How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization
Haas School of Business Professor David Teece and his colleagues created the Dynamic Capabilities Framework, showing that three capabilities-sensing, seizing and transforming-enable firms to sense opportunities sooner than their rivals, seize them more effectively, and support the organizational transformation that this entails. The authors take this theory a step further by adding two 'sub-capabilities' to each Dynamic Capability, including 'peripheral vision', experimentation and vigilant learning. They then provide a case study on DuPont's biofuel initiative, showing how all six sub-capabilities manifest themselves in strategy.
Swot Analysis of "How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization" written by George S. Day, Paul J.H. Schoemaker includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Capabilities Seize facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Psychology and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization casestudy better are - – banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, geopolitical disruptions, wage bills are increasing, increasing transportation and logistics costs, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, technology disruption,
there is backlash against globalization, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Capabilities Seize, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Capabilities Seize 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Capabilities Seize
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Strategy & Execution field.
4. Making a Strategy & Execution topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Capabilities Seize
Strengths How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Capabilities Seize in How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Capabilities Seize 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 Capabilities Seize in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Analytics focus
– Capabilities Seize 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 George S. Day, Paul J.H. Schoemaker 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 Capabilities Seize in the sector have low bargaining power. How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Capabilities Seize to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Diverse revenue streams
– Capabilities Seize is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Capabilities Seize 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
High brand equity
– Capabilities Seize has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Capabilities Seize to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Capabilities Seize 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Capabilities Seize 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Capabilities Seize is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Capabilities Seize to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Capabilities Seize to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Capabilities Seize digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Capabilities Seize 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.
Weaknesses How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Strategy & Execution 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Capabilities Seize 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 Capabilities Seize has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization, is just above the industry average. Capabilities Seize 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Capabilities Seize 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 - How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Capabilities Seize is planning to shift buying processes online.
Need for greater diversity
– Capabilities Seize 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization HBR case study mentions - Capabilities Seize takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization, in the dynamic environment Capabilities Seize has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Capabilities Seize 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 Capabilities Seize is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Capabilities Seize needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Capabilities Seize to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Capabilities Seize 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. Capabilities Seize 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization | 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization are -
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Strategy & Execution industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Capabilities Seize 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. Capabilities Seize 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Capabilities Seize 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Capabilities Seize can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Capabilities Seize 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Capabilities Seize to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 Capabilities Seize 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Capabilities Seize has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Capabilities Seize to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization case study. Capabilities Seize can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
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 Capabilities Seize in the consumer business. Now Capabilities Seize can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Strategy & Execution industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Capabilities Seize can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Capabilities Seize to increase its market reach. Capabilities Seize will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
Developing new processes and practices
– Capabilities Seize can develop new processes and procedures in Strategy & Execution 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Capabilities Seize 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 Capabilities Seize to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Capabilities Seize in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Strategy & Execution segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Capabilities Seize can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Capabilities Seize operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Threats How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization are -
Environmental challenges
– Capabilities Seize 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. Capabilities Seize can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Capabilities Seize 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 Capabilities Seize.
Regulatory challenges
– Capabilities Seize 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 Strategy & Execution industry regulations.
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 Capabilities Seize business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Capabilities Seize 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.
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. Capabilities Seize needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Capabilities Seize in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Capabilities Seize is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Capabilities Seize has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Capabilities Seize needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Strategy & Execution 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Capabilities Seize 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization .
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Capabilities Seize in the Strategy & Execution industry. The Strategy & Execution 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization, Capabilities Seize may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Strategy & Execution .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 How to Sense and Seize Opportunities - and Transform Your Organization 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 Capabilities Seize needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.