Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Technology & Operations
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management
Considers whether the management of Procter & Gamble (P&G) Pharmaceuticals should adopt Web-based electronic data capture (EDC) as the default standard for the management of its clinical drug trials. Provides a detailed description of the existing paper-based process for clinical trial management at P&G and asks students to consider whether and to what extent the use of information technology--in the form of Web-based EDC--could improve that process. Highlights tensions surrounding the implementation of new technologies and considered potential barriers to implementation both within the firm and with other firms in the value chain. Finally, considers how a firm should structure relationships with external providers of new, process-related technologies.
Swot Analysis of "Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management" written by Mark J. Cotteleer, Robert S. Huckman includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Edc Clinical facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, IT, Research & development, Strategy execution and Technology & Operations.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management casestudy better are - – technology disruption, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Edc Clinical, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Edc Clinical 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Edc Clinical
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Technology & Operations field.
4. Making a Technology & Operations topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Edc Clinical
Strengths Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Edc Clinical in Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management Harvard Business Review case study are -
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Edc Clinical 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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
– Edc Clinical is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Edc Clinical 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Edc Clinical in the sector have low bargaining power. Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Edc Clinical to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Analytics focus
– Edc Clinical 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 Mark J. Cotteleer, Robert S. Huckman 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
– Edc Clinical 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Strong track record of project management
– Edc Clinical 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
– Edc Clinical is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Technology & Operations industry
– Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Edc Clinical to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Technology & Operations industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Edc Clinical to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Edc Clinical 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Edc Clinical is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management are -
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Mark J. Cotteleer, Robert S. Huckman suggests that, Edc Clinical 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.
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 Edc Clinical supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Edc Clinical vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Edc Clinical is planning to shift buying processes online.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Edc Clinical 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 - Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Edc Clinical 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Edc Clinical 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of Edc Clinical products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Edc Clinical needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management, in the dynamic environment Edc Clinical has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Edc Clinical has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Edc Clinical is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Technology & Operations segment. Edc Clinical needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Edc Clinical to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Edc Clinical has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Edc Clinical, firm in the HBR case study Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Opportunities Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management | 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management are -
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Edc Clinical in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Technology & Operations segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Edc Clinical to increase its market reach. Edc Clinical 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Edc Clinical is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Edc Clinical 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.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Technology & Operations industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Edc Clinical can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
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 Edc Clinical in the consumer business. Now Edc Clinical 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 Edc Clinical 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Edc Clinical 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Edc Clinical can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Edc Clinical 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Edc Clinical can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Technology & Operations 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Edc Clinical has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Edc Clinical to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management case study. Edc Clinical can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Loyalty marketing
– Edc Clinical 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management are -
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Edc Clinical can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Edc Clinical 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management .
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. Edc Clinical 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Edc Clinical demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Edc Clinical with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Increasing wage structure of Edc Clinical
– 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 Edc Clinical.
Regulatory challenges
– Edc Clinical 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 Technology & Operations industry regulations.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Edc Clinical in the Technology & Operations industry. The Technology & Operations 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.
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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management, Edc Clinical may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Technology & Operations .
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Edc Clinical has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Technology & Operations industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Edc Clinical needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Technology & Operations 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
– Edc Clinical 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 Edc Clinical is facing in Technology & Operations sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Procter & Gamble: Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management 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 Edc Clinical needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
