...Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis is a business management tool used to evaluate an organization’s strength’s, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The tool is used to produce a model that can serve to provide direction in the development, formulation, and evaluation of project management plans. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis is an important step in the planing process that is often undervalued and omitted in constructing the project management plan. This basic management tool is straightforward and easy to use. Basically, factors are divided into internal and external issues. Based on the analysis of the information provided by the model, project management can better decide if the information gathered is something that will assist in accomplishing its objectives. Conversely, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis can also identify potential obstacles to success, as well as faults in the plan that must be addressed, controlled, or eliminated if the desired results are to be achieved. In order for the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis to be effective, project management must do more than simply identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved. Risk management demands that it is necessary to avoid, eliminate, or at the very least, minimize identified weaknesses and threats. Weaknesses should be closely scrutinized in order to determine...
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...Date: 05/09/2014 Instructor: Marie Bengtsson Course: Classic Leadership and Organization Dilemmas SWOT ANALYSIS: The basic strategic tool through history (?) It is generally known that in order to be competitive in a market, one must be able to see the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that lay the fundament of success in the organization. This analysis, is one of today’s perhaps most frequently used tools when analysing a company’s possibilities to be successful in the modern market situation. Moreover, the question is; where does this tool derive from? Is SWOT analysis a natural instinct of strategy that has been used throughout mankind, or is it constructed? Out of this natural perspective on the SWOT- analysis different tactics emerge. To begin answering this question, there will initially look back on the historical, cultural and social aspects that could be traced to be the core of the SWOT concept. Then the discussion will move on, to a practical application on a historical event and also a modern example where the SWOT can be identified. We will see the evolution of it, throughout ages and time. In order to understand our allegation, we must go back in time and see where these strategic notions “took birth”. No matter if we are in favour of religious philosophy, or the Darwin’s evolution theory, we can easily see early clues of actual swot analysis, but of course not as it is known today. On the first hand we have God as the ultimate strategist....
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...A SWOT Analysis view of the software development industry Georgios Kormaris Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands gkormari@cs.uu.nl WWW home page: http://www.cs.uu.nl/ Introduction I n the past twenty to thirty years many changes and developments have taken place in the software industry which started off during the 1960s mainly in the United States of America and experienced a revolutionary boom since the 1980s, Steinmueller, (1995). There are many different ways and methods of developing software and planning the strategy of a software development company, as we can derive from many recent research projects. Most of these projects are usually concerned with the way that software is developed and not with the way that the strategy of the company as a whole is planned, Cusumano, MacCormack, Kemerer, & Crandall, (2003). Another important factor is which techniques and methods are used to analyze company’s environment and how the strategy is formulated and implemented. In this paper we analyze a popular method for strategic planning which has been mostly used for product portfolio planning and strategic planning on an abstract level, as stated in a research paper by Houben, Lenie, & Vanhoof, (1999). We will focus our interest in the software industry and base our research on the case study of the Austrian software industry as it is presented by Bernroider, (2002). Additionally, certain guidelines are...
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...Modern SWOT analysis in business and marketing situations is normally structured so that a 2x2 matrix grid can be produced, according to two pairs of dimensions. Strengths and Weaknesses, are 'mapped' or 'graphed' against Opportunities and Threats. To enable this to happen cleanly and clearly, and from a logical point of view anyway when completing a SWOT analysis in most business and marketing situations, Strengths and Weaknesses are regarded distinctly as internal factors, whereas Opportunities and Threats are regarded distinctly as external factors. Here is the explanation in more detail: Strengths and Weaknesses the internal environment - the situation inside the company or organization for example, factors relating to products, pricing, costs, profitability, performance, quality, people, skills, adaptability, brands, services, reputation, processes, infrastructure, etc. factors tend to be in the present Opportunities and Threats the external environment - the situation outside the company or organization for example, factors relating to markets, sectors, audience, fashion, seasonality, trends, competition, economics, politics, society, culture, technology, environmental, media, law, etc. factors tend to be in the future swot matrix (2x2 matrix using internal/external categories) Here is a typical extension of the basic SWOT analysis grid into a useful 'action-based' 2x2 SWOT matrix. The SWOT analysis in this format acts as a quick decision-making...
