1. Draw out the vertical value chain for your firm’s
industry. List the major firms in each important
activity along the chain (see Exhibits 8.4 and 8.5
as examples). Note that a firm’s name may appear
multiple times in the value chain. This indicates
some level of vertical integration by the firm. If
your firm is in many different industries (e.g.,
GE), then choose the dominant industry or the
one that intrigues you the most and use only that
one for this analysis.