but it has a specific meaning, one

但它有一個明確的意義，

that's especially important for strategists and companies

是對於從事眾多貿易和生產線的公司

with multiple business units or product lines.

或策略家，是非常重要的理念。

CK Prahalad and Gary Hamel, who introduced the concept,

普哈拉和蓋瑞哈摩爾，提出了這個概念，

described the diversified corporation as a large tree.

他們將多角化公司比喻為一棵大樹。

The core products are the trunk and major limbs.

核心產品為樹幹及主枝幹，

The business units are smaller branches,

事業單位是小支，

and the end products are the leaves.

終端產品則是葉子。

The core competence is the root system

核心競爭力是根部系統，

that provides nourishment and stability.

提供養分及穩定性。

It's essentially what your organization

你的組織很需要知道

knows about coordinating production and technology.

如何協調生產及技術。

If you only compare end products,

如果你只比較終端產品，

you'll miss the real strength of your company.

你會錯失公司真正的競爭力，

To figure that out, start by identifying specific core competencies,

為了解決這問題，可以試著找出特定的核心競爭物，

the five or six things at most that your company does better than anyone else.

可能是你的公司裡做的比他人還要好的五或六項產品。

These meet three requirements.

這些產品需要三個特性。

First, they provide access to a wide variety of markets.

第一，它能提供通往廣闊市場的管道。

Consider what Honda knows about engines.

想想看 Honda 非常了解引擎，

It gives them a distinctive advantage in cars, lawnmowers, and generators.

進而他能將引擎應用在汽車、剪草機、發電機上。

Second, core competencies contribute

第二，核心競爭力能讓企業

to the benefits of the product as perceived by the customer.

透過顧客產品而獲得利潤。

Clearly Honda's expertise in engines fits the bill here too.

Honda 對於引擎的專業就非常符合這點。

Finally, core competencies are hard for competitors to imitate.

最後，核心競爭力要讓競爭者很難能模仿。

It's been tough for Honda's competitors

對 Honda 的競爭者來說，

to match their engine design and development skills even

即便有再多的研發預算，

with bigger R&D budgets.

還是很難複製出他引擎的設計和技術。

Competencies not only bind existing businesses together.

競爭力不僅能將現有的事業串聯起來，

They also nourish new lines of business.

他們更可以為新的商業注入養分。

For instance, when Honda first decided to make cars,

例如，當 Honda 開始決定要製造汽車，

they knew they were capitalizing on what they'd learned about engines

他們知道自己專研了機車引擎多年，

from years of making motorcycles.

所以便將能從中獲利。

Understanding your competencies can prevent you

了解自己的競爭力，你可以避免

from making disastrous outsourcing mistakes.

做出會損失慘重的錯誤決定。

Chrysler, for example, considered engines an expensive commodity

就像 Chrysler 認為引擎是昂貴的組件，

and outsourced them to Mitsubishi and Hyundai.

它委託 Mitsubishi 和 Hyundai 一起開發。

That didn't work out so well for Chrysler.

這計畫對 Chrysler 不是那麼有益處。

Knowledge fades if it's not used.

知識若不善加利用就會褪色，

In a world of intense global competition,

在一個全球競爭力激烈的世代裡，

understanding core competence helps

了解自我核心競爭力能夠幫助你

you figure out how to create sustainable advantage

更明白如何創造能持續的自我優勢，

that's more than just the sum of your current products.

這遠比你現有的產品總和還來得有意義。