IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Finance & Accounting
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data
At the end of 2005, Atlanta-based Oxford Industries was closing on its third major acquisition in as many years. Two-and-a-half years earlier, Oxford had acquired the Tommy Bahama brand in Seattle, and one year later, it had purchased London-based Ben Sherman. As Oxford's CIO, John Baumgartner has managed over the last three years to provide systems support to establish visibility into the day-to-day financial activities of the legacy company and the newly acquired operating companies, while at the same time minimizing any negative impacts on the profitability of the newly acquired companies through business process and system changes. As additional acquisitions are planned, however, balancing these two objectives is becoming more and more difficult. The degree to which the acquired organizations should function independently or be brought under one corporate information system is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.
Swot Analysis of "IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data" written by Michael Wybo, Carmen Bernier includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Oxford Acquired facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, IT, Manufacturing, Mergers & acquisitions and Finance & Accounting.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing commodity prices, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, technology disruption, geopolitical disruptions, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs,
increasing household debt because of falling income levels, there is backlash against globalization, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Oxford Acquired, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Oxford Acquired 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Oxford Acquired
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Finance & Accounting field.
4. Making a Finance & Accounting topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Oxford Acquired
Strengths IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Oxford Acquired in IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data Harvard Business Review case study are -
Diverse revenue streams
– Oxford Acquired is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Oxford Acquired in the sector have low bargaining power. IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Oxford Acquired to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Oxford Acquired 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data - 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
– Oxford Acquired has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Oxford Acquired to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Oxford Acquired has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Oxford Acquired 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 Finance & Accounting industry
– IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Oxford Acquired to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Oxford Acquired to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Finance & Accounting segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Oxford Acquired digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Oxford Acquired 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.
Ability to lead change in Finance & Accounting field
– Oxford Acquired 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 Oxford Acquired in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Oxford Acquired is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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
- Oxford Acquired 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 Oxford Acquired is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Strong track record of project management
– Oxford Acquired is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Analytics focus
– Oxford Acquired 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 Michael Wybo, Carmen Bernier 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.
Weaknesses IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data are -
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data, in the dynamic environment Oxford Acquired has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Oxford Acquired 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, Oxford Acquired 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Oxford Acquired is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Finance & Accounting segment. Oxford Acquired needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Oxford Acquired to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data, it seems that the employees of Oxford Acquired 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Oxford Acquired 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data, is just above the industry average. Oxford Acquired 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Oxford Acquired 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Oxford Acquired, firm in the HBR case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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 Oxford Acquired 's lucrative customers.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data HBR case study mentions - Oxford Acquired 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.
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 Oxford Acquired supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Oxford Acquired vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Opportunities IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data | 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data are -
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Oxford Acquired can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Oxford Acquired operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Oxford Acquired to increase its market reach. Oxford Acquired 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Oxford Acquired is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Oxford Acquired in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Finance & Accounting segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Manufacturing automation
– Oxford Acquired can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Finance & Accounting 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.
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. Oxford Acquired can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Oxford Acquired 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, IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Oxford Acquired 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Oxford Acquired to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Oxford Acquired 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Oxford Acquired can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Oxford Acquired 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 Finance & Accounting segment.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Oxford Acquired 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 Finance & Accounting industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Oxford Acquired can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data are -
Increasing wage structure of Oxford Acquired
– 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 Oxford Acquired.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Finance & Accounting field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Oxford Acquired can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Oxford Acquired in the Finance & Accounting sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Environmental challenges
– Oxford Acquired 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. Oxford Acquired can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Oxford Acquired 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data, Oxford Acquired may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Finance & Accounting .
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. Oxford Acquired needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Oxford Acquired 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Oxford Acquired 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data .
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Oxford Acquired in the Finance & Accounting industry. The Finance & Accounting 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Oxford Acquired 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Oxford Acquired with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Oxford Acquired is facing in Finance & Accounting sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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 IT Governance at Oxford Industries: Information Architecture for Financial Data 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 Oxford Acquired needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.