Competitive AdvantageName:Institutional affiliateCompetitive AdvantagesBusinesses need to identify their competitive advantages in order to make good strategic plans. Competitive advantages are what set the organization apart; in a market there is more than one competitor. Common drivers of competitive advantage are differentiation and cost advantage. Companies that adopt the differentiation strategy aim at making the organization’s products and services unique or more beneficial to the customers. On the other hand, organizations that adopt the cost advantage strategy aim at delivering what the competitors are delivering to the market, but at a much lower cost. This document will compare the competitive advantages of Riordan Virtual Organization and Environmental Scan to Apple inc., and determine the effectiveness of the company’s competitive advantages. Riordan’s competitive advantageRiordan Virtual Organization and Environmental Scan is a manufacturing company fully owned by the Riordan Industries. The company specializes in plastic injection molding. Initially, Riordan was known as Riordan Plastics, Inc. since it focused on the processing of polymers into high tensile strength plastic substrates. However, the company changed its name to reflect its new identity in the plastic industry. Riordan’s competitive advantages include its cost advantage and its culture of