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...Mashell Chapeyama University of the People Swot analysis for Chipinge Banana Company Swot analysis is an environmental scanning tool. It is widely used in the world of business in analyzing some factors that have a great bearing on the company’s drive to achieve its mission. With swot companies are able to identify both negative and positive factors that have a bearing on the viability of the organization. Using swot, a company can find its own weaknesses and strengths as well as the opportunities and threats that are found in the broader economy. This essay shall concentrate on identifying and evaluating the internal and external factors that affect Chipinge Banana Company. Chipinge Banana Company is a company that is devoted to the production of bananas for sale to the local and international market. It sells its bananas in Zimbabwe, as well as to countries such as Zambia and South Africa. This company has no any other businesses which it does. It is a well known company that operates in Zimbabwe. The following table shows the results of the swot analysis carried on this company. The writer has selected this company because he currently works in it and has a very good understanding of its operations. Strengths • There is a strong team spirit in management • There is good infrastructure • Clearly established administrative system • There if flat piece of land • There is high morale among employees • There are open lines of communication • Employee have good attitudes...
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...SWOT Analysis of Sandwich Blitz Large Scale Expansion Plan Shanice Miles Kaplan University AB140 Introduction to Management Sylvia DeAngelo March 22, 2016 SWOT Analysis of Sandwich Blitz Large Scale Expansion Plan Sandwich Blitz, Inc. is a small chain of healthy sandwich shops located in a large metropolitan area. The business is owned by Dalman Smith, who is the President and CEO, and Lei Lee who is the Vice-President and CFO. The company currently operates eight sandwich and beverage shops located near three universities, a hospital, and four high traffic office complexes. Dalman and Lei are looking to expand their company on a larger scale, but before they do this they need to analyze the favorable and unfavorable and unfavorable factors the go against a situation. This is a SWOT analysis (Pestle Analysis, 2016). A SWOT analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are associated with expanding a business, and determines whether it is worth being pursued (Bateman and Snell, 2013). This is the SWOT analysis of the Sandwich Blitz expansion. Case Analysis An organization’s strengths might include skilled management, positive cash flow, well-known and highly regarded brands (Bateman & Snell, 2013). Sandwich Blitz’s strengths are having the necessary resources to expand and open up two additional chain locations. If they continue to honor their mission statement, that will be a strength in itself. Weaknesses...
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...Wal mart With around 5000 retail outlets worldwide, operating in more then a dozen countries and with over US$286 billion in annual sales, Wal-Mart is the top retail chain and number one fortune 500 company in the world. Wal-Mart is the top employer in the U.S. with 1.3 million employees, “the company accounts for 9 cents of every US retail dollar and sells around 20 per cent of the nation’s groceries and pharmaceuticals.” (Times News Network). Wal-Mart’s sheer size gives it unrestrained economic power which allows it to drive down costs in the retail and manufacturing sectors and to enact its own standards with regards to its work force. Facts about Wal-Mart and China * It is important to understand that there is a huge difference between the Chinese model and the Indian growth model, the Indian model is essentially domestic demand driven unlike the Chinese one that is fuelled by export growth. * More than 70 per cent of the commodities sold in Wal-Mart are made in China. * Wal-Mart Stores Inc, says its inventory of stock produced in China is expected to hit US$18 billion this year, keeping the annual growth rate of over 20 per cent consistent over two years. * "If Wal-Mart were an individual economy, it would rank as China's eighth-biggest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia and Canada," Xu Jun, Wal-Mart China's director of external affairs said. * Insiders point out that Wal-Mart's imports from China have largely influenced the US trade deficit...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Internal Environment 2 SWOT Analysis in the Internal Environment 2 Strengths 3 Weaknesses 4 Opportunities 4 Threats 5 Recommendation 5 Conclusion 6 References 7 Introduction SWOT is an acronym used to describe the internal Strengths and Weaknesses of the firm and the environmental Opportunities and Threats. By description, Strengths (S) and Weaknesses (W) are considered to be factors within the control of the firm. Opportunities (O) and Threats (T) are external factors over which the firm has essentially no control. It is the most prominent tool for assessing and analyzing the overall strategic position of the business and its environment. Its main purpose is to ascertain the strategies that will create a firm specific business model that will best align an organization’s resources and capabilities to the requirements of the operating environment. It is the foundation for evaluating the internal potential and limitations and the likely opportunities and threats from the external environment. It examines all positive and negative factors inside and outside the firm that will affect its success. A steady analysis of the environment in which the firm operates aids in predicting the changing trends and includes them in the decision-making process of the organization. If accurately applied, information gained through SWOT analysis can be utilized by the firm to determine its most desirable options in matching...
