Strategic Operations Management

The BCG Matrix method is the most well-known, portfolio management tool. It is based on product life cycle theory. It was developed in the early 70s by the Boston Consulting Group. The BCG Matrix can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a business unit. To ensure long-term value creation, a company should have a portfolio of products that contains both high-growth products in need of cash inputs and low-growth products that generate a lot of cash. The Boston Consulting Group Matrix has 2 dimensions: market share and market growth. The basic idea behind it is: if a product has a bigger market share, or if the product's market grows faster, it is better for the company.

THE FOUR SEGMENTS OF THE BCG MATRIX

Placing products in the BCG matrix provides 4 categories in a portfolio of a company:

Stars (high growth, high market share)

 Stars are using large amounts of cash. Stars are leaders in the business. Therefore they should also generate large amounts of cash.

 Stars are frequently roughly in balance on net cash flow. However if needed any attempt should be made to hold your market share in Stars, because the rewards will be Cash Cows if market share is kept.

Cash Cows (low growth, high market share)

 Profits and cash generation should be high. Because of the low growth, investments, which are needed, should be low.

 Cash Cows are often the stars of yesterday and they are the foundation of a company.

Dogs (low growth, low market share)

 Avoid and minimize the number of Dogs in a company.

 Watch out for expensive ‘rescue plans'.

 Dogs must deliver cash, otherwise they must be liquidated.

Question Marks (high growth, low market share)

 Question Marks have the worst cash characteristics of all, because they have high cash demands and generate low returns, because of their low market share.

 If the market share remains unchanged, Question Marks will simply absorb great amounts of cash.

 Either invest heavily, or sell off, or invest nothing and generate any cash that you can. Increase market share or deliver cash.

THE BCG MATRIX AND ONE SIZE FITS ALL STRATEGIES

The BCG Matrix method can help to understand a frequently made strategy mistake: having a one size fits all strategy approach, such as a generic growth target (9 percent per year) or a generic return on capital of say 9,5% for an entire corporation.

In such a scenario:

 Cash Cows Business Units will reach their profit target easily. Their management have an easy job. The executives are often praised anyhow. Even worse, they are often allowed to reinvest substantial cash amounts in their mature businesses.

 Dogs Business Units are fighting an impossible battle and, even worse, now and then investments are made. These are hopeless attempts to "turn the business around".

 As a result all Question Marks and Stars receive only mediocre investment funds. In