A competitive advantage for any business should be based on its resources, strengths or distinctive competencies relative to competitors but, most importantly, should be perceived as an advantage, an additional value, by its customers or consumers.

Businesses are confronted with a dynamic and complex environment. Core competencies capable of leading a business to a competitive and advantageous position today may not continue to be so as consumer and user needs, technology, market conditions and competitors change.

Competitive advantage is simply a result of dynamic capabilities - the business's ability to build, integrate, and restructure capabilities to address the rapidly changing environment.

It means that to be a successful business it must demonstrate timely responsiveness, rapid and flexible product and service innovation and management expertise, in coordinating and deploying its organisational resources and capabilities.

This is the nerve centre of competitive advantage - for a resource and capability to become a real source of competitive advantage it must be truly distinctive and contribute to the development of the business's core competencies.

Innovate and differentiate and endeavour to change the rules and the game.