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...SWOT Analysis | What is SWOT Analysis? | Examples of SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis was originally conceived and developed in the 1960s and its basic organising principles have remained largely unchanged in the field of strategic management since that time (Kotler et al., 2013). It is, as Ghazinoory, Abdi and Azadegan-Mehr (2011) comment, a systematic framework which helps managers to develop their business strategies by appraising the internal and external determinants of their organisation’s performance. Internal environmental factors include leadership talent, human resource capabilities, the company’s culture as well as the effectiveness of its policies and procedures. In contrast, external factors include competition, government legislation, changing trends, and social expectations (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008). The SWOT analysis framework involves analysing the strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) of the business’s internal factors, and the opportunities (O) and threats (T) of its external factors of performance (Ghazinoory, Abdi and Azadegan-Mehr, 2011). Through this analysis, the weaknesses and strengths within a company can correspond to the opportunities and threats in the business environment so that effective strategies can be developed (Helms and Nixon, 2010). It follows from this, therefore, that an organisation can derive an effective strategy by taking advantage of its opportunities by using its strengths and neutralise its threats by minimising the impact...
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...Contents Introduction of the Alphabet Games 2 The four forces for change may impact upon Alphabet Games 2 Political factor 2 Economic factor 2 Social culture factor 3 Technological factor 3 The SWOT analysis for the Alphabet Games 3 Strength 4 Weakness 4 Opportunities 4 Threats 4 A set of guidelines to conduct an Effective SWOT Analysis 6 Step 1 6 Step 2 6 References 7 Introduction of the Alphabet Games Alphabet Games is the game company which is providing the software and games apps. Alphabet Games is established in 2001 at Scotland. The company began three friends pursing a passion for the software development has grown into multi- million pound nosiness at the cutting edge of the games development market. The rented office that housed three students has been replaced by a custom built facility that houses research development and production which ranks alongside any of its comparable competitors. This report is going to claim about the PEST analysis and SWOT analysis of the Alphabet Games according to the case. Firstly, PEST analysis will be claim as follow. The four forces for change may impact upon Alphabet Games The four forces for change may impact upon the Alphabet Games in the fact of PEST analysis. PEST means that the Political factors, Economic factors, Social culture factors and Technological factors of a country which is the target market of the company. Political factor Political factor of a country means that the law, rule and regulation of...
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...Conduct a SWOT Analysis Belinda Pringle MGT 450 October 31, 2013 Douglas Nelson DSB Enterprises is an Independent Marketing Director (IMD) partnership affiliated with Team National. As an accredited member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, (2012), DSB Enterprises is confident in its affiliation with Team National. We offer membership savings by providing reduced costs of products and services in great variety in over 20 different industries while offering an industry leading compensation program for those that choose to market memberships, (bign.com, 2013). SWOT Analysis for DSB Enterprises/Team National. Strengths: Over $35.4 million annual revenue. #1 Rating with D& B. A+ rating with Better Business Bureau. 17 years successful experience in the industry. Unique opportunity to both save and earn. • Tools & supporting personnel available for training. • • Experienced workforce is dedicated to team culture. • • Leads MLM industry with hybrid binary compensation. • • Cost effective support materials. • • Cross-functional lines of communication between IMDs and support personnel. • • Strong partnership with communities as well as IMD collaboration. • • Proactive management team. • • Uniformity between divisions/teams. • • Strong communication between management, IMDs, and Business Exchanges. Weaknesses: MLMs are becoming competitive in modeling compensation plans and payout percentages after TN. U.S. based...
