Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A)
After restructuring Scott Paper with a 34% reduction in head count and successfully selling the company to Kimberly Clark, Al Dunlap is hired as CEO by Sunbeam. This case describes the management principles of this corporate turnaround expert and his actions at Sunbeam.
Authors :: Ross Petty, Virginia Soybel, Phyllis Schlesinger, Sam Perkins
Swot Analysis of "Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A)" written by Ross Petty, Virginia Soybel, Phyllis Schlesinger, Sam Perkins includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Dunlap Sunbeam facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Ethics, Regulation, Reorganization and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) casestudy better are - – cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing commodity prices, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, technology disruption, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, there is backlash against globalization,
geopolitical disruptions, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Dunlap Sunbeam, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Dunlap Sunbeam
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 Dunlap Sunbeam
Strengths Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Dunlap Sunbeam in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Highly skilled collaborators
– Dunlap Sunbeam has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Strong track record of project management
– Dunlap Sunbeam is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Diverse revenue streams
– Dunlap Sunbeam is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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.
Organizational Resilience of Dunlap Sunbeam
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Dunlap Sunbeam does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Dunlap Sunbeam to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Dunlap Sunbeam to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Dunlap Sunbeam in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Dunlap Sunbeam in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Innovation driven organization
– Dunlap Sunbeam is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Dunlap Sunbeam in the sector have low bargaining power. Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Dunlap Sunbeam to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Dunlap Sunbeam has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Weaknesses Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) are -
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Dunlap Sunbeam 's lucrative customers.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Dunlap Sunbeam has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Dunlap Sunbeam even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A), it seems that the employees of Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) HBR case study mentions - Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Dunlap Sunbeam is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Dunlap Sunbeam is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Dunlap Sunbeam needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Dunlap Sunbeam to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
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 Dunlap Sunbeam supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Dunlap Sunbeam vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Dunlap Sunbeam has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Dunlap Sunbeam is planning to shift buying processes online.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Dunlap Sunbeam, firm in the HBR case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Opportunities Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) | 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) are -
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Dunlap Sunbeam to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Dunlap Sunbeam can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
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 Dunlap Sunbeam in the consumer business. Now Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Dunlap Sunbeam can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Dunlap Sunbeam to increase its market reach. Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Dunlap Sunbeam has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Dunlap Sunbeam to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) case study. Dunlap Sunbeam can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Dunlap Sunbeam is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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.
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. Dunlap Sunbeam can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Buying journey improvements
– Dunlap Sunbeam can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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.
Threats Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) are -
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A), Dunlap Sunbeam 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 .
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 Dunlap Sunbeam.
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. Dunlap Sunbeam needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Increasing wage structure of Dunlap Sunbeam
– 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 Dunlap Sunbeam.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Regulatory challenges
– Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Dunlap Sunbeam has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Dunlap Sunbeam 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 dependence on third party suppliers
– Dunlap Sunbeam 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.
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. Dunlap Sunbeam 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 Dunlap Sunbeam in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Dunlap Sunbeam with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Albert Dunlap and Corporate Transformation (A) 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 Dunlap Sunbeam needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.