Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
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Case Study Description of Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10
The case opens with the background of RIM and a description of the industry as well as technology upon which RIM based its success. It follows chronologically how the industry shaped up, including trends and competitive dynamics.
Authors :: John F. Burr, Frank T. Rothaermel, Jose Urbina
Swot Analysis of "Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10" written by John F. Burr, Frank T. Rothaermel, Jose Urbina includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Rim Chronologically facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Innovation, Leadership and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 casestudy better are - – central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing transportation and logistics costs, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
there is increasing trade war between United States & China, geopolitical disruptions, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Rim Chronologically, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Rim Chronologically 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Rim Chronologically
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 Rim Chronologically
Strengths Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Rim Chronologically in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– Rim Chronologically has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Rim Chronologically 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Rim Chronologically 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Rim Chronologically is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Rim Chronologically 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 Rim Chronologically in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
High brand equity
– Rim Chronologically has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Rim Chronologically 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 Rim Chronologically digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Rim Chronologically 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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.
Learning organization
- Rim Chronologically 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 Rim Chronologically is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Training and development
– Rim Chronologically has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Rim Chronologically is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Rim Chronologically is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Rim Chronologically in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Weaknesses Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 are -
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Rim Chronologically 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Rim Chronologically 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10, is just above the industry average. Rim Chronologically needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Lack of clear differentiation of Rim Chronologically products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Rim Chronologically needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Rim Chronologically 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Rim Chronologically is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Rim Chronologically needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Rim Chronologically to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10, in the dynamic environment Rim Chronologically has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Rim Chronologically has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Rim Chronologically is planning to shift buying processes online.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Rim Chronologically 's lucrative customers.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Rim Chronologically 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10, 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.
Opportunities Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 | 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 are -
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Rim Chronologically 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Rim Chronologically is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Rim Chronologically 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Rim Chronologically 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.
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. Rim Chronologically 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. Rim Chronologically can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Rim Chronologically can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
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. Rim Chronologically 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 Rim Chronologically 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 Rim Chronologically to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Rim Chronologically 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Rim Chronologically can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Rim Chronologically operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Developing new processes and practices
– Rim Chronologically 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Rim Chronologically 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Rim Chronologically 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, Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Threats Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 are -
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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Rim Chronologically 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Rim Chronologically 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.
Increasing wage structure of Rim Chronologically
– 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 Rim Chronologically.
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.
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Rim Chronologically will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Rim Chronologically has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Rim Chronologically 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Rim Chronologically 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Rim Chronologically with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Environmental challenges
– Rim Chronologically 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. Rim Chronologically can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Rim Chronologically 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10, Rim Chronologically may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Strategy & Execution .
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. Rim Chronologically 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Make or Break at RIM (in 2013): Launching BlackBerry 10 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 Rim Chronologically needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.