Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Finance & Accounting
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD
This case teaches the student how to apply economic and NPV analysis to the fundamentals of a B2C transactional e-commerce business. It uses as an application how a new entrant online broker such as Ameritrade attacks incumbent financial service providers in the U.S. by unbundling its services, offering prices close to marginal production costs, and by expanding consumer choice and convenience, all supported by intensive investments in aggressive advertising. It analyses marketing expenses as an investment in the acquisition of customer accounts and deepens the understanding of the profit model of this B2C activity, reflecting on the relative importance of net income from transactions versus net income from margin loans and on the relevance of transaction costs and trading volumes. The emphasis of the case is on the particular free cash flows economics of many B2C business and the annuity free cash flow income stream to be collected from a customer. It allows estimating NPV and IRR of the marketing investments. It provides an opportunity for students to study the sensitivity of this NPV to the different account value drivers. This gives students an insight into the strategic threats and opportunities of the business, and into the economic reasons for the high volatility on Internet stocks during a period in which contenders compete intensively to gain significant first mover advantages and to be ahead on the power curve in order to attain a winner take all position.
Authors :: Herwig Langohr, Mark Tulkki, Malik Mansoor, Mircea Flore
Swot Analysis of "Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD" written by Herwig Langohr, Mark Tulkki, Malik Mansoor, Mircea Flore includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Npv B2c facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Budgeting, Financial analysis and Finance & Accounting.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD casestudy better are - – increasing household debt because of falling income levels, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing commodity prices, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs,
competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, wage bills are increasing, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Npv B2c, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Npv B2c 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Npv B2c
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 Npv B2c
Strengths Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Npv B2c in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD Harvard Business Review case study are -
Organizational Resilience of Npv B2c
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Npv B2c does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Innovation driven organization
– Npv B2c is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Npv B2c has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Npv B2c 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
– Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Npv B2c to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Npv B2c to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Learning organization
- Npv B2c 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 Npv B2c is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Npv B2c in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Npv B2c 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.
Ability to lead change in Finance & Accounting field
– Npv B2c 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 Npv B2c in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Training and development
– Npv B2c has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Npv B2c is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Strong track record of project management
– Npv B2c is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Npv B2c in the sector have low bargaining power. Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Npv B2c to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Npv B2c is planning to shift buying processes online.
Lack of clear differentiation of Npv B2c products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Npv B2c needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Finance & Accounting 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Npv B2c 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 - Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Npv B2c 's lucrative customers.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Npv B2c is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD, it seems that the employees of Npv B2c 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Herwig Langohr, Mark Tulkki, Malik Mansoor, Mircea Flore suggests that, Npv B2c is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.
High dependence on 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 Npv B2c supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Npv B2c vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Npv B2c 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Npv B2c, firm in the HBR case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Opportunities Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD | 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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, Npv B2c can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Npv B2c operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.
Developing new processes and practices
– Npv B2c can develop new processes and procedures in Finance & Accounting 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Npv B2c 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Npv B2c to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Finance & Accounting industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Npv B2c 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. Npv B2c 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Npv B2c 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Npv B2c 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
– Npv B2c can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Npv B2c has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Npv B2c to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD case study. Npv B2c can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Npv B2c 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Npv B2c 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Npv B2c 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, Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
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 Npv B2c 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Npv B2c 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.
Threats Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD are -
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Npv B2c 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Npv B2c has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Npv B2c needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Finance & Accounting 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 Npv B2c 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 Npv B2c 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 Npv B2c 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.
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. Npv B2c can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Npv B2c 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Npv B2c with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Npv B2c 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD .
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Npv B2c will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.
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. Npv B2c needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Npv B2c 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. Npv B2c can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Online Brokerage: The Case of Ameritrade AMTD 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 Npv B2c needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.