Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
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Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems
Describes the evolution of the handheld operating system market. Describes the rise to dominance of Palm's operating system and the significant challenge to that dominance posed by Microsoft's Windows CE.
Swot Analysis of "Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems" written by Kenneth Corts, Debbie Freier includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Handheld Dominance facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, IT and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems casestudy better are - – competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, wage bills are increasing, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing transportation and logistics costs,
technology disruption, there is backlash against globalization, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Handheld Dominance, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Handheld Dominance 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Handheld Dominance
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 Handheld Dominance
Strengths Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Handheld Dominance in Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Handheld Dominance 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 Handheld Dominance in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Handheld Dominance 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 Handheld Dominance in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Strong track record of project management
– Handheld Dominance is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Handheld Dominance digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Handheld Dominance 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Handheld Dominance is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Handheld Dominance in the sector have low bargaining power. Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Handheld Dominance to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Organizational Resilience of Handheld Dominance
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Handheld Dominance does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Handheld Dominance 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Innovation driven organization
– Handheld Dominance is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Handheld Dominance 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Handheld Dominance to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Handheld Dominance to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Weaknesses Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems are -
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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 Handheld Dominance has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Kenneth Corts, Debbie Freier suggests that, Handheld Dominance 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Handheld Dominance has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems, it seems that the employees of Handheld Dominance 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Handheld Dominance 's lucrative customers.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Handheld Dominance 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Handheld Dominance 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems, in the dynamic environment Handheld Dominance has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Handheld Dominance has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems HBR case study mentions - Handheld Dominance 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Handheld Dominance 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 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 Handheld Dominance supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Handheld Dominance vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Opportunities Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems | 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems are -
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Handheld Dominance has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Handheld Dominance to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems case study. Handheld Dominance can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Handheld Dominance 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Handheld Dominance to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Handheld Dominance 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 Handheld Dominance to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Manufacturing automation
– Handheld Dominance 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.
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 Handheld Dominance 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 Handheld Dominance in the consumer business. Now Handheld Dominance can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Handheld Dominance can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Handheld Dominance 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.
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. Handheld Dominance can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Handheld Dominance 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Handheld Dominance can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Handheld Dominance can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Handheld Dominance 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 Handheld Dominance to increase its market reach. Handheld Dominance 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.
Threats Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems are -
Consumer confidence and its impact on Handheld Dominance 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.
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 Handheld Dominance.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Handheld Dominance 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 dependence on third party suppliers
– Handheld Dominance 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.
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 Handheld Dominance business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, 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. Handheld Dominance needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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.
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 Handheld Dominance in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Regulatory challenges
– Handheld Dominance 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Handheld Dominance with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Handheld Dominance has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Handheld Dominance 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.
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. Handheld Dominance can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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 Rise and Fall (?) of Palm Computing in Handheld Operating Systems 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 Handheld Dominance needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.