis, network and cost-to-serve analysis, and strategic option development, scenario planning, and roadmap construction.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course?
The course works with strategic planning processes and competitive priority setting, Porter's Five Forces analysis, value chain and value system mapping, PESTLE and SWOT analysis, capability assessment, competitor identification and profiling, cost structure benchmarking, service level and lead time comparison, supply market analysis and supplier power assessment, customer requirement analysis and segmentation, industry trend and disruption signal analysis, competitive intelligence sourcing, network design covering centralised, regional and hybrid configurations, facility location and total cost modelling, transport mode and lane cost analysis, inventory positioning and cost-to-serve analysis, make, buy and outsourcing evaluation, near-shoring and supplier footprint analysis, network resilience and single-point exposure review, option generation and strategic choice frameworks, cost, service and risk trade-off modelling, scenario planning with drivers, uncertainties and narratives, stress testing against disruption scenarios, investment appraisal for network options, strategic risk assessment, decision criteria and option selection governance, roadmap phasing and milestone planning, capability, technology and talent requirement planning, strategic KPI design covering cost to serve, agility and resilience indices, and governance and review cadence design.
— How is the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course applied in real-world practice?
Teams apply it when benchmarking supply chain cost against competitors, evaluating a move from centralised to regional distribution, assessing a near-shoring option for a product family, stress testing a network plan against a port disruption, building a three-year supply chain roadmap for board approval, and reviewing cost-to-serve by channel and customer segment.
Scheduling in Progress | Training Arranged Around Your Needs
Our team can coordinate this program based on available dates and locations. Contact us to explore training options that best fit your needs.
Introduction
A supply chain competes against other supply chains, not just against other products. Whether a company wins depends on how its network compares with rivals in cost, lead time, flexibility, and resilience, and those comparisons rarely come from intuition. This Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Training Course gives supply chain strategists, planners, and senior managers a complete working method for that analysis. Participants learn industry and competitor analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic options development, scenario planning, and the roadmap that turns analysis into action.
Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Course Objectives
- Apply strategic planning frameworks to supply chain positioning.
- Conduct competitor and industry analysis with Porter's Five Forces and value chain mapping.
- Benchmark network design, cost structure, and service performance.
- Apply SWOT, PESTLE, and capability analysis to supply chain strategy.
- Develop strategic options with cost, service, and risk trade-offs.
- Apply scenario planning and stress testing to strategic choices.
- Design network configuration options: centralised, regional, and hybrid.
- Apply make-or-buy, near-shoring, and outsourcing strategic analysis.
- Build a strategic roadmap with initiatives, owners, and milestones.
- Measure strategic performance with cost to serve, agility, and resilience indices.
Course Methodology
- Facilitated sessions built on real market data, network maps, and cost benchmarks.
- Case workshops on competitor moves, network redesigns, and strategic failures.
- Competitor, benchmarking, and cost-to-serve analysis exercises with live data.
- Scenario planning and option evaluation labs.
- Group exercise on a supply chain strategy with options and a roadmap.
Who Should Take This Course
- Supply chain strategy and planning managers.
- Network design and logistics analysts.
- Procurement and sourcing strategy staff.
- Operations and manufacturing planning managers.
- Corporate strategy and business development officers.
- Finance business partners supporting supply chain strategy.
Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Course Outlines
Strategic Planning Foundations
- • Strategic planning process and its supply chain application.
- • Mission, value proposition, and competitive priorities.
- • Porter's Five Forces applied to supply chain industries.
- • Value chain and value system mapping.
- • PESTLE analysis and external environment assessment.
- • SWOT and capability analysis for supply chain functions.
- • Strategic intent, objectives, and success criteria.
Competitive and Market Analysis
- • Competitor identification and profiling methods.
- • Cost structure benchmarking across competitors.
- • Service level and lead time comparison.
- • Supply market analysis and supplier power assessment.
- • Customer requirement analysis and segmentation.
- • Industry trend analysis and disruption signals.
