Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind
To maximize their effectiveness, color cases should be printed in color.North Sails is the world's leading sailmaker. The company commands a global market share of more than 50% and is largely responsible for the rapid technological progress in the sailmaking industry over the past 30 years. CEO Tom Whidden needs to consider how to best defend the company's leading position. Specifically, North currently uses neither patents nor copyright to protect its technology. The company even allows its designers to use its software when they do independent work. The case encourages a discussion of the role of intellectual property rights in safeguarding technology and know-how. By highlighting the costs and benefits of patents and copyright, the case points to a challenge that is common across many companies: Their most valuable assets are largely intangible, and these assets cannot easily be pinned down and protected. North's solution to this challenge is highly unusual and creative.
Authors :: Felix Oberholzer-Gee, William W. Fisher III
Swot Analysis of "Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind" written by Felix Oberholzer-Gee, William W. Fisher III includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Copyright Patents facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Operations management, Sales, Technology and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind casestudy better are - – technology disruption, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, increasing commodity prices, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
wage bills are increasing, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Copyright Patents, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Copyright Patents 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Copyright Patents
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 Copyright Patents
Strengths Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Copyright Patents in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Copyright Patents 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 Copyright Patents in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Copyright Patents are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Copyright Patents to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Copyright Patents to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Training and development
– Copyright Patents has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Copyright Patents 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Copyright Patents in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Diverse revenue streams
– Copyright Patents is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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 Copyright Patents
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Copyright Patents does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Strong track record of project management
– Copyright Patents is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Copyright Patents in the sector have low bargaining power. Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Copyright Patents to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Learning organization
- Copyright Patents 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 Copyright Patents is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
High brand equity
– Copyright Patents has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Copyright Patents to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Weaknesses Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind are -
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Copyright Patents is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Copyright Patents needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Copyright Patents to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Felix Oberholzer-Gee, William W. Fisher III suggests that, Copyright Patents 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Copyright Patents is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Need for greater diversity
– Copyright Patents 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind, it seems that the employees of Copyright Patents 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind, in the dynamic environment Copyright Patents has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Copyright Patents has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Copyright Patents 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, Copyright Patents 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Copyright Patents 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 - Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Copyright Patents, firm in the HBR case study Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Copyright Patents 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. Copyright Patents 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.
Opportunities Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind | 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Copyright Patents 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, Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Copyright Patents can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Copyright Patents operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Loyalty marketing
– Copyright Patents 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.
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 Copyright Patents 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Copyright Patents 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 Copyright Patents to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Copyright Patents 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Copyright Patents 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Copyright Patents 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.
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. Copyright Patents can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Copyright Patents is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Copyright Patents to increase its market reach. Copyright Patents 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Copyright Patents 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
– Copyright Patents 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.
Threats Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind are -
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 Copyright Patents.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Copyright Patents 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind .
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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Copyright Patents 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Copyright Patents 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind, Copyright Patents 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 .
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Copyright Patents has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Copyright Patents 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.
Environmental challenges
– Copyright Patents 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. Copyright Patents can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Increasing wage structure of Copyright Patents
– 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 Copyright Patents.
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. Copyright Patents 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 Copyright Patents in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Copyright Patents is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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. Copyright Patents 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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 Intellectual Property Strategy at North Technology Group-Sailing Downwind 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 Copyright Patents needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.