The business environment is constantly shifting. Few companies can survive and thrive without going through regular periods of questioning.
During these times, a company must take stock of its current positioning compared with its direct competitors and other market participants such as customers, suppliers of commodities, indirect competitors offering substitute products or new entrants, various civil society members (e.g. environmental groups) and the government.
In addition, the internal reality of the company needs to be called into question by testing the reliability of its governance, as well as the efficiency of business processes.