Market position covers the company’s market share in its major activities and the historical protection of its position and projected ability for the future. It also covers the company’s historical operating margins and its ability to maintain and improve them.

The specific issues include:

• Competitive position within the industry: size, market share & trend, price-setting ability.
• Major product importance.
• Product lives and competition.
• Degree of product diversification.
• Significance of R&D expenditure and of new product development.
• Geographic diversity of sales and production.
• Significance of major customers.
• Dependence on major suppliers and access to alternatives.
• Marketing needs.
• Distribution network, control and susceptibility to external factors.