Complexities in managing technology and operational driven solutions

Managers are faced with challenges to improve competitive advantage. Growth and operational improvement philosophies are apparent as strategies to improve competitive advantage. Growth philosophies include organic and inorganic mechanisms. Organic mechanisms are operational whereas inorganic mechanisms extend beyond the current boundaries of the firm. Inorganic growth focuses on growth through strategic alliances mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, etc. Operational growth includes adoption of methodologies like different problem solving approaches similar too just in time (JIT), total quality management (TQM), theory of constraints (TOC), etc. The objectives of these philosophies are firms outperform their competitors. This paper addresses some of the organic and inorganic methodologies that firms utilize to overcome challenges when striving towards competitive advantage. This paper focuses on four case studies showing how some firms may strive to achieve competitive advantages.