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Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens


The introduction of a new class of persistent herbicides is anticipated by DuPont as a game-changer for the firm and its customers. Instead, the product creates unforeseen damage to vegetation. The mobilization of the customer base soon extends to the general public and regulators, leading to withdrawal of the product and ultimately the sale of the DuPont business unit concerned.

Authors :: Luk Van Wassenhove, Mark Hunter, Maria Besiou

Topics :: Strategy & Execution

Tags :: Sustainability, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens" written by Luk Van Wassenhove, Mark Hunter, Maria Besiou includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Dupont Widens facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Sustainability and Strategy & Execution.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens casestudy better are - – digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, technology disruption, geopolitical disruptions, increasing transportation and logistics costs, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, wage bills are increasing, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Dupont Widens, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Dupont Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Dupont Widens
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 Dupont Widens




Strengths Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Dupont Widens in Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens Harvard Business Review case study are -

Ability to recruit top talent

– Dupont Widens is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field

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

Analytics focus

– Dupont Widens 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 Luk Van Wassenhove, Mark Hunter, Maria Besiou 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.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Dupont Widens 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.

Superior customer experience

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

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Dupont Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Dupont Widens has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Dupont Widens 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.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry

– Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Dupont Widens to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Dupont Widens to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Dupont Widens in the sector have low bargaining power. Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Dupont Widens to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Training and development

– Dupont Widens has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.

High brand equity

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

Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Dupont Widens digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Dupont Widens 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.






Weaknesses Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens are -

High bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Luk Van Wassenhove, Mark Hunter, Maria Besiou suggests that, Dupont Widens 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.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Dupont Widens 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.

Capital Spending Reduction

– Even during the low interest decade, Dupont Widens 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.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Dupont Widens 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.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Dupont Widens is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Dupont Widens needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Dupont Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens, it seems that the employees of Dupont Widens 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.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens, 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 star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Dupont Widens has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

Slow to strategic competitive environment developments

– As Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens HBR case study mentions - Dupont Widens 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.

Lack of clear differentiation of Dupont Widens products

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

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Dupont Widens is planning to shift buying processes online.




Opportunities Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens | 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens are -

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Dupont Widens 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.

Better consumer reach

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

Increase in government spending

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

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Dupont Widens 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, Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Dupont Widens has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Dupont Widens to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens case study. Dupont Widens can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Dupont Widens 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.

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 Dupont Widens 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.

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 Dupont Widens in the consumer business. Now Dupont Widens can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Dupont Widens 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.

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. Dupont Widens can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

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

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Dupont Widens is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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.

Developing new processes and practices

– Dupont Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens are -

Consumer confidence and its impact on Dupont Widens 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.

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.

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. Dupont Widens can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Dupont Widens is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Dupont Widens 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

– Dupont Widens 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.

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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Dupont Widens has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Dupont Widens 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. Dupont Widens needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Dupont Widens 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.

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 Dupont Widens business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Regulatory challenges

– Dupont Widens 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.

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 Dupont Widens.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens 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 Dupont Widens needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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