• Competitors: Everything about competitors, e.g., entry/exit, strategies, management, aggressiveness, pricing patterns, key staff changes, etc.

• Company/Capabilities: Internal considerations, e.g., strengths, weaknesses, aspirations, resources, key differentiators.

I have often found that many executives in a firm believe they have a pretty good understanding of the 4Cs for their firm off the top of their heads. However, with deeper research and discussion, they are often surprised at what they didn’t know or didn’t think about that might impact their strategies.

Brian Moore is principal with FMI, management consultants and focuses on consulting with contractors and construction materials producers Contact: 919-785-9269; bmoore@fminet.com.