Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) is a crucial concept in business that

allows a company to outperform its competitors over a long period of time. It is an

attribute that provides unique strengths and value that customers appreciate.
Developing SCA for a firm involves identifying unique strengths, focusing on
long-term value, differentiating offerings, investing in research and development,
strengthening the brand, creating barriers to entry, and monitoring and adapting.
SCA is important because it helps businesses attract more customers, maintain
market share, and increase customer lifetime value. By developing and maintaining
a sustainable competitive advantage, businesses can ensure long-term success,
growth, and profitability in their industry.
The literature on strategic management provides free advice for businesses on how
to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. Wang (n.d.) argues that
competitive advantage is developed when a company tries to do everything that
competitors provide and satisfy the needs of everyone. However, to make a
sustainable competitive advantage, the company has to combine activities that are
consistent and interconnect so that each activity can work together. This kind of
strategy is hard for competitors to copy because they have to imitate the whole
system. This leads to a sustainable competitive advantage and strong position in
the market.
Porter (1996) states that “among all other influences, the desire to grow has
perhaps the most perverse effect on strategy” (p.75). “The efforts to grow blur
uniqueness, create compromises, reduce fit and undermine competitive advantage”
(Porter, 1996, p.76-77). When a company decides to grow, it makes compromises
by adding other activities that do not necessarily fit with the current so they do not
match. Therefore, managers need to be flexible and adapt their strategy to the
competitive environment.
In conclusion, developing a sustainable competitive advantage is crucial for
businesses to succeed in their industry. It involves identifying unique strengths,
focusing on long-term value, differentiating offerings, investing in research and
development, strengthening the brand, creating barriers to entry, and monitoring
and adapting. By doing so, businesses can attract more customers, maintain market
share, and increase customer lifetime value, ensuring long-term success, growth,
and profitability in their industry.