#valuechainassessment

Value chain analysis is the careful examination of every step a company’s operations to unveil inefficiencies, weaknesses, and possible improvement areas. The analysis of the value chain with respect to its ESG aspects helps an investor have a better sense of how a company works in its sustainability practices as well as how it could affect the overall performance. This deep analysis helps a person understand if a company is managing resources well, if it can handle regulatory compliance issues, and risks associated with its supply chain.

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬: This means increased transparency of activities that are carried out in the value chain to help investors make informed decisions with proper and comprehensive data.

𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: One can identify hidden risks related to sustainability, labor practices, and environmental impact that can be proactively addressed before problems gain momentum.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞: Excellence in value chain management will differentiate a firm from its peers and attract sustainable and responsible investors.

There has been a steady rise in demand by various stakeholder groups for transparency across products and business activities. Customers, regulatory authorities, employees, and investors seek information that extends beyond the organization’s direct scope of activities into the value chain to ensure ethical and sustainable practices, as well as regulatory compliance.

Investors are well aware of the benefits of a transparent value chain and have taken necessary steps to identify any hidden risks that might have negative implications for any stakeholder group, eventually leading to a poor investment decision. A value chain assessment provides investors with a comprehensive understanding of a business’s activities, from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of completed goods and services and helps them identify opportunities and risks.

What is Value Chain Assessment?

The term ‘value chain’ describes the entire set of operations needed to develop, produce, market, distribute, and provide after-sale support for a product or service. These include both primary activities, those that are directly responsible for the production of a good or execution of a service (e.g., operations) and secondary activities, which help improve the efficiency of primary activities (e.g., infrastructure development). For a product-based business, the value chain includes every step from the procurement of raw materials to the sale of goods to the end consumer, including after-sales services.

A value chain assessment aims to evaluate each activity in a company’s value chain to identify and examine any weaknesses or inefficiencies that might have a detrimental effect on the performance of the business. This process helps analyze a company’s operations to understand how it creates value and where it might encounter risks that could compromise profitability.