strategies of gaining competitive advantage based on focusing on customers and market strategy for extension and development of medicinal and ornamental plants enterprises in ilam province

Oil revenues reliant of iran's economy and the impact of political and economic issues caused vulnerability of the economy. one way of dealing with this challenge is to develop new products that while the domestic economic recovery will boost non-oil exports. medicinal and ornamental plants are one of the most valuable resources in a wide range of natural resources in iran in the case of scientific knowledge, cultivation, development and proper utilization, can play an important role in public health and employment and increase of non-oil exports. in this regard, important, this study explores strategies of gaining a competitive advantage of medicinal herbs in ilam province based on the strategy of focusing on customers and markets. this research, in terms of purpose, is applied and in terms of the paradigm is mixed (qualitative - quantitative). in the quality section the delphi method and in a quantity section the analytic hierarchy process has been used and the population in quality part was marketing experts, entrepreneurship and herbs in ilam province that 12 patients were selected based on using purposive sampling method, and in the medicinal and ornamental plants section the number of 33 cases were detected which were census. the required data were collected using a paired comparison and by using the software expert choice11 were analyzed that the results showed, in addition to all identified solutions in the medicinal and ornamental plants contribute to competitive advantage, identify the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, play the most important role in ilam province and in the advantage of delivering medicinal plants.