## 4 Results and Discussion  
### The Companies  
Company A is an agrifood industry player that specializes in producing soybean meal and oil. The company prioritizes highly standardized products originating from soy cultures. Supplier and customer markets are reasonably stable. Company A relies on large distributors and local distribution channels that serve retailers and companies specializing in agrifood products. Although the company does not frequently modify its product designs, any changes undergo rigorous scrutiny by technical and engineering services for certification before being approved for production and sale. Company B is an agrifood industry player that specializes in producing fertilizers from the three main mineral groups: nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, with production capacity across all three. The company incorporates technological advances in processes and products and must rely on specialized technical assistance extended to customers. The company is constantly innovating its product lines to offer its customers, mainly farmers, production enhancements and cost reductions in rural activity. The company operates primarily in markets in which raw material offers and prices are stable, while consumer markets can vary owing to climate events and seasonality. The company sells its products through large distributors and national and international distribution channels that supply large retailers. Any product design changes must undergo technical services that certify their quality before being released for production and sale. Company C is a metalworking industry player that specializes in producing metallic components for large industrial items, specifically catering to the machinery and equipment industries, as well as the automotive industry. The company uses metallic plates received in large lots for the steelmaking industry, metal closures, safety devices, and, eventually, wood packaging such as pallets. The company operates with stable raw material markets and moderately variable consumer markets. To distribute its products, it uses both local and national logistics operators that store and supply large quantities to buyers. Figure 3: Graphical representation of paths and functions in the SC. Source: Authors’ own creation. Company D is a metalworking industry player that specializes in engineered solutions of high complexity to specific markets. The company uses metallic, electric, and electronic parts received in medium and small lots from various suppliers. The raw material markets are somehow unstable, and the consumer markets are highly variable. The company often receives manufacturing orders that require prior engineering designs. The company works with local and national logistics operators who store and transport large parts to buyers with stringent safety requirements. Innovation is continuous, and safety is a requirement, which means that any product design modifications undergo technical services that certify them before their release for production and sale. Concerning the competitive priorities of focal companies A, B, C, and D, certain patterns emerge in their strategic emphasis. Focal company A prioritizes compliance with quality standards, primarily driven by stringent food safety requirements. The next is cost reduction, given the intense competition in the sector, in which pricing plays a pivotal role in consumer choices. Flexibility and dependability assume diminished significance for this company, attributed to its management of substantial inventories that promptly cater to unforeseen demands. Among the four SC meta-strategies, the SC is closer to the efficient pattern. Focal company B prioritizes flexibility due to the changing nature of agrifood activity and the inherent uncertainty in climate conditions. Subsequently, dependability assumes prominence, driven by the temporal commitments of farmers tied to seasonality and prices in the global market. The second is quality, particularly due to the difficulty for customers of handling manufacturing errors.