UBMM1011

Sun Zis Art of War

and Business Strategies

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Chapter 6
Weaknesses and Strengths
( Xsh)
UBMM1011
Sun Zis Art of War and Business
Strategies

Chapters
1. Detailed Assessment and Planning ()
2. Waging War ()
3. Strategic Attack ()
4. Disposition of the Army ()
5. Forces ()
6. Weaknesses and Strengths ( Xsh)
7. Military Maneuvers ( Jn zhng)
8. Variations and Adaptability ()
9. Movement and Development of Troops ()
10. Terrain ()
11. The Nine Battlegrounds ()
12. Attacking with Fire ()
13. Intelligence and Espionage ()
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Chapter 6
Weaknesses and Strengths ()
Chapter Outline
First mover advantage
To dictate and not to be dictated
Mastering relative superiority and the point of contact
The Importance Of Knowing The Battle Place And Time
Be flexible like water
Change and uncertainty
Business application:
Discovering opportunities
Gain relative superiority
Being a first mover
Change and staying flexible

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First Mover Advantage
Those who arrive first at the battleground will have sufficient
time to rest and prepare against the enemy.
Those who arrive late at the battleground will have to rush into
battle when they are already exhausted.
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If a force arrives late at the battleground, it will lose all the
advantages.
The troops may already be tired.
Thus, rushing into battle against a well-rested enemy (who arrives early,
had enough rest, and more prepare) would be a wrong strategy.
To Dictate And Not To Be Dictated
The person adept in warfare seeks to control and
manipulate his enemy instead of being controlled and
manipulated.
He can cause his enemy to arrive on his own accord
by luring him with advantages.
He can deter his enemy from coming by creating
(potential) danger and harm.
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To Dictate And Not To Be Dictated
To change the strength of the enemy into weaknesses i.e. to make the
enemy vulnerable:
1. When the enemy is well rested, distress and tire him.
2. When he is well-stocked with food, starve him out.
3. When he is well-encamped and comfortable, provoke him to move on.
4. Attack areas where the enemy must defend.
5. Move along routes that the enemy least expects.

Provoke the enemy out from its comfort zone, therefore, the enemy would
become more vulnerable.
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While he plans to manipulate his enemy and change his
strengths and weaknesses, he must bear in mind that the
enemy could do likewise to him too!!!

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Avoid Being Manipulated by Enemy
To ensure one is not vulnerable to the enemy; pitching your
strength against the weaknesses of the enemy:
1. Choose routes of movement where there is no enemy.
- They may be routes that the enemy is not interested in or they
may unaware that routes exist. Therefore, one can travel
peacefully and will not be harassed at all.
2. Attack places which are not defended by the enemy, or
where the enemy is weak and vulnerable.
3. Defend places where the enemy dares not to attack
because the defense is so strong and invulnerable or
where the enemy does not know how to attack.
4. Having the ability to withdraw faster than the enemy.


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If he strengthens the front, he will weaken the rear.
If he defends the rear, his front will be fragile.
If he prepares to his left, he will weaken his right.
If he reinforces his right, he will weaken his left.
If he tries to defend everywhere, he will be VULNERABLE
everywhere.

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Mastering relative superiority and
the point of contact
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The enemy must NOT know the places (battleground)
where I intend to attack. If the enemy does not know where I intend
to attack, he must defend many places.
The more places the enemy defends, the more scattered are his
forces, and the weaker is his force at any one point where I am
attacking.

The Importance Of Knowing
The Battle Place And Time
If you KNOW the places of the battleground and the exact
date of engagement of battle:
your army can travel a thousand miles and still be ready for battle.
your army will have sufficient rest and more prepare to fight the battle.
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If you do NOT KNOW the location of the
battleground and exact date of the battle, you will
face several risks:

When the army arrives late, they have to rush into battle,
despite its tiredness, against a well-rested and well-
prepared enemy.
Victories Can Be Created







Thus, I say: Victories can be created
by us. ~ Sun Zi
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A larger force can be prevented from engaging a
smaller force.

