ABSTRACT
Many strategy and marketing books have described businesses that at first had a quite limited perspective on their product. The most important opportunities and threats coming out of this part of the context are caused by the STEP variables that form the indirect action elements in the business environment. For the analysis of these indirect action elements two methods can be used: the STEP analysis and the scenario method. This chapter deals with the layers of the context that lie close to the business. After the business has mapped the direct action elements in its surroundings and the total competitive context with the aid of e.g. the STEP model and Porter's Five Forces Model, it is time to determine where on that map the business places itself. Considering that tastes are changing all the time, the dynamic in the business environment is constantly increasing, which demands a flexible approach.
