Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Technology & Operations
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond
In this paper, I contend that executive leaders can and should be prepared to spot timely opportunities and prevent major failures, even if it requires understanding IT technical details. An essential part of executive leadership is exception management - and exceptions occur everywhere, often surfacing first as details, nothing more. Here I present two cases that show technology is no exception. In this paper, I outline how Steelscreen.com's and RoweCom's early years can illustrate why understanding IT technical details helps explain IT-related failures and successes. In particular, I outline the differences between the two stories and argue that the show stopper for Steelscreen was at its crux a technology detail - the other shortcomings could have been addressed elsewhere. I conclude with some recommendations for executive leaders and a brief outline of a teaching approach suggestion for an MBA or a Senior Executive IT class based on the ideas presented.
Swot Analysis of "Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond" written by Brian Subirana includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Outline Details facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Communication, Leadership and Technology & Operations.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond casestudy better are - – cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing energy prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, technology disruption, there is backlash against globalization,
increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing transportation and logistics costs, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Outline Details, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Outline Details 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Outline Details
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 Outline Details
Strengths Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Outline Details in Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– Outline Details has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Outline Details has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Diverse revenue streams
– Outline Details is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Outline Details 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Technology & Operations industry
– Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Outline Details to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Technology & Operations industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Outline Details to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Outline Details 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Outline Details 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.
Digital Transformation in Technology & Operations segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Outline Details digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Outline Details 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.
Learning organization
- Outline Details 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 Outline Details is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Outline Details 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Analytics focus
– Outline Details 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 Brian Subirana 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.
High brand equity
– Outline Details has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Outline Details to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Weaknesses Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Outline Details is planning to shift buying processes online.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Outline Details 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond, it seems that the employees of Outline Details 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond, in the dynamic environment Outline Details has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Outline Details has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Brian Subirana suggests that, Outline Details 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 strategic competitive environment developments
– As Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond HBR case study mentions - Outline Details takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Outline Details is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Outline Details 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 - Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Outline Details has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Outline Details 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. Outline Details 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Outline Details 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.
Opportunities Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond | 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond are -
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Outline Details has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Outline Details to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond case study. Outline Details can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Outline Details is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Outline Details 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Outline Details can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Outline Details operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Technology & Operations sector.
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. Outline Details 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. Outline Details 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Outline Details to increase its market reach. Outline Details 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Outline Details 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Outline Details 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Outline Details 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Outline Details 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Outline Details 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 Outline Details to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Outline Details 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, Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Outline Details 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Outline Details to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Threats Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond are -
Increasing wage structure of Outline Details
– 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 Outline Details.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Outline Details with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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. Outline Details 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Outline Details 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.
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 Outline Details business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Outline Details is facing in Technology & Operations sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond, Outline Details 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 .
Regulatory challenges
– Outline Details 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Outline Details 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond .
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 Outline Details.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Outline Details 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. Outline Details needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Technology & Operations industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Outline Details 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Executive Leadership and ITs Technical Details: Teaching Approach for Steelscreen.com and Beyond 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 Outline Details needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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