# Business Definition

> Determine unified vs separated business entities. Use for portfolio management, strategic planning, and restructuring decisions.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-linuszz-business-strategy-planning-skills-business-definition`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [linuszz](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/linuszz)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [linuszz](https://github.com/linuszz)
- **Source:** https://github.com/linuszz/business-strategy-planning-skills/tree/master/bp-business-modeling/skills/business-definition

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-linuszz-business-strategy-planning-skills-business-definition
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Business Definition

## Metadata
- **Name**: business-definition
- **Description**: Framework for defining unified vs separated businesses
- **Triggers**: business definition, unified vs separated, portfolio structure, business units

## Instructions
Apply business definition framework to determine organizational structure for strategic analysis.

## Framework

### The Definition Test

```
Unified Business IF:

1. Share customers?
2. Share brand?
3. Share assets/resources?
4. Share supply chain?
5. Share channels/distribution?

AND:

6. Economies of scale or scope apply?
7. Common management/leadership?
8. Integrated planning across business?

THEN → SAME BUSINESS

IF ANY 'NO' → SEPARATE BUSINESSES
```

### Business Unit Categories

| Category | Description | When Unified |
|-----------|-------------|------------|
| **Product Leadership** | Same products across units | ✅ Yes |
| **Market Leadership** | Same geographic focus | ✅ Yes |
| **Operations** | Shared manufacturing, logistics | ✅ Yes |
| **Sales & Marketing** | Shared channels, brand | ✅ Yes |
| **Innovation/R&D** | Centralized development | ✅ Yes |
| **Finance/Support** | Shared treasury, HR | ✅ Yes |

### Organizational Structures

| Structure | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|----------|----------------|------------------|
| **Unified** | Synergy, efficiency, coordinated strategy | Complexity, slow decisions, potential conflicts |
| **Holding Company** | Portfolio management, capital allocation, focused leadership | Agency costs, bureaucracy |
| **Strategic Alliance** | Flexibility, shared expertise, reduced investment | Coordination costs, partner conflicts |
| **Joint Venture** | Risk sharing, resource sharing | Profit sharing, governance complexity |
| **Federated/Independent** | Agility, accountability, clear focus | Duplication, lack of synergy |

## Output Process

1. **Analyze current state** - What's the structure?
2. **Apply definition test** - Should we unify or separate?
3. **Identify synergies** - What value in integration?
4. **Define new structure** - Target organizational design
5. **Evaluate feasibility** - Culture, systems, capabilities
6. **Develop transition plan** - Timeline, steps, governance
7. **Assess value capture** - Benefits vs costs

## Output Format

```
## Business Definition Analysis: [Company/Portfolio]

### Current Structure

**Structure Type:** [Unified/Holding/Federated/Independent]

**Business Units Analyzed:** N units

**Shared Capabilities:**
- [Capability 1] - [Description]
- [Capability 2] - [Description]
- [Capability 3] - [Description]

### Definition Test Results

| Test Question | Result | Implication |
|---------------|---------|--------------|
| Share customers? | ✅ Yes | Potential cross-selling |
| Share brand? | ✅ Yes | Brand consistency |
| Share assets? | ✅ Yes | Asset optimization |
| Share supply chain? | ✅ Yes | Cost efficiency |
| Share channels? | ❌ No | Channel conflicts |
| Common leadership? | ✅ Yes | Management coordination |
| Integrated planning? | ❌ No | Planning autonomy |
| Economies of scale? | ✅ Yes | Scale advantages |

**Conclusion:** [Unified/Separate business structure]

### Proposed Structure

**Target Structure:** [New structure type]

**Rationale:**
1. [Reason 1] - [Why change?]
2. [Reason 2] - [Strategic benefit]
3. [Reason 3] - [Operational necessity]

**Business Unit Alignment:**
- [Unit A] → [New parent/placement]
- [Unit B] → [New parent/placement]
- [Unit C] → [New parent/placement]

### Transition Plan

| Phase | Action | Owner | Timeline |
|--------|--------|---------|------------|
| Planning | Define new org structure | CEO | Q1 |
| Design | Create governance model | Legal | Q2 |
| Implementation | Transfer assets/people | Ops | Q3 |
| Stabilization | Optimize processes | All Units | Q4 |

### Value Capture Assessment

| Synergy Type | Estimated Value | Cost | Net Benefit |
|------------|-----------------|----------|------------|
| Cost reduction | $X M | $Y M | [Positive] |
| Revenue enhancement | $X M | $Y M | [Positive] |
| Capability leverage | $X M | $Y M | [Positive] |
| **Total** | $Z M | $W M | [Net Value] |

**ROI:** [Net Benefit / Cost] × 100%

---

### Risk Assessment

| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|---------|----------|-------------|
| Disruption risk | High | High | [Mitigation] |
| Synergy failure | Medium | High | [Mitigation] |
| Cost overruns | Medium | Medium | [Mitigation] |
| Governance complexity | Low | Low | [Mitigation] |

---

### Strategic Implications

1. **[Implication 1]** - [Analysis]
2. **[Implication 2]** - [Analysis]

### Governance Recommendations

1. **[Recommendation 1]** - [Description]
2. **[Recommendation 2]** - [Description]
3. **[Recommendation 3]** - [Description]
```

## Tips

- Don't force unification - structure should serve strategy
- Consider cultural compatibility - can they work together?
- Assess synergy potential realistically - don't assume automatic gains
- Evaluate both benefits and costs - net value matters
- Consider transition costs - often higher than expected
- Governance is critical - define clear decision rights
- Communicate transparently - manage expectations throughout

## References

- Various organizational design and strategy sources
- M&A case studies and corporate restructuring literature

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [linuszz](https://github.com/linuszz)
- **Source:** [linuszz/business-strategy-planning-skills](https://github.com/linuszz/business-strategy-planning-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-linuszz-business-strategy-planning-skills-business-definition
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/linuszz
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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