1. What leadership characteristics did Mike use that separates HCSS from the competition?
2. What sources of competitive advantage does HCSS possess? What distinctive/core competencies, tangible and intangible resources, and capabilities, are the bases for the company's competitive advantage(s)?
3. What functional strategy components are found within HCSS? What is their relationship to value?
4. What business level strategies have been successful for HCSS? Explain your answer.
5. In what way has HCSS used technology for strategic advantage? Explain your answer.
6. Does the corporate governance of HCSS position them for the future?
7. Is the organizational structure of HCSS a cultural fit for the company and its strategic initiatives?
This case depicts the triumph of HCSS' knowledge and customer driven entrepreneurial culture in providing heavy construction systems solutions in a highly competitive market. The main focus of the case is on how HCSS' culture and practices foster skillful communication, attention to customer needs, a holistic entrepreneurial approach, and a problem solving mentality that has produced unexpected growth in challenging economic times. With a cultural emphasis on access to information, involvement in decision making, and tolerance for honest mistakes, HCSS seeks to attract and retain motivated and highly capable employees with an entrepreneurial sense with the hands on guidance of senior leadership. HCSS' aggressive growth initiatives are founded upon their responsiveness to customer needs/requests without territorial interests, employee to employee relationship, distinguishable customer relationships, and recruiting the right employees. Through one on one customer discussions by technical personnel, mentorships for employees, customer problem solving agendas, and knowledge and technical skills, HCSS is able to create the employee attitude of "never settling for what you already know." While, essentially, still family owned, HCSS's development of software solutions for the heavy construction industry has transformed customer efficiency. With such a market presence, HCSS plans to double growth through continued customer responsiveness and broadening its technical knowledge base?