StrategyFortgeschritten

Porter's Five Forces

Introduced by Michael E. Porter in his 1979 Harvard Business Review article, Porter's Five Forces is the gold standard for analysing the competitive intensity and attractiveness of an industry. The framework examines five structural forces that shape competition: the Threat of New Entrants (how easy is it for new competitors to enter?), Bargaining Power of Suppliers (how much leverage do suppliers hold?), Bargaining Power of Buyers (how much power do customers have?), Threat of Substitute Products or Services (can customers satisfy the same need another way?), and Competitive Rivalry (how intense is competition among existing players?). In a workshop setting, Five Forces analysis moves teams beyond fixating on direct competitors to see the full competitive system surrounding their business. Each force is rated for its current intensity and direction of travel. The output reveals which forces constrain profitability most, where the firm has strategic leeway, and which structural shifts (regulatory, technological, demographic) are likely to reshape the competitive landscape. It pairs naturally with PESTLE for macro context and SWOT for internal response planning.

Dauer

1h–3h

Gruppengröße

3–20 people

Material

Porter's Five Forces template (printed or projected), sticky notes, markers…

Quelle

Michael E. Porter, 'How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy', Harvard Business Review (1979)

So geht's

1
Set the scope: define the specific industry or market segment you are analysing. Ambiguity here makes the whole exercise vague.
2
Work through each of the five forces systematically — dedicate 10–15 minutes per force.
3
Competitive Rivalry: Who are the main competitors? How similar are their products? How intense is price competition? Rate overall intensity: Low / Medium / High.
4
Threat of New Entrants: What are the barriers to entry (capital, regulation, brand, scale)? Could a tech player or adjacent industry disrupt? Rate: Low / Medium / High.
5
Bargaining Power of Suppliers: How many suppliers exist? Are inputs commoditised or specialised? Could key suppliers integrate forward? Rate: Low / Medium / High.
6
Bargaining Power of Buyers: Are customers fragmented or concentrated? How price-sensitive are they? Can they switch easily? Rate: Low / Medium / High.
7
Threat of Substitutes: What alternative ways exist to meet the same customer need? Are substitutes improving in price or performance? Rate: Low / Medium / High.
8
Synthesise: Map all five forces on the hub-and-spoke diagram, discuss the overall industry attractiveness, and identify the 2–3 forces requiring strategic response.

Tipps

The biggest mistake is analysing at too broad a level ('the tech industry').
Define the specific segment tightly.
Rate forces directionally — is the force strengthening or weakening over time? That matters as much as current intensity.
Avoid letting the most vocal person dominate each rating: get individual scores first, then discuss divergences.

Variationen

Run a 'Six Forces' variant by adding a sixth force: complementors (companies whose products increase the value of your own). Combine with Scenario Planning to model how each force shifts under different future scenarios.

Einsatzbereiche

Market entry analysisCompetitive strategy workshopsInvestment due diligenceIndustry attractiveness assessmentStrategic planning off-sites

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wann sollte ich Porter's Five Forces einsetzen?▾

Setze Porter's Five Forces ein, wenn du Folgendes erreichen möchtest:: Market entry analysis; Competitive strategy workshops; Investment due diligence; Industry attractiveness assessment; Strategic planning off-sites.

Wie lange dauert Porter's Five Forces?▾

Porter's Five Forces dauert typischerweise 60–150 Minuten.

Für wie viele Teilnehmer eignet sich Porter's Five Forces?▾

Porter's Five Forces eignet sich am besten für Gruppen von 3–20 Personen.

Welche Materialien brauche ich für Porter's Five Forces?▾

Für Porter's Five Forces benötigst du: Porter's Five Forces template (printed or projected), sticky notes, markers, industry reports or competitive intelligence (optional).

Wie schwierig ist es, Porter's Five Forces zu facilitieren?▾

Porter's Five Forces ist als mittelschwer eingestuft — etwas Facilitation-Erfahrung ist hilfreich.

🪡

Plane deinen nächsten Workshop mit KI

Workshop Weaver hilft dir, Methoden wie Porter's Five Forces zu einer vollständigen, zeitlich geplanten Agenda zu kombinieren – in Minuten.

Kostenlos testen

Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Michael E. Porter, 'How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy', Harvard Business Review (1979).