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Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged)


Describes a decision facing Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. in June 1985: whether to continue to compete in the silicon steel business in the face of stiff competition from imports. Includes a complete description of the company's productivity improvement systems and procedures (its chief competitive strengths) and shows how they have become a tool for steady and continuous improvement.

Authors :: Steven C. Wheelwright

Topics :: Technology & Operations

Tags :: Decision making, Developing employees, Globalization, Manufacturing, Productivity, Technology, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged)" written by Steven C. Wheelwright includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Allegheny Ludlum facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Decision making, Developing employees, Globalization, Manufacturing, Productivity, Technology and Technology & Operations.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) casestudy better are - – challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing commodity prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, wage bills are increasing, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged)


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Allegheny Ludlum, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Allegheny Ludlum 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Allegheny Ludlum
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 Allegheny Ludlum




Strengths Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Allegheny Ludlum in Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) Harvard Business Review case study are -

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Learning organization

- Allegheny Ludlum 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 Allegheny Ludlum is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Allegheny Ludlum in the sector have low bargaining power. Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Allegheny Ludlum to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Analytics focus

– Allegheny Ludlum 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 Steven C. Wheelwright 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.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Allegheny Ludlum has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Ability to lead change in Technology & Operations field

– Allegheny Ludlum 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 Allegheny Ludlum in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.

Strong track record of project management

– Allegheny Ludlum 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)

– Allegheny Ludlum 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Digital Transformation in Technology & Operations segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Allegheny Ludlum digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Innovation driven organization

– Allegheny Ludlum is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Allegheny Ludlum 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.






Weaknesses Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) are -

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Allegheny Ludlum 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.

High operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Allegheny Ludlum 's lucrative customers.

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Allegheny Ludlum 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Allegheny Ludlum is planning to shift buying processes online.

Need for greater diversity

– Allegheny Ludlum 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.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Lack of clear differentiation of Allegheny Ludlum products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Allegheny Ludlum needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Allegheny Ludlum 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 - Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Allegheny Ludlum is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Technology & Operations segment. Allegheny Ludlum needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Allegheny Ludlum to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged), in the dynamic environment Allegheny Ludlum has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Allegheny Ludlum has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Allegheny Ludlum 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.




Opportunities Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) | 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) are -

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Allegheny Ludlum 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, Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Developing new processes and practices

– Allegheny Ludlum 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.

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. Allegheny Ludlum can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Allegheny Ludlum to increase its market reach. Allegheny Ludlum 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.

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. Allegheny Ludlum can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Allegheny Ludlum 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.

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. Allegheny Ludlum 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. Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Buying journey improvements

– Allegheny Ludlum can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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.

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Allegheny Ludlum is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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.

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 Allegheny Ludlum 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.




Threats Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) are -

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Allegheny Ludlum has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Technology & Operations industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Allegheny Ludlum 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.

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 Allegheny Ludlum in the Technology & Operations sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

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. Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Environmental challenges

– Allegheny Ludlum 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. Allegheny Ludlum can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Technology & Operations industry.

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Allegheny Ludlum 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.

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 Allegheny Ludlum.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Allegheny Ludlum is facing in Technology & Operations sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Allegheny Ludlum 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.

Regulatory challenges

– Allegheny Ludlum 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.

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.

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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged), Allegheny Ludlum 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 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. Allegheny Ludlum needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Technology & Operations industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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 Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. (Abridged) 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 Allegheny Ludlum needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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