means adding new features, using better materials, or offering greater service. In a passenger car, for example, it might mean upgrading from cloth seats to leather, or adding a global positioning system. Quality in that sense of the word is definitely not free. It almost always costs more to add significant product features, improve service,

Good strategies depend on the connection among many things, on making interdependent choices.

When an industry converges around a standard offering, the

If the same value chain can deliver different value propositions equally well, then those value propositions have no strategic relevance. Only a value proposition that requires a tailored value chain to deliver it can serve as the basis for a robust strategy. This is the first line of defense against rivals.

In other words, organizations are supposed to use resources effectively.

a point in time, but you are also assessing trends in the five forces. Over time, buyers or

finding a unique way to serve your chosen segment profitably.

to be unique. But recall the definition of competitive advantage: a difference in relative price or relative costs that arises because of differences in the activities being performed. Your value chain must be specifically tailored to deliver your value proposition. A value proposition that can be effectively delivered without a tailored value

when all rivals compete on the same dimension, no one gains a competitive advantage.