Swot Analysis of "Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue" written by Thomas Walton includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Epilogue Washington facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Design, IT, Labor, Leading teams and Organizational Development.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, geopolitical disruptions, wage bills are increasing, technology disruption,
there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Epilogue Washington, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Epilogue Washington operates in.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.
SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix
SWOT analysis of Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Epilogue Washington
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Organizational Development field.
4. Making a Organizational Development topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Epilogue Washington
Strengths Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Epilogue Washington in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue Harvard Business Review case study are -
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Organizational Development industry
– Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Epilogue Washington to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Organizational Development industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Epilogue Washington to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Organizational Resilience of Epilogue Washington
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Epilogue Washington does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Diverse revenue streams
– Epilogue Washington is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Epilogue Washington has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Epilogue Washington has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Learning organization
- Epilogue Washington is a learning organization. It has inculcated three key characters of learning organization in its processes and operations – exploration, creativity, and expansiveness. The work place at Epilogue Washington is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Organizational Development segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Epilogue Washington digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Epilogue Washington has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Epilogue Washington in the sector have low bargaining power. Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Epilogue Washington to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Epilogue Washington has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Epilogue Washington has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.
Ability to lead change in Organizational Development field
– Epilogue Washington is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Epilogue Washington in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Epilogue Washington is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue are -
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue HBR case study still accounts for major business revenue. This dependence on star products in has resulted into insufficient focus on developing new products, even though Epilogue Washington has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Need for greater diversity
– Epilogue Washington has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Organizational Development strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Epilogue Washington 's lucrative customers.
High dependence on existing supply chain
– The disruption in the global supply chains because of the Covid-19 pandemic and blockage of the Suez Canal illustrated the fragile nature of Epilogue Washington supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Epilogue Washington vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Epilogue Washington needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue, is just above the industry average. Epilogue Washington needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Epilogue Washington has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Lack of clear differentiation of Epilogue Washington products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Epilogue Washington needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Epilogue Washington is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Organizational Development segment. Epilogue Washington needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Epilogue Washington to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Epilogue Washington is planning to shift buying processes online.
Opportunities Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Epilogue Washington can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Buying journey improvements
– Epilogue Washington can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue suggest that firm can provide automated chats to help consumers solve their own problems, provide online suggestions to get maximum out of the products and services, and help consumers to build a community where they can interact with each other to develop new features and uses.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Epilogue Washington to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Epilogue Washington to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Epilogue Washington has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Epilogue Washington to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue case study. Epilogue Washington can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Organizational Development industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Epilogue Washington can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Epilogue Washington can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Epilogue Washington has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Epilogue Washington to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions
– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Epilogue Washington in the consumer business. Now Epilogue Washington can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Epilogue Washington to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Epilogue Washington can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Epilogue Washington is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Epilogue Washington can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Organizational Development segment.
Manufacturing automation
– Epilogue Washington can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Organizational Development segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Organizational Development industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Epilogue Washington can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue are -
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Epilogue Washington with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Epilogue Washington will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.
Regulatory challenges
– Epilogue Washington needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Organizational Development industry regulations.
Increasing wage structure of Epilogue Washington
– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Epilogue Washington.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue, Epilogue Washington may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Organizational Development .
Backlash against dominant players
– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Epilogue Washington business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Epilogue Washington has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Organizational Development industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Epilogue Washington needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Organizational Development sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Epilogue Washington is facing in Organizational Development sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Organizational Development field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Epilogue Washington can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Epilogue Washington can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
High level of anxiety and lack of motivation
– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Epilogue Washington needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Organizational Development industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Washington Post: Balancing Technology and Human Resources by Design, Epilogue is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Epilogue Washington needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
