Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Technology & Operations
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members
This set of cases (labeled A through M [UV1898 through UV1911]) presents various vignettes, each with a specific dilemma about genetic testing and the ethical issues and difficult decisions that this testing presents to patients, doctors, employers and employees. "A Note on the Human Genome Project" (UV1911) is about genetic testing which provides background and information on the issues.
Swot Analysis of "Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members" written by R. Edward Freeman, Stacy Pierce includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Testing Genetic facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Health and Technology & Operations.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members casestudy better are - – geopolitical disruptions, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing transportation and logistics costs, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Testing Genetic, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Testing Genetic 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Testing Genetic
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 Testing Genetic
Strengths Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Testing Genetic in Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members Harvard Business Review case study are -
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Testing Genetic 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Testing Genetic is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Testing Genetic 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Learning organization
- Testing Genetic 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 Testing Genetic is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Technology & Operations segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Testing Genetic digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Testing Genetic has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.
Training and development
– Testing Genetic has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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.
Organizational Resilience of Testing Genetic
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Testing Genetic does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Testing Genetic in the sector have low bargaining power. Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Testing Genetic to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
High brand equity
– Testing Genetic has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Testing Genetic to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Testing Genetic 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Testing Genetic 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.
Analytics focus
– Testing Genetic 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 R. Edward Freeman, Stacy Pierce 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.
Weaknesses Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members are -
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members HBR case study mentions - Testing Genetic 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Testing Genetic 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 cash cycle compare to competitors
Testing Genetic 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Testing Genetic 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Testing Genetic is planning to shift buying processes online.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members, is just above the industry average. Testing Genetic needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Technology & Operations 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Testing Genetic, firm in the HBR case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Testing Genetic is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Technology & Operations segment. Testing Genetic needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Testing Genetic to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Testing Genetic 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Testing Genetic is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Opportunities Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members | 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members are -
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Testing Genetic 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 Technology & Operations segment.
Buying journey improvements
– Testing Genetic can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Technology & Operations industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Testing Genetic 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. Testing Genetic 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Testing Genetic 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Testing Genetic to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 Testing Genetic 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
– Testing Genetic 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Testing Genetic has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Testing Genetic to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members case study. Testing Genetic can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Testing Genetic 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.
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 Testing Genetic in the consumer business. Now Testing Genetic can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. Testing Genetic can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Developing new processes and practices
– Testing Genetic can develop new processes and procedures in Technology & Operations industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Testing Genetic can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Testing Genetic operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Technology & Operations sector.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Testing Genetic can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Threats Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members are -
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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Testing Genetic 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 wage structure of Testing Genetic
– 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 Testing Genetic.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Testing Genetic with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Technology & Operations field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Testing Genetic can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members, Testing Genetic 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 .
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Testing Genetic 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.
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.
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 Testing Genetic business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Testing Genetic has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Technology & Operations industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Testing Genetic 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 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. Testing Genetic needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Technology & Operations industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Testing Genetic 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members .
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. Testing Genetic 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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 Genetic Testing and the Puzzles We Are Left To Solve (C): Informing Individuals Against the Wishes of Family Members 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 Testing Genetic needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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