Not by technology alone: sustaining winning strategies

Purpose – Business leaders can apply key messages as early as today to begin aligning business operations with business strategy to strengthen sustainability. Principles can be applied at all levels in any organization, from the entire enterprise down to discreet product or service offerings. The article emphasizes that the enablers of profitable operations over long periods of time will be internally integrated and networked across industries. Design/methodology/approach – Challenges with sustainability in many existing strategies are explained, and case studies that illustrate both success and failure are described to illustrate key principles. Once the viewpoints are developed and supported with specific cases and research findings, actionable recommendations are made in a prescription for change. Findings – Achieving sustainable profitability and growth is increasingly difficult for many companies because of shorter product lifecycles, eroding intellectual property advantages, and other growing complexities from the broader business environment. When operations are integrated with business strategy, forces align to sustain profitability and the strategy is more difficult to imitate or leap‐frog. Organizational competencies, cross‐industry capabilities and stakeholder integration all play a role in integrated operations. Originality/value – The importance of integrating operational capabilities with business strategy is explained and the rewards are articulated using real‐world cases, research and industry‐accepted practices. The prescription set forth for change is evident in some of the world's most successful companies that have successfully sustained profitability and growth. Enterprises that integrate their operations with strategy both across functions and throughout entire product lifecycles will increasingly be rewarded by investors, applauded by customers, and envied by competitors.