1. The key advantage of releasing a new product during the late-year holiday season is the potential
spike in demand, especially for consumer goods like the iPod. Apple’s business strategy puts a
2. One example is McDonald’s; their mission statement is as follows: McDonald’s brand mission is
to “be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat.” McDonalds’ worldwide operations have
3. The business strategy and the operation strategies are so interconnected that they can flow both
4. Strategy experts have long said it’s not what a strategy document may say; it’s what the firm does
that counts. For example, if the strategy document says that the firm will place a premium on
5. Answers will vary, but common responses include low cost, perceived quality of instruction or
6. Customers can perceive the value of the same product or service differently because they evaluate
products based on multiple performance dimensions and can assign different values for each of
7. Not all firms have to both develop and exploit core competencies in the operations and supply