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PHASE 2 - Resource Analysis (VRIO)

Audience: Strategy Manager, Team Lead (Enterprise plan)
Page Type: How-To Guide
Phase: PHASE 2 (Analysis / Reality Filter)
Duration: 30-90 minutes per report

What This Page Covers​

This guide explains the actual VRIO flow in COS:

  1. Create a Resource Analysis report
  2. Add resource items from the Resources Library
  3. Score each item with V-R-I-O
  4. Interpret the competitive outcome

In the current product flow, VRIO reports do not use a separate submit/approve/reject workflow.

VRIO in COS​

VRIO is used to test whether a resource can create durable competitive advantage.

DimensionCore QuestionIf answer is "No"
V - ValueDoes the resource create value / help against threats?Competitive disadvantage
R - RarityIs the resource rare among competitors?Competitive parity
I - InimitabilityIs it difficult/costly to imitate?Temporary advantage only
O - OrganizationIs the organization set up to use it effectively?Advantage remains unused

Roles, Scope, and Plan Rules​

ActionStrategy ManagerTeam LeadMember
Create / edit / delete VRIO reports and items✅✅*✖
View VRIO reports and items✅✅✅
Edit VRIO scores (V/R/I/O)✅✅*✖

* Team Lead access is limited to owned unit scope and requires unit_level_strategy when unit-level strategy is enforced.

Plan-related behavior from the app:

  • resource_inventory_vrio must be enabled (module gate).
  • max_resource_per_unit controls per-unit analysis limits.
  • If unit-level limits are disabled in plan, report creation is restricted to root-level behavior in the UI.

Step-by-Step Workflow​

1. Open the VRIO page​

  1. Sidebar → Analysis → VRIO / Resource Analysis (/resources-vrio)
  2. Select the active strategic cycle from global cycle filter
  3. Click Start Resource Analysis

If the button is disabled, usually one of these is true:

  • No strategic cycle selected
  • Module not active in plan (resource_inventory_vrio)
  • Team Lead is blocked by plan rule (unit_level_strategy)

2. Create a report​

Create report fields:

  • Report Name (required)
  • Description (optional)
  • Unit (required)

After create, COS opens the report detail page automatically.

3. Add resources from library​

  1. In report detail, click Add Resource
  2. Choose a resource type
  3. Use Add from Resource Library drawer
  4. Add relevant resources into this report

4. Score each item with VRIO​

For each item, use Edit VRIO and set:

  • Valuable (V)
  • Rare (R)
  • Inimitable (I)
  • Organization (O)
  • Optional analysis note

Optionally, mark the same item as risk and fill:

  • riskPrimaryCategory (single)
  • riskSecondaryTags (multi)
  • riskLevel (0..1)
  • riskProbability (0..1)
  • on-the-fly score: riskLevel * riskProbability

If risk is unchecked, risk fields are cleared automatically.

Important implementation detail:

  • In UI, I is asked as "Inimitable" (hard to copy).
  • The backend stores this with vrImitable, where false means inimitable.

5. Read the result category​

COS maps scores to outcomes with this logic:

LogicResult
V = falseCompetitive Disadvantage
V = true, R = falseCompetitive Parity
V = true, R = true, Imitable = trueTemporary Advantage
V = true, R = true, Imitable = false, O = falseUnused Advantage
V = true, R = true, Imitable = false, O = trueSustained Competitive Advantage

You can review totals on report cards (sustained, temporary, unused, parity, disadvantage).

6. Use outputs in synthesis​

Use VRIO outputs as input for:

  • Product/strategy SWOT
  • Strategic theme prioritization
  • Investment and capability decisions

Common Issues​

Issue: "I cannot create a report."
Check: cycle selected, plan feature active, unit scope/limit valid.

Issue: "No resources appear in Add from Library."
Check: resource library has entries for the selected type.

Issue: "Result shows Uncertain."
Check: one or more VRIO fields are not set yet.

Issue: "Where is Request Approval?"
Answer: VRIO report approval is not part of the current product flow.

See also​