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Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B)


Supplements the (A) case.

Authors :: Jonathan West, Christian G. Kasper

Topics :: Technology & Operations

Tags :: Intellectual property, Operations management, Strategic planning, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B)" written by Jonathan West, Christian G. Kasper includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Novartis Agricultural facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Intellectual property, Operations management, Strategic planning and Technology & Operations.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, technology disruption, wage bills are increasing, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B)


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




Strengths Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Novartis Agricultural in Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Technology & Operations industry

– Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Novartis Agricultural to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Technology & Operations industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Novartis Agricultural to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Novartis Agricultural is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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.

Analytics focus

– Novartis Agricultural 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 Jonathan West, Christian G. Kasper 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.

Superior customer experience

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

Successful track record of launching new products

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

Training and development

– Novartis Agricultural has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) 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.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) 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.

Strong track record of project management

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

Organizational Resilience of Novartis Agricultural

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Novartis Agricultural does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Novartis Agricultural 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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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.

High brand equity

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

Ability to lead change in Technology & Operations field

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






Weaknesses Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) are -

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Novartis Agricultural 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.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B), in the dynamic environment Novartis Agricultural has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Novartis Agricultural has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Novartis Agricultural 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 cash cycle compare to competitors

Novartis Agricultural 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.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Novartis Agricultural 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 - Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

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

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B), is just above the industry average. Novartis Agricultural 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.

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Novartis Agricultural 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. Novartis Agricultural 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.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Novartis Agricultural 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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

High operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) 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 Novartis Agricultural 's lucrative customers.




Opportunities Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) are -

Buying journey improvements

– Novartis Agricultural can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) 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.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Novartis Agricultural 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, Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

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 Novartis Agricultural in the consumer business. Now Novartis Agricultural 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, Novartis Agricultural 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.

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. Novartis Agricultural can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Better consumer reach

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

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

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. Novartis Agricultural 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. Novartis Agricultural 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Novartis Agricultural is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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.

Loyalty marketing

– Novartis Agricultural 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.

Reforming the budgeting process

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

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Novartis Agricultural 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.

Manufacturing automation

– Novartis Agricultural 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.




Threats Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B) are -

Shortening product life cycle

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

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. Novartis Agricultural needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Technology & Operations industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Novartis Agricultural 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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

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

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (B), Novartis Agricultural 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 .

Increasing wage structure of Novartis Agricultural

– 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 Novartis Agricultural.

Barriers of entry lowering

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

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 Novartis Agricultural business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Novartis Agricultural 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.

Regulatory challenges

– Novartis Agricultural 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.

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 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.

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 Novartis Agricultural in the Technology & Operations sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, Inc. (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 Novartis Agricultural needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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