CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version
Describes the legal odyssey of two engineers who left their old employer to start a company that was directly competitive. The issues include employment contracts, technology licenses, antitrust, trade secrets, and confidential information. Provides a good opportunity for students to explore the legal and ethical issues which surround the concept of intellectual property.
Swot Analysis of "CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version" written by Michael J. Roberts, Ennis J. Walton includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that A.s Cvd facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Competition, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Human resource management, Knowledge management, Negotiations, Regulation and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version casestudy better are - – increasing energy prices, wage bills are increasing, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, geopolitical disruptions, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices,
customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the A.s Cvd, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which A.s Cvd 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of A.s Cvd
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field.
4. Making a Innovation & Entrepreneurship topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of A.s Cvd
Strengths CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of A.s Cvd in CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– A.s Cvd has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. A.s Cvd 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.
High brand equity
– A.s Cvd has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled A.s Cvd to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Innovation driven organization
– A.s Cvd is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Ability to lead change in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field
– A.s Cvd 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 A.s Cvd 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– A.s Cvd 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry
– CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled A.s Cvd to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The sustainable margins have also helped A.s Cvd to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Analytics focus
– A.s Cvd 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 J. Roberts, Ennis J. Walton 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.
Strong track record of project management
– A.s Cvd is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Learning organization
- A.s Cvd 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 A.s Cvd is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– A.s Cvd 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Ability to recruit top talent
– A.s Cvd is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version are -
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, A.s Cvd 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. A.s Cvd 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 A.s Cvd has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of A.s Cvd products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, A.s Cvd needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
A.s Cvd 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version, it seems that the employees of A.s Cvd 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of A.s Cvd is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment. A.s Cvd needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help A.s Cvd to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as A.s Cvd is planning to shift buying processes online.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, A.s Cvd 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version, is just above the industry average. A.s Cvd 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, A.s Cvd 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.
Opportunities CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version | 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version are -
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. A.s Cvd can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, A.s Cvd 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.
Manufacturing automation
– A.s Cvd can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for A.s Cvd in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of A.s Cvd has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help A.s Cvd to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version case study. A.s Cvd can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Buying journey improvements
– A.s Cvd can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. A.s Cvd 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. A.s Cvd 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for A.s Cvd 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 A.s Cvd to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Loyalty marketing
– A.s Cvd 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.
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 A.s Cvd 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– A.s Cvd 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help A.s Cvd to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 A.s Cvd in the consumer business. Now A.s Cvd can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. A.s Cvd can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Threats CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version are -
High dependence on third party suppliers
– A.s Cvd 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 A.s Cvd with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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 A.s Cvd in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. A.s Cvd 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
– A.s Cvd has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, A.s Cvd needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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 A.s Cvd is facing in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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. A.s Cvd 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.
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 A.s Cvd 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 A.s Cvd in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, A.s Cvd 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version .
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. A.s Cvd needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 wage structure of A.s Cvd
– 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 A.s Cvd.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A), Spanish Version 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 A.s Cvd needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.