Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Finance & Accounting
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Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies
Acumen Fund is an international venture philanthropy fund that has recently refined its strategy for providing management support to its investments. The chief investment officer is reviewing the performance of a portfolio organization and, against the backdrop of Acumen Fund's evolution and renewed focus on management support, is trying to determine how much additional support to provide to an organization that has faced significant challenges. Describes the organization--a small start-up water filter manufacturer and distributor in rural India--and its goals, performance, and management challenges. Describes Acumen Fund's approach to investment and management of philanthropic investments in developing countries.
Swot Analysis of "Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies" written by William F. Meehan III, Yasmina Zaidman includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Acumen Filter facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Emerging markets, Financial management, Social enterprise and Finance & Accounting.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies casestudy better are - – digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing commodity prices, there is backlash against globalization, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%,
supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Acumen Filter, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Acumen Filter
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 Acumen Filter
Strengths Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Acumen Filter in Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies Harvard Business Review case study are -
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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.
High brand equity
– Acumen Filter has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Acumen Filter to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Acumen Filter 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.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Strong track record of project management
– Acumen Filter 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 Finance & Accounting industry
– Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Acumen Filter to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Acumen Filter to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Acumen Filter 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.
Training and development
– Acumen Filter has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Acumen Filter is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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.
Organizational Resilience of Acumen Filter
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Acumen Filter does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Acumen Filter 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
– Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Filter in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Weaknesses Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies are -
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 Acumen Filter supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Acumen Filter vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Acumen Filter 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. Acumen Filter 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Acumen Filter 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, William F. Meehan III, Yasmina Zaidman suggests that, Acumen Filter 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Acumen Filter 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Acumen Filter is planning to shift buying processes online.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Acumen Filter 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies, in the dynamic environment Acumen Filter has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Filter is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Finance & Accounting segment. Acumen Filter needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies, it seems that the employees of Acumen Filter 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 dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Filter has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Opportunities Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies | 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies are -
Leveraging digital technologies
– Acumen Filter 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.
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 Acumen Filter in the consumer business. Now Acumen Filter can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Acumen Filter 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Acumen Filter to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Acumen Filter has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Acumen Filter to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies case study. Acumen Filter can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Acumen Filter 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, Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Acumen Filter 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.
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. Acumen Filter 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. Acumen Filter 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Acumen Filter 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Acumen Filter 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Acumen Filter can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Acumen Filter operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.
Developing new processes and practices
– Acumen Filter 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Acumen Filter is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies are -
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. Acumen Filter can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Environmental challenges
– Acumen Filter 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. Acumen Filter can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Acumen Filter with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies, Acumen Filter 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 dependence on third party suppliers
– Acumen Filter high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Acumen Filter in the Finance & Accounting sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Acumen Filter has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Acumen Filter 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Acumen Filter 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies .
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 Acumen Filter.
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. Acumen Filter needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Acumen Filter 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Acumen Filter 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Fund and Mytry De-Fluoridation Filter Technologies 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 Acumen Filter needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
