Perspectives

Abstract

Chapters 3 and 4 provided examples of companies that developed their CSS and NFT activities from a traditional business base with advanced premium goods. As a result, they make both/and decisions rather than either/or ones. Siemens Building Technology, for instance, augments its product portfolio with NFT products such as Cerberus ECO, but it has also developed CSS options for the business field it operates in. For example, it has set up a consultancy group to optimize the energy efficiency of large building complexes for institutional customers. Siemens Building Technology has a team of 100 staff providing these services, which now generates annual sales of more than €300 million. The questions this raises for Siemens Building Technology’s Swiss headquarters extend beyond the competitive strategies within individual business areas. They relate more to the overarching management of these areas with a focus more on corporate than competitive strategy.