Business Assessment
An organization must identify its core competencies and strategically align those competencies with its business objectives to achieve success. In fact, C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel explained in the Harvard Business Review that the most powerful way for an organization to prevail is for it to “identify, cultivate, and exploit the core competencies that make growth possible” (2000). Lockheed Martin has thoroughly aligned its competencies, business objectives, and key performance indicators, which has undoubtedly contributed to the corporation’s effectiveness.
Core Competencies
Core competencies are capabilities possessed by an organization that “when applied to create products and services, make a critical contribution to corporate competitiveness” (Edgar & Lockwood, 2011). Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company. The corporation’s core competencies are the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems. By leveraging those competencies, Lockheed Martin delivers a broad portfolio of products and services—including high-performance combat aircraft, laser weapons systems, and unmanned combat vehicles.
Business Objectives
In order to ensure its continued success as a leading global security and aerospace company, Lockheed Martin has a number of business objectives that align with the organization’s core competencies. For example, understanding the importance of product