How can you make the VALUE CHAIN concept/method worth applying to a case?

Like most methods and concepts, there is a primitive and relatively useless way to use the VALUE CHAIN, and there are more sophisticated ways to use the method/concept. The primitive way is to merely LIST AND DESCRIBE some value creating activities of a firm in each of the little boxes of the value chain concept. DISCUSS WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO ADD VALUE TO THE VALUE CHAIN METHOD/CONCEPT. In other words, how can you make the VALUE CHAIN concept/method worth applying to a case?