Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin
This case follows the development of a firm's first product, the public presentation of research results, and the stock market reactions. In spite of successful research, the stock price falls dramatically. Asks why this happened, how concerned the CEO should be, whether management could have prevented it, and what the firm should do now.
Authors :: Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, Sharon Rossi
Swot Analysis of "Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin" written by Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, Sharon Rossi includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Betafectin Alpha facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Competitive strategy, Entrepreneurship, Product development, Technology and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin casestudy better are - – central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing commodity prices, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, 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
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Betafectin Alpha, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Betafectin Alpha
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 Betafectin Alpha
Strengths Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Betafectin Alpha in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin Harvard Business Review case study are -
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Betafectin Alpha in the sector have low bargaining power. Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Betafectin Alpha to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Betafectin Alpha digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Betafectin Alpha 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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Betafectin Alpha has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Betafectin Alpha 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Organizational Resilience of Betafectin Alpha
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Betafectin Alpha does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Training and development
– Betafectin Alpha has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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.
Learning organization
- Betafectin Alpha 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 Betafectin Alpha is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Betafectin Alpha is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Betafectin Alpha is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Betafectin Alpha in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Betafectin Alpha 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.
Weaknesses Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Betafectin Alpha is planning to shift buying processes online.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Betafectin Alpha is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Betafectin Alpha needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin, it seems that the employees of Betafectin Alpha 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Betafectin Alpha, firm in the HBR case study Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Betafectin Alpha is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Betafectin Alpha 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Betafectin Alpha 's lucrative customers.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin, 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Betafectin Alpha has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin, in the dynamic environment Betafectin Alpha has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Betafectin Alpha has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Opportunities Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin | 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin are -
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Betafectin Alpha can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Betafectin Alpha is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Betafectin Alpha 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, Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Buying journey improvements
– Betafectin Alpha can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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.
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 Betafectin Alpha in the consumer business. Now Betafectin Alpha can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Developing new processes and practices
– Betafectin Alpha 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Betafectin Alpha to increase its market reach. Betafectin Alpha 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Betafectin Alpha 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Betafectin Alpha can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Betafectin Alpha operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
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. Betafectin Alpha 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. Betafectin Alpha 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Betafectin Alpha 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Betafectin Alpha has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin are -
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Betafectin Alpha is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Betafectin Alpha has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Betafectin Alpha 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.
Regulatory challenges
– Betafectin Alpha 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.
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. Betafectin Alpha can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Betafectin Alpha in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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 Betafectin Alpha.
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.
Environmental challenges
– Betafectin Alpha 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. Betafectin Alpha can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Betafectin Alpha 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.
Increasing wage structure of Betafectin Alpha
– 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 Betafectin Alpha.
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 Betafectin Alpha business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin .
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Betafectin Alpha 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc. (B): Trials with Betafectin 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 Betafectin Alpha needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
