In addition to bringing forward a new set of potential strategic positioning options, the Delta Model describes the business processes, measurement systems, and adaptive mechanisms necessary to drive implementation, and ultimately, performance – for each chosen strategic position.
Linking Strategy with Execution
Most companies implicitly execute as if they were pursuing a Best Product commodity strategy. No degree of competent execution can save them from this never-ending treadmill. The core processes of the company need to be aligned to the chosen strategy in order to make progress against their strategic agenda and avoid a commodity-like outcome. The Delta Model identifies the core processes of the business and provides a guide for how they need to function differently to achieve different strategic positions.
Aggregate Metrics need to be supplemented with Granular Metrics
The popular wisdom today is that the success of a business can be managed by focusing on several key top-line variables. While these averages are helpful, our research has shown that the true performance drivers can only be identified by de-averaged granular metrics. The challenge then is to isolate these detailed metrics, measure the concentrations of cost, revenue and profitability, and learn how to harness these underlying performance factors to improve the profitability of the enterprise as a whole.
Key Adaptive Mechanisms
Success in today’s ever-changing world comes not from creating one perfect plan but rather from adapting as the environment changes. This requires incorporating feedback mechanisms and defined experimentation into your processes and improving through a structured process of segmentation, testing, learning, and execution.