Can You Still Differentiate in a Commodity Market?

Can You Still Differentiate in a Commodity Market?

Absolutely. Just ask Mr. Takagishi from Nippon Sheet Glass.

About 20 years ago, we were exporting coated glass to LCD manufacturers in Japan—hardly the most glamorous product. But Takagishi-san gave me a framework I still use today: QCDS—Quality, Cost, Delivery, Service.

I spoke with him this week (my first Japanese conversation in over 10 years—still holding my own!). 

He remembered QCDS, but said the real foundation was the 3 Cs: Customer, Company, Competitor. QCDS was simply how you executed against them.

Each account had an Account Plan with a 3C matrix, and every account manager had to understand, at a minimum:

  • Customer: their priorities, decision-makers, and challenges

  • Company (ours): our strengths, gaps, and opportunities to improve

  • Competitor: who they are, why they win, and what they’re good at

Here’s one example:
At a key customer, they held a 60% share. There was no edge on quality or delivery, and one competitor could easily outlast them in a price war. But they discovered that the pallet size was causing inefficiencies (a service opportunity). A slight adjustment saved floor space (always a win) and improved factory flow. Within a few months, their share grew by more than a third—before the competitor could react and without lowering their price.

I’ve recreated Takagishi-san’s matrix from memory and our call. It goes beyond the acronyms above, with some mock data to bring it to life. Shared in the attachment for anyone curious. (Document available in LinkedIn post: https://lnkd.in/eyk7z7Qn) 

#BusinessStrategy
#LeadershipLessons
#OperationalExcellence

As always, these are my personal views and not affiliated with my current employer.

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