Business Strategy: Creating Competitive Advantage
Business Strategy: Creating Competitive Advantage
This course is part of IBM Management Consultant Professional Certificate
Instructors: Antonio Cangiano
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What you'll learn
Assess an organization’s strategic position using PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT to analyze external environments and internal capabilities.
Formulate growth and competitive strategies using positioning, portfolio analysis, and market-entry decisions like build, buy, or license.
Design forward-looking strategies using scenario planning and innovation frameworks to navigate disruption and achieve long-term success.
Develop end-to-end strategic plans and translate insights into executive presentations and implementation roadmaps for decision-making and execution.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
April 2026
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- Earn a shareable career certificate from IBM
There are 4 modules in this course
Organizations waste billions annually on strategies that fail because leaders lack systematic approaches to environmental analysis and strategic choice. Without structured frameworks, even brilliant insights remain unrealized potential.
This course equips you with the strategic planning toolkit used by elite firms worldwide. Learn to apply environmental scanning to spot opportunities before competitors. Apply Porter's frameworks for positioning and industry analysis. Generate innovative options using Blue Ocean thinking and growth matrices. Through hands-on analysis of real companies, develop strategies balancing ambition with achievability. By completion, you'll confidently approach strategic challenges, facilitate planning sessions, and craft recommendations that transform organizations. Basic understanding of business operations and competitive dynamics. No prior strategic planning experience required. Learners will need a laptop or desktop computer with a modern web browser, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and a reliable internet connection. This course is designed for aspiring management consultants, strategic analysts, business development professionals, business students, executives, business leaders, mid-level managers transitioning to strategy roles, startup founders, and anyone seeking to develop systematic approaches to strategic planning and competitive analysis.
In this module, you will develop foundational skills in strategic thinking and analysis. You will explore how successful organizations create sustainable competitive advantages through systematic environmental scanning and capability assessment. The module covers essential analytical tools including SWOT, PESTEL, and competitive analysis frameworks. Through hands-on exercises, you will practice identifying strategic opportunities and threats while evaluating organizational strengths and weaknesses. This foundation prepares you to think strategically about complex business challenges.
What's included
10 videos9 readings3 assignments2 plugins
10 videos•Total 75 minutes
- Course Introduction•8 minutes
- Meet Your Instructors•7 minutes
- Expert Viewpoints: The Art of Strategic Thinking in Consulting•7 minutes
- Strategic Thinking and Environmental Analysis•6 minutes
- Industry Analysis with Porter's Five Forces•6 minutes
- Demo: Competitive Intelligence and Market Analysis•11 minutes
- Internal Capabilities and Integrated Analysis•6 minutes
- Demo: SWOT Analysis and Strategy Formulation•6 minutes
- Demo: Reading Annual Reports Strategically•11 minutes
- Building Strategic Capabilities•7 minutes
9 readings•Total 75 minutes
- Course Welcome and Overview•5 minutes
- Course Syllabus•5 minutes
- Helpful Tips for Course Completion•5 minutes
- Environmental Scanning Best Practices•10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: PESTEL and Five Forces Templates•10 minutes
- Internal Analysis Framework Guide•10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Capability Assessment Toolkit •10 minutes
- Case Study: Netflix and the Shifting Basis of Advantage •10 minutes
- Summary and Highlights: Strategic Analysis Fundamentals•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Strategic Analysis Foundations •30 minutes
- Strategic Thinking and External Analysis•10 minutes
- Internal Analysis Methods•10 minutes
2 plugins•Total 30 minutes
- Lab: External Analysis of a Tech Company•15 minutes
- Lab: Internal and Integrated Analysis•15 minutes
In this module, you will master advanced strategic frameworks used by top firms. You will explore competitive positioning strategies using Porter's Generic Strategies and Blue Ocean concepts. The module covers growth strategy frameworks including Ansoff Matrix and BCG Growth-Share Matrix. You will also develop skills in market entry analysis, expansion planning, and technology sourcing decisions (Build vs. Buy vs. License). Through case studies and practical exercises, you will learn to generate and evaluate strategic options systematically.
