Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
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Case Study Description of Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001
Well before the fateful morning of September 11, 2001, the threat posed to Americans and the United States by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda ("The Base") network of terrorists was well documented and closely monitored. Two US agencies-the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-each maintained units devoted to bin Laden. In 1998 and 2000, al Qaeda attacks on US targets had precipitated intensive investigations which yielded a wealth of knowledge about the terrorist operation. Those attacks also promoted increased cooperation between the FBI and CIA, which regularly exchanged personnel and information. Moreover, throughout the summer of 2001, there had been a steady drumbeat of warnings about terrorist attacks, which the US government treated with utmost seriousness. American travelers abroad, US embassies, businesses and military installations were all in a heightened state of alert. The Federal Aviation Authority issued general warnings to airlines. An FBI office reported on suspicious Middle Eastern men taking flying lessons in Phoenix; an aviation student in Minnesota was arrested. The CIA notified the FBI that two suspected al Qaeda members were in the US. This case brings together accounts of what U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies knew about al Qaeda before September 11, 2001 and raises the question of why that knowledge-tips, satellite pictures, intercepted communications, defector reports, courtroom testimony-did not thwart the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. It frames, in particular, the challenges of synthesizing intelligence-the difficulties involved in assembling seemingly random incidents into a coherent picture and distinguishing between credible warnings and probable false alarms. It can be used as a vehicle for discussion about intelligence-gathering per se, as well as government inter-agency and inter-departmental coordination. HKS Case Number 1662.0
Swot Analysis of "Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001" written by Kirsten Lundberg, Ernest May includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Qaeda Fbi facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Leadership, Project management, Risk management, Security & privacy, Strategic planning and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 casestudy better are - – supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing commodity prices, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, there is backlash against globalization, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation,
increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Qaeda Fbi, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Qaeda Fbi 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Qaeda Fbi
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 Qaeda Fbi
Strengths Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Qaeda Fbi in Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 Harvard Business Review case study are -
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Qaeda Fbi 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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Qaeda Fbi has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Qaeda Fbi 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.
Organizational Resilience of Qaeda Fbi
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Qaeda Fbi does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Qaeda Fbi 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Qaeda Fbi to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Qaeda Fbi to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High brand equity
– Qaeda Fbi has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Qaeda Fbi to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Innovation driven organization
– Qaeda Fbi is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Qaeda Fbi 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Qaeda Fbi is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Qaeda Fbi digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Qaeda Fbi 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.
Analytics focus
– Qaeda Fbi 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 Kirsten Lundberg, Ernest May 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Qaeda Fbi 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Weaknesses Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 are -
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Qaeda Fbi, firm in the HBR case study Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Qaeda Fbi 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Qaeda Fbi is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Qaeda Fbi has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Qaeda Fbi 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. Qaeda Fbi 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001, in the dynamic environment Qaeda Fbi has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Qaeda Fbi has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
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 Qaeda Fbi supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Qaeda Fbi vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Qaeda Fbi is planning to shift buying processes online.
Lack of clear differentiation of Qaeda Fbi products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Qaeda Fbi needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Kirsten Lundberg, Ernest May suggests that, Qaeda Fbi is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Qaeda Fbi 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.
Opportunities Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 | 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 are -
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Qaeda Fbi 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Qaeda Fbi 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Qaeda Fbi 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.
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 Qaeda Fbi 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Qaeda Fbi 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Qaeda Fbi can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Qaeda Fbi operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Qaeda Fbi to increase its market reach. Qaeda Fbi 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Qaeda Fbi has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
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. Qaeda Fbi can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Qaeda Fbi 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, Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001, 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
– Qaeda Fbi can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Qaeda Fbi 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 Qaeda Fbi to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Developing new processes and practices
– Qaeda Fbi 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.
Threats Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 are -
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Qaeda Fbi is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Qaeda Fbi has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Qaeda Fbi needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Strategy & Execution 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.
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. Qaeda Fbi needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Increasing wage structure of Qaeda Fbi
– 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 Qaeda Fbi.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Qaeda Fbi in the Strategy & Execution industry. The Strategy & Execution 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.
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 Qaeda Fbi in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Regulatory challenges
– Qaeda Fbi 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Qaeda Fbi can face downward pressure on margins from increasing competition from international players. The international players have stable revenue in their home market and can use those resources to penetrate prominent markets illustrated in HBR case study Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 .
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Qaeda Fbi with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Qaeda Fbi 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 Qaeda Fbi 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 Qaeda Fbi.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Credible Warning or False Alarm? What the US Knew on September 10th, 2001 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 Qaeda Fbi needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.