BlackBerry, a one-time leader in secure cell phones, lost its edge. Without significant upgrades or innovation, the company quickly lost market share to iPhones and Android devices. The company attempted to imitate these advances with the Blackberry Storm product, which flopped. Blackberry was criticized as trying to leverage capabilities beyond its core competencies. Which of the following tools should Blackberry use to regain a scope of its core competencies and determine potential sources of competitive advantage

a. External environmental analysis
b. Competitor analysis
c. Industry analysis
d. Value chain analysis

The Value Chain analysis by Michael Porter has become a very integral analysis tool for companies as they aim to improve their sales and production efficiency.

Value Chain Analysis works by a company looking inwards to find out the activities it engages in to enable it sell the products that it does. They will look at what sets them apart from other competitors which is their competitive advantage and core competencies.

Using this they will know which activities to embark on and which to avoid or improve upon to enable them maintain profitability. Blackberry needs to do a Value Chain Analysis to regain a scope of its core competencies and determine potential sources of competitive advantage.