Research on Optimizing the Firm’s Strategic Decisions by Using the OSPP Computer Matrix Program Empirical Evidence

Over the last thirty years researchers have developed analytical tools that systematically attempt to
establish a firm’s future competitive position and future potential of the industry in which it competes.
As researchers began to understand the importance of internal and external factors, the analysis tools
were enhanced to enable management’s deeper interpretation of the firm’s position. H. Igor Ansoff
further contributed to academia and industry with his Strategic Success Paradigm and subsequently
his Ansplan-A computer program. This research paper is an extension of an earlier conceptual paper
published in 2012 and provides empirical evidence of a computer program that combines the previous
disjointed matrices and provides management with several critical views of the firm’s strategic position
such as its future competitive position, the industry’s future prospects, and its strategic posture. Using
SPSS analytics, our study analyzed 61 publicly traded firms in various industries including retail,
technology, manufacturing and the service sector to determine if a relationship exists between the
firm’s center of gravity (COG) matrix position as indicated by the computer program and key
performance determinants as indicated by the following financial ratios; current ratio, GPM, NPM,
ROE, ROA, ROCI, EBITA, revenue growth, P/E, EPS, and D2E. Research findings indicate that there
is a strong relationship between the firm’s COG position and multiple key performance indicators thus
providing support for the efficacy of this computer model as a reliable strategic planning tool for
management in providing critical high-level data for optimal strategic formulation and implementation.