PwC Canada's cannabis series
Chapter 3 – Capabilities: Bringing your strategy to life
To create value, cannabis companies will need to navigate their way through a maze of possibilities
As outlined in chapter 2 of our series, building a successful business in the emerging cannabis sector begins with the creation of a coherent strategy for sustainable and profitable growth. However, a winning game plan alone is not enough. A company needs a combination of processes, tools, knowledge, skills and behaviours that rivals can’t match. An enterprise’s competitive position rests on this reinforcing system of differentiated and high-performing capabilities which management can leverage in pursuit of strategic paths.
The cannabis industry presents a particular challenge to executives as they enter this critical next phase of development; there is significant opportunity in the nascent market, and many directions companies can choose to follow. Irrespective of the chosen path, there are federal and provincial and territorial regulatory frameworks undergoing change, generating uncertainty for businesses about which capabilities will be essential.
The dynamic nature of the industry is forcing cannabis players to adapt more quickly than traditional companies in other sectors of the economy.
Critical capabilities
As highlighted in chapter 1, many cannabis companies see opportunities everywhere and are utilizing their access to relatively inexpensive capital to pursue numerous avenues simultaneously. In doing so, they’re spending significant resources to build or acquire non-strategic enablers that won’t necessarily defend against future competition or drive shareholder returns, but may further dilute their organizational focus.
Rather than pursue a range of enablers, management should instead accurately define the enterprise’s critical capabilities that will drive differentiation and market success. Without taking this time and effort to identify their differentiating capabilities, companies may try to “cover all their bases” by aggressively pursuing investments across the value chain. Other companies may become hamstrung by market uncertainty and refrain from making necessary investments out of concern to not waste resources.
In either scenario, business models are being built without paying sufficient attention to the differentiated capabilities that will bring their strategy to life. As a result, these companies may lack the flexibility necessary to respond to tomorrow’s market and regulatory developments.
Difficult choices
Making strategic choices and identifying critical capabilities at an early stage is a difficult process for most business owners because it involves rejecting some opportunities, but this step is essential in the creation of a sustainable and coherent business. Management needs to determine what the critical “must-haves” are and what the ancillary “nice-to-haves” are, understanding that the latter can eventually be outsourced. It is difficult to be world-class in everything, so managers must identify the durable differentiators.
For cannabis companies specifically, some of the questions that can direct investment in core capabilities include:
- How do agricultural assets contribute to our continued competitive advantage?
- What R&D capabilities are critical to driving our innovation agenda?
- What is the most efficient way to manufacture our products?
- How does branding and marketing drive our overall success?
- What is our route-to-market? How do we protect our position?
Once critical capabilities are identified, companies need to build the reinforcing system to create and sustain their competitive advantage.
Selecting the capabilities that are most important to your organization and making them “world class” will be key to long-term success. These should be kept internal and the focus of strategic decisions. For non-core activities, it will likely be more prudent for management to partner or outsource rather than to build.
One key to success at this stage is recognizing that the cannabis marketplace will remain fluid for some years, so businesses must remain flexible to change.
A new reality
At a time when investors have shown they’re willing to pour billions of dollars into the companies of the newly legalized adult-use industry, it may be difficult for executives to hold back and apply a critical eye to their enterprises’ true differentiators. Being first to market is not in itself a sustainable competitive advantage. It is essential for cannabis companies today to take a more discerning approach to the deployment of capital and to focus investment and organizational efforts on building the capabilities needed for long-term success.
In chapter 4 of our cannabis series, we focus on the importance of having the right technology systems as part of the critical capabilities to drive long-term business success.
This publication is made available by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the cannabis landscape, not to provide specific financial, investment or other advice. By using this publication you understand and agree that there is no client relationship between you and PwC, or any of its member firms. The publication should not be used as a substitute for competent financial, investment or other advice from a professional services firm.
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