Swot Analysis of "Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B)" written by Roderick E. White, Ken Mark includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Slangsoft Jerusalem facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Joint ventures, Mergers & acquisitions, Project management and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) casestudy better are - – competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, there is backlash against globalization, increasing transportation and logistics costs, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing energy prices,
cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, geopolitical disruptions, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Slangsoft Jerusalem, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Slangsoft Jerusalem
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 Slangsoft Jerusalem
Strengths Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Slangsoft Jerusalem in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Slangsoft Jerusalem to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Slangsoft Jerusalem to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Slangsoft Jerusalem is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Slangsoft Jerusalem in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Diverse revenue streams
– Slangsoft Jerusalem is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Slangsoft Jerusalem
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Slangsoft Jerusalem does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Analytics focus
– Slangsoft Jerusalem is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Roderick E. White, Ken Mark can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Slangsoft Jerusalem is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Learning organization
- Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 Slangsoft Jerusalem is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Slangsoft Jerusalem in the sector have low bargaining power. Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Slangsoft Jerusalem to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) are -
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Slangsoft Jerusalem 's lucrative customers.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B), in the dynamic environment Slangsoft Jerusalem has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Slangsoft Jerusalem has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Roderick E. White, Ken Mark suggests that, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B), 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Slangsoft Jerusalem has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Slangsoft Jerusalem is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Slangsoft Jerusalem needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Slangsoft Jerusalem to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Lack of clear differentiation of Slangsoft Jerusalem products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Slangsoft Jerusalem needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) HBR case study mentions - Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Opportunities Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) | 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) are -
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
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 Slangsoft Jerusalem in the consumer business. Now Slangsoft Jerusalem can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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 Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Slangsoft Jerusalem can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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, Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Slangsoft Jerusalem can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Slangsoft Jerusalem to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Slangsoft Jerusalem 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
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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. Slangsoft Jerusalem 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. Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
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. Slangsoft Jerusalem can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Loyalty marketing
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Threats Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) are -
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 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. Slangsoft Jerusalem needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Slangsoft Jerusalem business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) .
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. Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Slangsoft Jerusalem is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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. Slangsoft Jerusalem can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Regulatory challenges
– Slangsoft Jerusalem 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.
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 Slangsoft Jerusalem in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B), Slangsoft Jerusalem 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 .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B) 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 Slangsoft Jerusalem needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.