In war it is not the size that matters but on how
planning,
strategising, deploying and directing combat to
achieve the optimal results.
Victories Can Be Created
1. Accurately predicting plans, intentions and moves of the enemy.
2. Discovering the disposition of the enemy (to know his vulnerability)
3. Forcing the larger enemy to divide and scatter (when he did not know
where you plan to attack).
4. Concentrating the entire fighting power against a faction of those of
the enemy at any one point-of-contact (his vulnerable areas)
5. Provoke enemy to act so as to know his motives and intentions.
6. Not adhere to a fixed formation or disposition (to keep enemy
guessing your plans and strategies).
7. Conceal all your process, reasons and underlying factors that go
behind the plans and formations (conceal your secretive knowledge
of war).
8. Not repeat the strategies or tactics.
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When I win a victory, I do not repeat the tactics but respond to
circumstances in limitless ways Thus, the one who can MODIFY
his tactics according to the enemy situation shall be victorious and
may be called the divine commander. ~Sun Zi
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Be Flexible Like Water Flexibility,
Adaptability & Shaping
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If you keep repeating your tactics,
your enemy can easily predict your move.

Just as water has NO constant shape, so in warfare there are no
fixed rules and regulations. It is not about conforming but
transforming.

General must be FLEXIBLE in his action with respect to strategic and
tactical variations in order to gain advantage of the changing
circumstances
Change and Uncertainty

In warfare, there are NO constant condition.
What may be considered as strengths may become
weaknesses the next time around and vice versa.
The general must be able to adjust (flexibility, fluidity and adaptability)
to the changes that occur ceaselessly.
The general must be able to react and capitalize in the changes (creating
opportunities in the midst of dangers).
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The FIVE elements of nature (water, fire, wood, metal, earth)
are not always equally predominant; the FOUR seasons make
way for each other in turn. There are short days and long;
the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.

Summary


Weaknesses and Strength Chapter explains:
how your opportunities come from the openings in the
environment caused by the relative weakness of your
enemy in a given area.
First mover advantage
Dictate and manipulate
Master superiority
Know the battle place and time
Create victories and adapt to environment
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Business Application

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Discovering Opportunities
You want to see the openings in the market and fill them
before opponents recognize them (first mover advantage) .

Ex: New market
Go after new market which has less players.
Target new market that are being overlooked.
Sell to markets where competitors are handicapped
Explore markets where there is no competition.
Ex: New customers
Work with customers whose needs are unsatisfied.
Find customers that are served poorly by your competitors.
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Early Entrants: The Pioneers
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Example:
Online bookstore by Amazon.com
Ipod & Ipad by Apple
Online product purchase by Ebay
Delivery service and drive-thru service by
McDonalds (in Msia)
Low-cost carrier by Air Asia
e-banking by Maybank
Strengths & Weaknesses
Reinforcing weakness leverages weaknesses.
Reinforcing strength leverages strengths.

Abandon less profitable products and services gradually.
Do not spend time and resources shoring up weak products and
weak attacks.
Concentrate your time and efforts on providing the resources to
continue the successful advance.
Q: Proton should focus on its best car models (Persona??
Inspira??), not on its worst car model (Savvy? Juara? Perdana?).
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Create an overwhelming superiority by concentrating works
in every dimension because the business that can gain
superiority will win in the competition.

1. Strategy: Apply consistent pressure on achieving key
strategic initiatives. Conceal your plan.
2. Advertising: Use repetition of a clear, distinctive benefit.
The use of guerilla advertising to reinforce the
advertising message.
3. The use of intelligence
4. Selling: Focus on your unique selling proposition.
Conceal your selling strategy.
5. Leadership: Concentrate on developing people.


Mastering relative superiority
Be Flexible Like Water Flexibility,
Adaptability & Shaping
Flexibility In Innovation
Ex: The discovery of carbon fiber (exceptionally high tensile
strength but lighter than aluminum).

Western countries uses top-down approach
immediately did researches on its application in aircraft industry
(difficult area).
Japan uses bottom-up approach.
uses it to manufacture golf clubs and fishing rods (easy application).
By doing this, Japan controls 70% of the world production of carbon
fiber today.

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Be Flexible Like Water Flexibility,
Adaptability & Shaping
Flexibility in Business Direction
Amazon.com
Jeff Bezos started a website selling books online (1995).
Due to the online demand, Amazon.com has diverse their
online product lines to sports tools, electronic devices,
fashion etc.
Latest popular product is KINDLE.



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-THE END-