Guarding Against Disruption
All organizations fear disruption, such as unexpected challengers that suddenly appear and upend the business. But the reality is that the majority of disruptors follow one of nine key patterns. Today, we will explore those patterns so you can understand where you are most vulnerable.
About the Nine Patterns of Disruption
Many business leaders are kept up at night by the looming threat of unforeseen disruption. Managers can mitigate this by monitoring the macro sources of disruption but, in addition, they should also be aware of the patterns that disruption commonly takes.
The nine patterns of disruption framework, developed by Deloitte, outlines the strategies most often pursued by disruptors. They are:
- Unlocking assets from adjacent markets
- Aligning price with use
- Turning products into product platforms
- Shortening the value chain
- Unbundling products and services
- Expanding market reach
- Converging products
- Distributing product development
- Connecting peers
By becoming aware of the patterns disruptors tend to take, organizations can better understand––and monitor––the threats to their business. Armed with these insights, leaders can respond, typically by exiting the market on favourable terms, becoming the disruption themselves, or by undermining the disruptor.