What's included
8 videos8 readings4 assignments3 plugins
8 videos•Total 56 minutes
- Competitive Positioning Frameworks•6 minutes
- Demo: Competitive Advantage Workshop•12 minutes
- Growth and Portfolio Strategy•6 minutes
- Demo: Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas•7 minutes
- Market Entry and Expansion Planning•6 minutes
- Market Sizing and Opportunity Assessment•6 minutes
- Build v/s. Buy v/s. License Analysis•6 minutes
- Expert Viewpoints: Successful Market Entry Stories•7 minutes
8 readings•Total 82 minutes
- Competitive Strategy Essentials•10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Value Chain Template •10 minutes
- FAQ: "When to Choose Each Generic Strategy" •12 minutes
- Growth Strategy Frameworks•10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Market Entry Decision Tree •10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Build-Buy-License Evaluation Checklist •10 minutes
- Case Study: Starbucks in China and the Long Road to Positioning•10 minutes
- Summary and Highlights: Strategic Frameworks•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 48 minutes
- Strategic Frameworks and Tools•20 minutes
- Competitive Positioning•8 minutes
- Growth Strategies•8 minutes
- Market Entry Planning•12 minutes
3 plugins•Total 45 minutes
- Lab: Positioning and Value Chain Analysis•15 minutes
- Lab: Developing a Growth Strategy•15 minutes
- Lab: Market Entry and Sourcing Strategy•15 minutes
In this module, you will develop capabilities in forward-looking strategic planning techniques. You will master scenario planning to prepare organizations for multiple futures. The module covers innovation strategy and responses to disruption. You will also learn to communicate strategy effectively to gain stakeholder buy-in. Through practical exercises, you will create strategic narratives that inspire action and build strategic resilience.
What's included
9 videos7 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt3 plugins
9 videos•Total 63 minutes
- Introduction to Scenario Planning•6 minutes
- Building Robust Scenarios•6 minutes
- Demo: Facilitating Scenario Planning Workshops•8 minutes
- Innovation and Disruption Strategy•7 minutes
- Demo: Innovation Portfolio Management•9 minutes
- Expert Viewpoints: "Leading Through Disruption"•9 minutes
- Strategic Storytelling Mastery•6 minutes
- Stakeholder Engagement and Change Management•6 minutes
- Expert Viewpoint: Strategy Implementation Success •7 minutes
7 readings•Total 65 minutes
- Scenario Planning Best Practices•10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Scenario Planning Toolkit •10 minutes
- FAQ: "How Many Scenarios Should We Develop?" •10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Innovation Strategy Canvas •10 minutes
- Strategy Communication Guide •10 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Strategy Presentation Templates •10 minutes
- Summary and Highlights: Future-Oriented Planning•5 minutes
4 assignments•Total 60 minutes
- Advanced Strategic Planning•30 minutes
- Scenario Planning•12 minutes
- Innovation Strategy•8 minutes
- Strategy Communication•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Share a Strategic Challenge From Your Experience•10 minutes
3 plugins•Total 45 minutes
- Lab: Developing Scenarios for the Automotive Industry•15 minutes
- Lab: Analyzing a Disruptive Trend•15 minutes
- Lab: Crafting a Strategic Narrative•15 minutes
In this final module, you will synthesize all strategic planning skills through a comprehensive consulting project. You will develop a complete strategic plan for a technology company entering emerging markets. This capstone project demonstrates your ability to apply strategic frameworks, conduct thorough analysis, and develop actionable recommendations. The module concludes with career guidance for strategic planning roles.
What's included
2 videos6 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 plugin
2 videos•Total 15 minutes
- Course Wrap-Up•7 minutes
- Career Paths in Strategic Consulting•8 minutes
6 readings•Total 31 minutes
- Final Project Overview•5 minutes
- Strategic Planning Resources•5 minutes
- Downloadable Resource: Strategic Planning Career Guide •10 minutes
- Congratulations and Next Steps•3 minutes
- Team and Acknowledgments•3 minutes
- Course Glossary•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Strategic Planning for Management Consultants•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 5 minutes
- Final Project: Submission and Evaluation •5 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
- Final Project: Strategic Market Entry Plan for TechVenture SaaS Platform•15 minutes
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