PROJECT IV Porter's Five Forces Setting strategic direction for a business is a challenge for even seasoned professionals. The good news is there are many tools available you can use to help you find competitive advantages, including Porter's Five Forces. Porter's Five Forces Model analyzes the competitive forces within the environment in which a company operates to assess the potential for profitability in an industry. Its purpose is to combat these competitive forces by identifying opportunities, competitive advantages, and competitive intelligence. If the forces are strong, they increase competition; if the forces are weak, they decrease competition. Porter's Five Forces Model is a good framework for understanding market forces. Break into groups and choose a comparison from the list below to perform a Porter's Five Forces analysis

¦ Notebook computer and laptop computer.

¦ PDA and laptop computer.

¦ iPhone and cell phone.

¦ iPod and CD player.

¦ GPS device and a road atlas.

¦ Digital books and printed books.