activities that give added value to the service chain
Value chain A firm's value chain forms a part of a larger stream of activities, which Porter calls a value system[citation needed]. A value system, or an industry value chain, includes the suppliers that provide the inputs necessary to the firm along with their value chains. After the firm creates products, these products pass through the value chains of distributors (which also have their own value chains), all the way to the customers. All parts of these chains are included in the value system. To achieve and sustain a competitive advantage, and to support that advantage with information technologies, a firm must understand every component of this value system.[citation needed]