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...01717520085(zero one seven one seven five two zero zero eight five ) Assignment Subject: SWOT Analysis Date of Submission: 04.08.2012 Supervised By: Md Abdullah Chairman Department of Marketing Comilla University Prepared By: Md. Iqbal Hossain Patwary ID No: EMBA- 12020701 Department of Marketing Comilla University S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS Identifying my Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats A SWOT analysis is a term used to describe a tool that is effective in identifying my Strengths and Weaknesses, and for examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. While it is a basic, Straight forward model, it has been a popular business practice for many years because it helps provide direction and serves as a basis for the development of business plans. It accomplishes this by examining the strengths (what an operation does well) and weaknesses (what an operation does not do well) in addition to opportunities (potential favorable conditions for an operation) and threats (potential unfavorable conditions for an operation). Once completed, the SWOT analysis can help determine if the information indicates something that will assist the operation in achieving its objectives (a strength or opportunity), or if it indicates an obstacle that must be overcome or minimized to achieve desired results (weakness or threat). What are the elements of a SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis stands for the analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses of an operation and external opportunities...
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...Definition: SWOT analysis is not only limited to profit-seeking organizations but also may be used in any decision-making situation when it is desired for an organization. It is use to develop a plan that takes into consideration many different internal and external factors, and maximizes the potential of the strengths and opportunities while minimizing the impact of the weaknesses and threats. This remarkable technique was provided by Albert S Humphrey, one of the founding fathers of what we know today as SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis came from the research conducted at Stanford Research Institute from 1960-1970. A strategic planning method which is used to evaluate the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats involved in a project or in a business or in an organizations venture. The team members and the managers mainly use this analysis on behalf of an organization. It specifies the objective of any business venture or project to identify both the external and internal factors which are sometimes favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT): It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors. The factors (internal and external) may include all of the 4P's; as well as personnel, finance, manufacturing capabilities...
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...Analytical Thinking * Evaluate how far processes/systems are appropriate * Weigh up opinions, arguments or solutions against appropriate criteria. * Evaluate if evidence and examples support points being made. * Check if arguments support conclusions * Useful when decisions must be based on evidence or when ensuring choices are likely to solve a particular problem. For example linking HR reward strategy with wider business goals – needs analytical thinking. Critical Thinking * Critical thinking is a set of skills or abilities that you can develop over time. * It doesn't have to be negative, but is about developing your own conclusions based on evidence. * It's the process of gathering information about something, and then thinking about it and coming up with your own views. * Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to do or believe (Ennis 1990). What does it involve? * Being able to question and evaluate information * Solving problems * Thinking beyond the immediate situation * Looking at the big picture and the context of a topic * Asking questions about different aspects of the topic – what? How? When? Who? Why? What if? * Looking at theory and asking how it relates to practice * Reading different viewpoints about issues and forming your own conclusions * Reflecting on your work and deciding how to improve it in the future Overview * The ability to think analytically and critically...
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...01717520085(zero one seven one seven five two zero zero eight five ) Term paper Subject: SWOT Analysis Supervised By: Md Abdullah Assistant Professor & Chairman Department of Marketing Comilla University Prepared By: Easir Al Newaz ID No: 12020718 EMBA- 2nd Batch (summer) 2012 Department of Marketing Comilla University Date of Submission: 04.08.2012 SWOT Analysis A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis. The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm's resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. The following diagram shows how a SWOT analysis fits into an environmental scan: SWOT Analysis Framework Environmental Scan /\ Internal Analysis External Analysis / \ / \ Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats | SWOT Matrix S= Strengths A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a Competitive advantage. Examples of such strengths include: patents * Strong brand names * Good reputation among customers...
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