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Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B)


In the (A) case, Copeland had to choose between focusing its Sidney plant by product line or by manufacturing process. Now that it has made that decision, a plant layout must be selected from two alternatives.

Authors :: David A. Garvin, Artemis March

Topics :: Technology & Operations

Tags :: Manufacturing, Strategy execution, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B)" written by David A. Garvin, Artemis March includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Copeland Sidney facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Manufacturing, Strategy execution and Technology & Operations.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) casestudy better are - – geopolitical disruptions, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , technology disruption, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing energy prices, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, there is backlash against globalization, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B)


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Copeland Sidney, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Copeland Sidney 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Copeland Sidney
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 Copeland Sidney




Strengths Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Copeland Sidney in Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -

Ability to recruit top talent

– Copeland Sidney is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Copeland Sidney 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) - 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 Copeland Sidney 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.

Innovation driven organization

– Copeland Sidney is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Strong track record of project management

– Copeland Sidney is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Successful track record of launching new products

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

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Technology & Operations industry

– Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Copeland Sidney to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Technology & Operations industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Copeland Sidney to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Analytics focus

– Copeland Sidney 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 David A. Garvin, Artemis March 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.

Digital Transformation in Technology & Operations segment

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

High brand equity

– Copeland Sidney has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Copeland Sidney to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Copeland Sidney 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Sidney 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.






Weaknesses Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) are -

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B), in the dynamic environment Copeland Sidney has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Copeland Sidney has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

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

Need for greater diversity

– Copeland Sidney 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.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B), it seems that the employees of Copeland Sidney 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.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B), 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.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B), is just above the industry average. Copeland Sidney 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.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Copeland Sidney, firm in the HBR case study Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Capital Spending Reduction

– Even during the low interest decade, Copeland Sidney has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Copeland Sidney 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.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Copeland Sidney 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 dependence on star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Sidney has relatively successful track record of launching new products.




Opportunities Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) | 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) are -

Leveraging digital technologies

– Copeland Sidney 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.

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

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Copeland Sidney can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Copeland Sidney 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 Copeland Sidney in the consumer business. Now Copeland Sidney can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Copeland Sidney has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Copeland Sidney to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) case study. Copeland Sidney can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, 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 Copeland Sidney 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.

Reforming the budgeting process

- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Copeland Sidney can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Copeland Sidney is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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.

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. Copeland Sidney 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. Copeland Sidney 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.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

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

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Copeland Sidney 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.

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. Copeland Sidney can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Copeland Sidney 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.




Threats Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) are -

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 Copeland Sidney in the Technology & Operations sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

Regulatory challenges

– Copeland Sidney 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.

Shortening product life cycle

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

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Copeland Sidney 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) .

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.

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

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Copeland Sidney with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

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 Copeland Sidney.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

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

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 Copeland Sidney business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Trade war between China and United States

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

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Copeland Sidney 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.

Environmental challenges

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




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (B) 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 Copeland Sidney needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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