Value focus describes where a capability’s value is concentrated: strategic differentiation and future potential, or routine operational cost. It helps identify competitive priorities alongside perception in industry and other evolution characteristics. section 5.3.1 section 5.6
Across the evolution stages, value focus shifts in recognizable ways:
- Genesis emphasizes high future worth. section 5.3.1
- Custom-built capabilities seek profit or a return on investment. section 5.3.1
- Products may offer high profitability. section 5.3.1
- Commodities carry high volume and reducing margins as the cost of doing business. section 5.3.1
Restaurant menu and optimization
A restaurant menu is usually a table-stakes capability and a cost of doing business, so it warrants only the resources needed to keep it running. Restaurant optimization can instead create competitive advantage by improving restaurant profitability and attracting partners, even when its current investment exceeds its present financial return. Menu research and development may deserve separate treatment because unique recipes can create differentiation. section 5.3.1
Table 5.2 A sample of the general properties (view table figure)
Use the evolution-properties table to compare value focus with market maturity, user perception, and industry perception across genesis, custom-built, product, and commodity stages. section 5.3.1
