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Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries


Outlines some of the ways network technology is changing the role of intermediaries in the market.

Authors :: Youngme Moon

Topics :: Sales & Marketing

Tags :: IT, Marketing, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries" written by Youngme Moon includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Intermediaries Network facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, IT, Marketing and Sales & Marketing.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries casestudy better are - – increasing household debt because of falling income levels, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, geopolitical disruptions, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Intermediaries Network, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Intermediaries Network 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Intermediaries Network
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Sales & Marketing field.
4. Making a Sales & Marketing topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Intermediaries Network




Strengths Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Intermediaries Network in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries Harvard Business Review case study are -

Learning organization

- Intermediaries Network 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 Intermediaries Network is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Strong track record of project management

– Intermediaries Network is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Intermediaries Network in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Intermediaries Network is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry

– Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Intermediaries Network to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Intermediaries Network to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Training and development

– Intermediaries Network has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Intermediaries Network has innovation driven culture where significant part of the revenues are spent on the research and development activities. This has resulted in, as mentioned in case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Diverse revenue streams

– Intermediaries Network is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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.

Ability to lead change in Sales & Marketing field

– Intermediaries Network 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 Intermediaries Network in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.

Organizational Resilience of Intermediaries Network

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Intermediaries Network does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

High brand equity

– Intermediaries Network has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Intermediaries Network to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.

Analytics focus

– Intermediaries Network is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Youngme Moon can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.



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Net Promoter Score



Weaknesses Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries are -

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries, is just above the industry average. Intermediaries Network 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.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Intermediaries Network is planning to shift buying processes online.

Capital Spending Reduction

– Even during the low interest decade, Intermediaries Network 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.

Need for greater diversity

– Intermediaries Network 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.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Intermediaries Network 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.

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 Intermediaries Network supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Intermediaries Network vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Intermediaries Network is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Sales & Marketing segment. Intermediaries Network needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Intermediaries Network to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Sales & Marketing 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.

Slow to strategic competitive environment developments

– As Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries HBR case study mentions - Intermediaries Network takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries, in the dynamic environment Intermediaries Network has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Intermediaries Network has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Lack of clear differentiation of Intermediaries Network products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Intermediaries Network needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.




Opportunities Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries | 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries are -

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Intermediaries Network to increase its market reach. Intermediaries Network 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.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Intermediaries Network 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 Intermediaries Network to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Intermediaries Network 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.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Intermediaries Network 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Intermediaries Network to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Intermediaries Network 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Intermediaries Network is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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.

Finding new ways to collaborate

– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Sales & Marketing industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Intermediaries Network can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

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. Intermediaries Network can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Sales & Marketing industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Intermediaries Network 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. Intermediaries Network 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.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Intermediaries Network has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Intermediaries Network to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries case study. Intermediaries Network can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Intermediaries Network can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Intermediaries Network operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Sales & Marketing sector.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Intermediaries Network 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 Sales & Marketing segment.

Reforming the budgeting process

- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Intermediaries Network can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.




Threats Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries are -

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.

Environmental challenges

– Intermediaries Network 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. Intermediaries Network can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry.

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. Intermediaries Network 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.

New competition

– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Intermediaries Network in the Sales & Marketing sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

Capital market disruption

– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Intermediaries Network.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Intermediaries Network has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Sales & Marketing industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Intermediaries Network needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Sales & Marketing 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.

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Intermediaries Network in the Sales & Marketing industry. The Sales & Marketing 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.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Intermediaries Network 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.

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 Intermediaries Network business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Regulatory challenges

– Intermediaries Network 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 Sales & Marketing industry regulations.

Increasing wage structure of Intermediaries Network

– 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 Intermediaries Network.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries, Intermediaries Network may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Sales & Marketing .

Consumer confidence and its impact on Intermediaries Network 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.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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 Network Technology and the Role of Intermediaries 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 Intermediaries Network needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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