QUESTION FOUR $[25$ marks$]$

According to the value chain model, every organisation is a synthesis of activities performed to design, produce, market, deliver, and support its product. Nine strategically relevant activities comprising of five primary and four support activities that create value and cost in a specific business.

Discuss the value chain model as a framework for understanding the synthesis of activities within an organization aimed at creating value and minimizing costs. How can managers utilize this model to assess their organization's performance in primary and support activities, benchmark against competitors, and identify opportunities for improvement? $(25$ marks$)$