Swot Analysis of "Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity"" written by Regina E. Herzlinger includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that 305027 Bulge facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing energy prices, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy,
cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity"
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the 305027 Bulge, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which 305027 Bulge 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of 305027 Bulge
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 305027 Bulge
Strengths Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of 305027 Bulge in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" Harvard Business Review case study are -
Diverse revenue streams
– 305027 Bulge is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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.
Innovation driven organization
– 305027 Bulge is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– 305027 Bulge 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the 305027 Bulge 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.
Analytics focus
– 305027 Bulge 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 Regina E. Herzlinger 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
- 305027 Bulge 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 305027 Bulge is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– 305027 Bulge 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of 305027 Bulge in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled 305027 Bulge to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped 305027 Bulge to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Successful track record of launching new products
– 305027 Bulge has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. 305027 Bulge 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.
Strong track record of project management
– 305027 Bulge is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" are -
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, 305027 Bulge 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of 305027 Bulge products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, 305027 Bulge needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Products dominated business model
– Even though 305027 Bulge 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 - Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
305027 Bulge 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity", 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.
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 305027 Bulge supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity", it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left 305027 Bulge vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity", in the dynamic environment 305027 Bulge has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. 305027 Bulge has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Regina E. Herzlinger suggests that, 305027 Bulge 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of 305027 Bulge is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. 305027 Bulge needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help 305027 Bulge to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity", it seems that the employees of 305027 Bulge don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as 305027 Bulge is planning to shift buying processes online.
Opportunities Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" | 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 305027 Bulge in the consumer business. Now 305027 Bulge can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. 305027 Bulge 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, 305027 Bulge 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, Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity", 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, 305027 Bulge 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.
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. 305027 Bulge can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for 305027 Bulge 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of 305027 Bulge has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help 305027 Bulge to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" case study. 305027 Bulge can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Strategy & Execution industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. 305027 Bulge 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. 305027 Bulge 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.
Manufacturing automation
– 305027 Bulge 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at 305027 Bulge 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for 305027 Bulge 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 305027 Bulge to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for 305027 Bulge 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
– 305027 Bulge 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.
Threats Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" are -
Increasing wage structure of 305027 Bulge
– 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 305027 Bulge.
Environmental challenges
– 305027 Bulge 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. 305027 Bulge can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
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 305027 Bulge.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, 305027 Bulge 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" .
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– 305027 Bulge 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.
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. 305027 Bulge needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– 305027 Bulge has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, 305027 Bulge 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.
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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that 305027 Bulge is facing in Strategy & Execution 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 305027 Bulge business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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.
Regulatory challenges
– 305027 Bulge 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for 305027 Bulge 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 Supplement to "Battle of the Bulge-Private and Public Solutions to Obesity" 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 305027 Bulge needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.