Competitor Analysis There Are Many Service Categories

Competitor Analysis

There are many service categories that are commonly provided by nursing homes (Tulenko, 2012). Among those are the activities that residents have and the care offered to those who are struggling with Alzheimer's or dementia. Many nursing homes have separate wings or locked wards for these particular residents (Tulenko, 2012). Other homes do not have such strong precautions, and some homes do not take these types of patients at all because of the rigorous effort it often takes to protect them properly. These are definitely two service categories with which many nursing homes struggle, and they are also among the categories where nursing homes compete with one another. They have to compete in order to stay in business, but some of the nursing homes simply have more resources than others. When they have more with which to work, they are better able to focus on the true needs of the patients, which can allow them to build a stronger reputation in the community. At that point, they are generally able to surpass the competition, at least in those particular service areas.

Healthcare organizations in general have numerous service area factors (Tulenko, 2012). For walk-in clinics, there are several areas that could be used to provide a competitive advantage. These clinics are designed to help people avoid the ER, and what they can offer in the way of diagnostic testing can help them compete with one another (Tulenko, 2012). Additionally, they can compete in the wait times they have compared with other clinics. The shorter the wait to see the doctor, the more people will come to that clinic. The wait time and the hours they are open are two consumer factors that matter a great deal when it comes to being competitive. When considering service area factors, the number of tests they are able to do and the number of doctors they have who can specialize in something and provide a more comprehensive level of care for patients both matters a great deal. These are areas that can greatly affect whether a person would use that clinic or seek out a different one.

There are numerous barriers to conducting an effective competitor analysis (Porter, 2008). Three of these would be: (1) a lack of sufficient information by which to compare the two companies, (2) a lack of true competitors in the same market or local area, and (3) a lack of time to conduct a thorough analysis of the true nature of these competitors. These barriers could be overcome, however, by doing the following. First, a lack of sufficient information can be a serious problem. Those who are serious about conducting research on competitors will find a way to get the information needed (Porter, 2008). Public records can be helpful, but with healthcare organizations there are many pieces of information that are regulated by HIPAA laws. Still, companies of that size generally have annual statements and information that can be collected and analyzed. Second, the target market area may have to be enlarged. This is especially true for small towns that may have only one facility. There may not be direct competition. This ties in with the third issue of time. People in a rush often make mistakes, and it is important to be methodical about collecting competitor information.