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Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up


An angel investor had invested seed capital in a start-up company that aggregated and sold value-added services for mobile telecommunications in India. The company had done well since its inception in 2009, but the revenue growth figures reported for 2014 were concerning. According to the performance report, the start-up had grown 12 per cent in 2014-less than half of the estimated industry revenue growth figure for mobile value-added services. The investor wondered if his investment was profitable despite the negative cash flows and significant lifetime company losses incurred during the first three years of operation. Should the investor stay invested with, or divest from, the start-up? What would the company's exit value be? Jaslene Kaur Bawa is affiliated with Indian Institute of Management Raipur. Vinay Goyal is affiliated with Indian Institute of Management Raipur. S. K. Mitra is affiliated with Indian Institute of Management Raipur.

Authors :: Jaslene Kaur Bawa, Vinay Goyal, S.K. Mitra

Topics :: Finance & Accounting

Tags :: Financial management, International business, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up" written by Jaslene Kaur Bawa, Vinay Goyal, S.K. Mitra includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Raipur Start facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Financial management, International business and Finance & Accounting.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, increasing transportation and logistics costs, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, there is backlash against globalization, increasing commodity prices, 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, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up


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




Strengths Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Raipur Start in Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up Harvard Business Review case study are -

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Raipur Start in the sector have low bargaining power. Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Raipur Start to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Analytics focus

– Raipur Start 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 Jaslene Kaur Bawa, Vinay Goyal, S.K. Mitra 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.

Successful track record of launching new products

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

– Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Raipur Start to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Raipur Start to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Digital Transformation in Finance & Accounting segment

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

Strong track record of project management

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

Innovation driven organization

– Raipur Start is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Superior customer experience

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

Ability to lead change in Finance & Accounting field

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

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Raipur Start 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.

Training and development

– Raipur Start has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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.






Weaknesses Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up are -

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Raipur Start 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.

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Raipur Start 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. Raipur Start 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.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up, 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.

Slow to strategic competitive environment developments

– As Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up HBR case study mentions - Raipur Start 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.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up, is just above the industry average. Raipur Start 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.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up, it seems that the employees of Raipur Start 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.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Raipur Start is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Raipur Start is planning to shift buying processes online.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Raipur Start 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.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up, in the dynamic environment Raipur Start has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Raipur Start has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Lack of clear differentiation of Raipur Start products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Raipur Start needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.




Opportunities Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up | 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up are -

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Raipur Start 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.

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. Raipur Start can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Raipur Start 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.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Raipur Start can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Raipur Start operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.

Developing new processes and practices

– Raipur Start 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.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

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

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Raipur Start 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, Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Raipur Start has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Raipur Start to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up case study. Raipur Start can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Manufacturing automation

– Raipur Start 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.

Better consumer reach

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

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 Raipur Start 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.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Raipur Start 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Raipur Start is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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.




Threats Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up are -

Trade war between China and United States

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

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up, Raipur Start 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 .

Barriers of entry lowering

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

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. Raipur Start 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.

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

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Raipur Start has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Raipur Start 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.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Raipur Start is facing in Finance & Accounting sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Raipur Start 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.

Increasing wage structure of Raipur Start

– 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 Raipur Start.

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 Raipur Start business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Regulatory challenges

– Raipur Start 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 Finance & Accounting industry regulations.

Environmental challenges

– Raipur Start 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. Raipur Start can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Raipur Start 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.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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 Applied Mobile Labs: Valuation of a Start-Up 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 Raipur Start needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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