defines the value the customer will experience
an organization can either focus on differentiation or cost

differentiation

anything that a customer considers valuable

eg. better experience, better quality, faster service, more choice

cost

sacrifice in terms of
- money
- time
- energy
that the customer must make to satisfy their need

Model: business strategy vs operations strategy (src: Book: This is LEAN - Niklas Modig & Par Ahlstrom)