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Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics


Decentralized supply chains - with a greater number of hubs and depot locations - are designed to be more responsive to disasters around the globe by getting primary relief items such as food, water and medicines to beneficiaries quickly. This case explores the centralized vs. decentralized tradeoff for the secondary support supply chain of an international humanitarian organization (IHO). Using data from a real organization (unnamed), it asks whether supply chains for secondary support items should be the same as those for primary relief goods, and how earmarked funds impact the supply chain configuration. It presents information on donations, secondary support demand and response in mega disasters, and optimized data and simulation results. These allow for extensive data analytics, interpretation, and Excel modeling skills to be utilized, as well as students' intuition.

Authors :: Jon M. Stauffer, Alfonso Pedraza Martinez, Luk N. Van Wassenhove

Topics :: Technology & Operations

Tags :: Operations management, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics" written by Jon M. Stauffer, Alfonso Pedraza Martinez, Luk N. Van Wassenhove includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Supply Secondary facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Operations management and Technology & Operations.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics casestudy better are - – increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing commodity prices, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, geopolitical disruptions, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing energy prices, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics


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




Strengths Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Supply Secondary in Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics Harvard Business Review case study are -

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Supply Secondary in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Supply Secondary in the sector have low bargaining power. Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Supply Secondary to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Supply Secondary 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.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Supply Secondary 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Supply Secondary is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Learning organization

- Supply Secondary 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 Supply Secondary is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Diverse revenue streams

– Supply Secondary is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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

– Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Supply Secondary to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Technology & Operations industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Supply Secondary to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Ability to lead change in Technology & Operations field

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

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Supply Secondary 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.

Training and development

– Supply Secondary has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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.






Weaknesses Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics are -

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Supply Secondary is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

High bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Jon M. Stauffer, Alfonso Pedraza Martinez, Luk N. Van Wassenhove suggests that, Supply Secondary 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 star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Secondary has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

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 Supply Secondary supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Supply Secondary vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics, is just above the industry average. Supply Secondary 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.

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Supply Secondary 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.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics, it seems that the employees of Supply Secondary 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics, in the dynamic environment Supply Secondary has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Supply Secondary has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Supply Secondary 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 - Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Supply Secondary is planning to shift buying processes online.

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Supply Secondary 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. Supply Secondary even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.




Opportunities Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics | 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics are -

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. Supply Secondary 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. Supply Secondary 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.

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 Supply Secondary to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Supply Secondary 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 Supply Secondary to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.

Better consumer reach

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

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Supply Secondary 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Supply Secondary to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Developing new processes and practices

– Supply Secondary 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, Supply Secondary can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Supply Secondary operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Technology & Operations sector.

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 Supply Secondary in the consumer business. Now Supply Secondary can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Supply Secondary 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.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Supply Secondary 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, Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Manufacturing automation

– Supply Secondary 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.

Buying journey improvements

– Supply Secondary can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Supply Secondary 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.




Threats Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics are -

Regulatory challenges

– Supply Secondary 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.

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. Supply Secondary can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

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. Supply Secondary 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.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Supply Secondary 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics .

Trade war between China and United States

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

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.

Increasing wage structure of Supply Secondary

– 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 Supply Secondary.

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 Supply Secondary business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

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 Supply Secondary in the Technology & Operations sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

Shortening product life cycle

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

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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

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

Consumer confidence and its impact on Supply Secondary 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Chain Hubs in Global Humanitarian Logistics 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 Supply Secondary needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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