
BCG Growth-Share Matrix templates
What is a BCG Matrix?
The BCG matrix was developed by the Boston Consulting Group in 1970 and is a planning tool that graphically represents a company’s portfolio of products and services in the hope that the company will decide which products it should keep, sell, or invest in. It plots a company’s offerings in a four square matrix, where the x-axis represents market share, and the y-axis represents the rate of market growth.
The BCG matrix is categorised into four quadrants:dogs, stars, cash cows and ‘question marks’. The dog represents a product that has a low market share and is in a low growth market. The idea is that dog products should be sold. Products that have a large market share but are in low growth areas are known as cash cows, meaning that a company should keep it on the market for as long as they can. Star products are ones that are in high growth markets, take up a large portion of market share, and should be invested in even more. Products that are in high growth markets but do not maintain large market share are known as question marks. This type of product needs to be analysed more.
Characteristics of Each Quadrant
-Dogs, located in the lower right hand quadrant on the grid, do not generate much money as they have low market share and little to no growth. Due to this, dog products can end up being cash traps, which tie up company funds for a lengthy period of time. This means that they are candidates for divesture.
-Cash cows, located in the lower left quadrant, are generally leading products in mature markets. These products are often cash generators that create higher returns than the market growth’s rate, and tend to sustain themselves well from a cash flow perspective. The values of these products are not difficult to calculate due to the fact that their cash flow patterns are predictable.
-The upper left hand quadrant is stars. These generate high income but tend to cost the company large amounts of cash. Stars would eventually become cash cows if they remain a market leader, and if the market’s growth rate declines.
-Question mark products are located in the upper right quadrant of the matrix. These products tend to grow fast, but can consume large amounts of resources. Question marks should be frequently analysed to decide whether they are worth staying in the market.
Advantages of using the BCG Matrix:
-It is helpful for managers to evaluate the company’s product line, and the balance in their portfolio of stars, dogs, cash cows and question marks.
-It is applicable to companies that seek volume and experience effects.
-It is simple and easy-to-understand.
-Provides as a base for management to decide which products to keep, invest in and to get rid of.
-If a business can use the experience curve to its advantage, then it can manufacture and sell new products at a low price that can allow it to get early market share leadership. Then once it has become a star, it is inevitably profitable.
Limitations of using the BCG Matrix:
-High market share is only one of many success factors; neither is market growth the only indicator of market attractiveness.
-It ignores the effects of synergies
-‘Dog’ products can often earn more cash as cash cows
-The matrix only uses two dimensions – market share and growth rate. This can tempt management to divest too early, or to over-emphasise a particular product.
-A company with low market share can be profitable.
-The matrix ignores small competitors that have fast growing market shares.
You will find below some BCG Growth-Share Matrix templates, as well as some guides on how to effectively use it.
For more information on this subject, visit:
- Simply enter values for market share, growth rate and the revenue to easily produce a BCG Matrix451 remove_red_eyeDiscuss$3.00
by Jhett Koo
BCG Growth Share Matrix Template
A ready-to-use template for the BCG Growth Share Matrix also known as the Boston Consulting Group's Product Portfolio.1,727 remove_red_eyeDiscussfreeby Eloquens Team
BCG Matrix Excel Template
BCG Matrix in Excel for when you have relatively precise info on market growth rates and shares.1,026 remove_red_eyeDiscussfreeby Geoff Fripp
How to Make a BCG Matrix in Excel
Teaching you step-by-step how to create a BCG Matrix in Excel using a screen-sharing method.351 remove_red_eyeDiscussfreeby Geoff Fripp
How to use the BCG Matrix Model to Review your Product Portfolio
This tool explains how to use the BCG Matrix, along with how it can be applied.115 remove_red_eyeDiscussHow to construct, use and fill in the BCG Matrix
Pepijn Schoemaker explain everything you need to know about the BCG Matrix.92 remove_red_eyeDiscussWhat to Do with the Dogs in Your BCG Matrix
Cate Costa explains what you should do with your underperforming products, i.e. the 'dogs' in the BCG Matrix.285 remove_red_eyeDiscussfreeby Cate Costa
Evaluating Product Lines Using the BCG Matrix
This video will show you how to evaluate product lines using the BCG Matrix.58 remove_red_eyeDiscussfreeby Cate Costa
BCG Growth Matrix and Auto Graphing Excel Model
The BCG Growth Matrix automatically propagates in all the information for up to 10 different investments.188 remove_red_eyeDiscuss$15.00by Benjamin J. Boyle
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Eloquens Team
Don't Reinvent The Wheel
1Jhett Koo
Financial Planning and Analysis Manager at Crimson Education
2Geoff Fripp
Providing helpful information for marketing students.
3Benjamin J. Boyle
Conference Speaker | Investor | Futurist
4Cate Costa
Entrepreneurship Expert who has taught thousands of business owners worldwide.
5Pepijn Schoemaker
Marketing Expert and Lecturer at the University of Applied Science, Amsterdam.
6Annmarie Hanlon
Digital Marketing Specialist
7
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