Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector
Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation (HSC) was established in April of 2003. At the time, it was the 11th securities company to be founded in the Vietnam. From the outset, HSC provided a full range of securities trading and investment banking-related services. HSC was established to help restructure SOEs and to raise capital for development projects. That is, it was founded as a joint-stock company with the largest of the original investors being the Ho Chi Minh City Investment Fund for Urban Development (HIFU). In May of 2007, the Dragon Capital Group (Dragon Capital), a UK-based fund manager that had already established a foothold in Vietnam, took on just under 30% of HSC's shares. That change in ownership structure of HSC prompted a change in the composition of the board of directors and of the management team. The new team took a range of steps to strengthen the company and help distinguish it from rivals. They articulated a set of organisational values and took steps to shape an organisational culture. They shored up the financial foundation of the firm. They deepened and broadened the expertise embedded in different departments of the company. They introduced new products and services in order to penetrate new market segments. Despite a turbulent external environment, at the end of 2008, the team charted a strategy which called for HSC to increase market share.
Swot Analysis of "Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector" written by Michael J. Fratantuono, Luan Nguyen includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Hsc Minh facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Emerging markets, Financial management, Financial markets, Policy and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing energy prices, wage bills are increasing, geopolitical disruptions,
there is backlash against globalization, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Hsc Minh, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Hsc Minh 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Hsc Minh
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Strategy & Execution field.
4. Making a Strategy & Execution topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Hsc Minh
Strengths Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Hsc Minh in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector Harvard Business Review case study are -
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Hsc Minh in the sector have low bargaining power. Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Hsc Minh to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Hsc Minh to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Hsc Minh to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Hsc Minh is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 recruit top talent
– Hsc Minh is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Innovation driven organization
– Hsc Minh is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
High brand equity
– Hsc Minh has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Hsc Minh to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Hsc Minh 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.
Training and development
– Hsc Minh has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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.
Analytics focus
– Hsc Minh 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 Michael J. Fratantuono, Luan Nguyen 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.
Learning organization
- Hsc Minh 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 Hsc Minh is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Hsc Minh 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector are -
Products dominated business model
– Even though Hsc Minh 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 - Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
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 Hsc Minh supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Hsc Minh vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Hsc Minh 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector, is just above the industry average. Hsc Minh 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Hsc Minh, firm in the HBR case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Strategy & Execution 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Hsc Minh 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.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Hsc Minh has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Hsc Minh is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector, in the dynamic environment Hsc Minh has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Hsc Minh has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Hsc Minh 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. Hsc Minh 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.
Opportunities Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector | 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector are -
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Strategy & Execution industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Hsc Minh 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. Hsc Minh 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Hsc Minh can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Hsc Minh 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Hsc Minh to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Manufacturing automation
– Hsc Minh can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Strategy & Execution 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Hsc Minh can develop new processes and procedures in Strategy & Execution industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Strategy & Execution industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Hsc Minh can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Hsc Minh has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Hsc Minh to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector case study. Hsc Minh can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Hsc Minh 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Hsc Minh in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Strategy & Execution segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Hsc Minh 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, Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Hsc Minh is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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.
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 Hsc Minh in the consumer business. Now Hsc Minh can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Hsc Minh 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 Strategy & Execution segment.
Threats Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector are -
Environmental challenges
– Hsc Minh 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. Hsc Minh can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Hsc Minh with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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.
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 Hsc Minh in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector, Hsc Minh may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Strategy & Execution .
Consumer confidence and its impact on Hsc Minh 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Hsc Minh is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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. Hsc Minh needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Hsc Minh business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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 Hsc Minh.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Hsc Minh 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.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Strategy & Execution field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Hsc Minh can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Regulatory challenges
– Hsc Minh 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 Strategy & Execution industry regulations.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector 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 Hsc Minh needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
Feel free to connect with us if you need business research.
You can download Excel Template of Case Study Solution & Analysis of Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation: Seeking Competitive Advantage in Vietnam's Evolving Financial Sector