Value disciplines Treacy & Wiersema

Purpose

The purpose of the test for the Treacy and Wiersma value disciplines model is to help organizations understand which of the three core value disciplines (operational excellence, customer intimacy, product leadership) best align with their business strategy. The model helps identify the organization’s primary focus and can serve as a guide when making strategic decisions.

Method

Preparation
Collect all relevant information about your organization, such as your current business strategy, market analysis, and competitive analysis.

Define your target group
Identify the key decision-makers and stakeholders in your organization who should be involved in completing the test. These may include members of the management team, strategic planners, and other relevant stakeholders.

Available resources
Make sure you have access to the Treacy and Wiersma value disciplines model and the associated questionnaire or survey.

Complete the questionnaire
Have the involved decision-makers and stakeholders complete the questionnaire based on their knowledge and understanding of the organization. The questionnaire covers various aspects of the business strategy and operating approach.

Analyze the results
After the questionnaire has been completed, analyze the answers to determine which of the three value disciplines (operational excellence, customer intimacy, product leadership) stands out most clearly.

Strategic decisions
Use the results of the test to make strategic decisions. For example, if “customer intimacy” emerges as the dominant discipline, you may consider focusing your business strategy and activities more on building long-term customer relationships and tailoring products or services to customers’ specific needs.

Result

The result of the test will indicate which value discipline is most suitable for your organization based on the answers given. This result can serve as a guideline for refining your strategy, identifying growth opportunities, and better aligning your activities with the needs of your target group. The ultimate goal is to create a clear strategic focus that strengthens your organization’s competitive position and adds value for your customers.

Tip: Use the scan prior to a strategy discussion. Have all participants complete the scan, collect the results, and combine them into a single chart. See the bottom download link.

Tip: If you want to use the chart in another document, click the chart, position your cursor on the border, right-click, and choose “Copy.” Then paste it as an image into the new document.

When you have distributed multiple scans, you can collect the results and enter the averages into the Excel file below.

The text is based on the statements below.

Operational Excellence strategie

• The customer is offered cost advantages: a low purchase price or a favorable total cost of ownership (TCO).
• The buying process is fast, easy, accurate, transparent, and enjoyable.
• The company/organization is flat (short lines of communication) and communicates consistently.
• The organization has an efficient culture (clear procedures and internal discipline).
• Internal processes are well aligned and integrated, and focus on continuous improvement.
• The company keeps the cost- and time-saving features of its service to the customer as high as possible.

Productleadership strategy

• The company delights customers again and again with new (and desired) products.
• The products offered are not minor adjustments, but are close to real innovations or improvements.
• The company has an innovative culture and aims to lead in renewal; time-to-market is short.
• The R&D group is flexible, non-bureaucratic, and consists of interdisciplinary product development teams. Making mistakes is allowed.
• The company has a strong marketing and sales organization with market knowledge, brands, and budgets. Launch performance is successful.
• The company knows the ‘challenging’ needs of the different customer groups perfectly. People involved learn from this and adjust internal processes when needed.

Customer Intimacy strategy

• Customers ask for solutions to their problems, more or less tailor-made solutions.
• The customer also actively contributes to the solutions: thinks along, calls back, etc. The market segment has sufficient potential in terms of profit, revenue, and growth.
• The organization selects its customers, so it invests heavily in getting to know its (potential) customers.
• The company focuses on relationship management, not short-term ‘hit & run’ selling.
• The organization encourages unconventional and flexible thinkers and talents, skilled at problem solving, change, implementing ideas at customers, and who
• have a ‘customer cult’ mindset.
• The company has extensive knowledge of the ‘added value’ market; human resources responds proactively to it.

Op 16 februari 2026   /   Strategisch management