Modelli di business e competitivit? delle piccole imprese. L?industria italiana del mobile

The article illustrates some of the key results of an analysis to measure the mediumterm competitiveness of SMEs (small and medium enterprises), with the aim of identifying and clustering their BM (business models) according to a specific set of key competitive factors; the combination of these factors describes the approach of each BM to its market segments and relative challenges. For the purposes of this paper, each BM is considered a "stylized" representation of the value chain structure and the organization of the activities needed to succeed in the marketplace. That approach enables us to examine the economic structure and competitive factors of those SMEs that are parts of networks of firms, especially in relation to small companies that operate as contractors for other companies and, which, in turn, outsource parts of their production. The result is a studied comparison of the efficiency and competitive ability of the production districts in the Italian furniture industry that we believe useful to the formulation of policies to improve their performance. :