Case Study Description of Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants
How does one assess which consulting firm to hire when planning for the postacquisition activities? This technical note lists the questions to ask presenters from consulting firms who are making their "pitch" to get the assignment.
Swot Analysis of "Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants" written by L.J. Bourgeois includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Presenters Postacquisition facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, and Organizational Development.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, technology disruption, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing energy prices, increasing commodity prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels,
talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Presenters Postacquisition, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Presenters Postacquisition 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 Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Presenters Postacquisition
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 Presenters Postacquisition
Strengths Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Presenters Postacquisition in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to recruit top talent
– Presenters Postacquisition is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Training and development
– Presenters Postacquisition has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Presenters Postacquisition in the sector have low bargaining power. Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Presenters Postacquisition to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Organizational Resilience of Presenters Postacquisition
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Presenters Postacquisition does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Innovation driven organization
– Presenters Postacquisition is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Organizational Development industry
– Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Presenters Postacquisition to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Organizational Development industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Presenters Postacquisition to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Presenters Postacquisition is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Presenters Postacquisition are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.
Learning organization
- Presenters Postacquisition 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 Presenters Postacquisition is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Presenters Postacquisition in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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.
Weaknesses Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants are -
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Presenters Postacquisition has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Presenters Postacquisition even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants, is just above the industry average. Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants, in the dynamic environment Presenters Postacquisition has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Presenters Postacquisition has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Presenters Postacquisition has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Presenters Postacquisition has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Presenters Postacquisition 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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 Presenters Postacquisition 's lucrative customers.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Presenters Postacquisition has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Presenters Postacquisition, firm in the HBR case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Presenters Postacquisition is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants, 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.
Opportunities Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants | 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 Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants are -
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 Presenters Postacquisition in the consumer business. Now Presenters Postacquisition can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Presenters Postacquisition can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Reconfiguring business model
– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Presenters Postacquisition to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Presenters Postacquisition in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Organizational Development segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Presenters Postacquisition 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 Presenters Postacquisition to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Presenters Postacquisition 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, Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Presenters Postacquisition can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Presenters Postacquisition to increase its market reach. Presenters Postacquisition will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Presenters Postacquisition can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Buying journey improvements
– Presenters Postacquisition can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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.
Threats Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants are -
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Presenters Postacquisition with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Presenters Postacquisition is facing in Organizational Development sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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 Presenters Postacquisition business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants, Presenters Postacquisition 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 .
Increasing wage structure of Presenters Postacquisition
– 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 Presenters Postacquisition.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Environmental challenges
– Presenters Postacquisition needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Presenters Postacquisition can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Organizational Development industry.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Presenters Postacquisition high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Presenters Postacquisition in the Organizational Development industry. The Organizational Development industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Presenters Postacquisition demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
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. Presenters Postacquisition 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
– Presenters Postacquisition 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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 Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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 Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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 Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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 Evaluation Questions for Assessing Post-Merger-Integration Consultants 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 Presenters Postacquisition needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.