The strategic diagnosis concerns all companies, regardless of their size. Like a medical check-up, each structure should have its own consultant. For what ? Because nothing is taken for granted. Marketing is not an exact science: otherwise we would all be millionaires! And entering a market without having a clear positioning, accompanied by a solid battle plan for success, would in itself be a big mistake.

The diagnosis requires reflection, taking a step back, thoughtful and objective analysis of the complex and unstable environment within which the company is evolving: the detection of opportunities and threats makes it possible to anticipate and plan in order to act better. The internal analysis of the organization ensures, for its part, the highlighting of its strengths and weaknesses, a necessary and prior step to any strategic decision-making that commits the company in the long term. Still it is necessary to do it in the rules of the art by respecting step-by-step the methodology: joint studies of the macro, meso, micro and e-environment (PESTEL, sector of activity, 5 competitive forces, branch, sector, supply and demand, strategic groups, key success factors, location, area of ​​attraction, customers, competitors, administrations, partners, social media, influencers, Google reviews, etc.).

Then comes the company audit: value chain, tangible and intangible resources, capabilities, VRIO model, core competencies, competitive advantage, SWOT, TOWS, BCG, ADL and McKinsey matrices. In short, a strategic diagnosis cannot be improvised. It makes it possible to detect a problem in time and to solve it by choosing the best possible solution to sustain the company’s activities in the long term.

This book is aimed at students, consultants and business leaders. It uses the decision support tools developed by the greatest authors and contains a wealth of data and documentary sources to find the right information at the right time.