- • Competitive intelligence sourcing and ethics.
Network and Cost Analysis
- • Network design principles: centralised, regional, and hybrid.
- • Facility location analysis and total cost modelling.
- • Transport mode and lane cost analysis.
- • Inventory positioning and cost-to-serve analysis.
- • Make, buy, and outsourcing strategic evaluation.
- • Near-shoring and supplier footprint analysis.
- • Network resilience and single-point exposure review.
Strategic Options and Scenario Planning
- • Option generation and strategic choice frameworks.
- • Cost, service, and risk trade-off modelling.
- • Scenario planning: drivers, uncertainties, and narratives.
- • Stress testing options against disruption scenarios.
- • Investment appraisal for network and capability options.
- • Strategic risk assessment and mitigation design.
- • Decision criteria and governance for option selection.
Roadmap, Execution, and Performance
- • Translating strategy into initiatives and owners.
- • Roadmap phasing and milestone planning.
- • Capability, technology, and talent requirements.
- • Strategic KPI design: cost to serve, agility, and resilience.
- • Governance and review cadence for strategy delivery.
- • Communicating strategy to stakeholders and the board.
- • Building a supply chain strategy and analysis roadmap.
Conclusion
By successfully completing the Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain Training Course, participants will have acquired a thorough working knowledge of strategic planning frameworks, competitor and market analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic option development, scenario planning, and roadmap construction. They will leave able to position a supply chain against competitors with evidence, choose between network options on quantified trade-offs, and present a strategy that withstands scrutiny. Gentex Training Center delivers this programme with supply chain strategy and network design practitioners working in live organisations.
FAQs for the Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain course
— What is the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course about?
It is a five-day programme on positioning a supply chain against competitors and choosing the right strategic direction. It covers strategic planning frameworks, competitor and market analysis, network and cost benchmarking, strategic options, scenario planning, and roadmap development.
— What are the key benefits of the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course?
Participants compare their supply chain with competitors on cost, service, and resilience using evidence rather than opinion, choose between network options on quantified trade-offs, and test strategic choices against disruption scenarios before committing. They also present a strategy with a phased roadmap that boards can approve.
— What skills will I gain from the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course?
You will gain supply chain strategic planning and framework application, competitor and market analysis, network and cost-to-serve analysis, and strategic option development, scenario planning, and roadmap construction.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course?
The course works with strategic planning processes and competitive priority setting, Porter's Five Forces analysis, value chain and value system mapping, PESTLE and SWOT analysis, capability assessment, competitor identification and profiling, cost structure benchmarking, service level and lead time comparison, supply market analysis and supplier power assessment, customer requirement analysis and segmentation, industry trend and disruption signal analysis, competitive intelligence sourcing, network design covering centralised, regional and hybrid configurations, facility location and total cost modelling, transport mode and lane cost analysis, inventory positioning and cost-to-serve analysis, make, buy and outsourcing evaluation, near-shoring and supplier footprint analysis, network resilience and single-point exposure review, option generation and strategic choice frameworks, cost, service and risk trade-off modelling, scenario planning with drivers, uncertainties and narratives, stress testing against disruption scenarios, investment appraisal for network options, strategic risk assessment, decision criteria and option selection governance, roadmap phasing and milestone planning, capability, technology and talent requirement planning, strategic KPI design covering cost to serve, agility and resilience indices, and governance and review cadence design.
— How is the "Strategic Planning & Competitive Analysis for Supply Chain" course applied in real-world practice?
Teams apply it when benchmarking supply chain cost against competitors, evaluating a move from centralised to regional distribution, assessing a near-shoring option for a product family, stress testing a network plan against a port disruption, building a three-year supply chain roadmap for board approval, and reviewing cost-to-serve by channel and customer segment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gentex provide this training course in-house training?
Yes. Gentex Training Center can deliver this course as an in-house training program for your organization. The course content, schedule, and delivery can be customized to meet your team’s specific needs and business objectives. Learn more about our In-House Training solutions.