DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN
Indian Foods Fermentation Limited (IFFL) was established in 1992 by Narayanan to develop an expert dosa maker that will be used in fast food restaurants, "Dosa King". According to market research carried out by IFFL in 1992, on any given day, 20 million dosas were consumed in India. Narayanan and his colleagues at IFFL decided to develop an automatic dosa delivery system that would deliver standardized dosa at an interval of 30 seconds. The system requirement was that the dosa should have the same size, color, crispiness, and taste. The project was funded by venture capitalists and Narayanan had to take several decisions during the design and development of automatic dosa delivery system. The Dosa King was intended to be a mass-distributed item, and the number of retail points across the country was meant to be in excess of 10,000 within 5 years from its launch in 1992. The IFFL realized that their largest stakeholder would therefore inevitably be the retailer or franchisee who invested in dosa machines, batter, and masala, and also interfaced with the customer. The IFFL conducted a market survey to capture the "voice of the customers" for the dosa delivery system and identified various system requirements. At various stages of product development, Narayan had to take several key decisions related to the design and development of machine, decision on inputs for preparation of dosa batter and other accompaniments, etc. In 1992, India did not have any western fast food chains. India went through a period of major economic reform in 1991 and the economy started growing much faster after the nineties. Narayanan expected the demand for fast food to grow in all major cities of India. Equipped with his experience at Coca-Cola and NestlA?, Narayanan was confident that he could change the restaurant industry in India.
Swot Analysis of "DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN" written by Unnikrishnan Dinesh Kumar includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Dosa Iffl facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Operations management, Venture capital and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN casestudy better are - – there is increasing trade war between United States & China, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , technology disruption, wage bills are increasing, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%,
increasing commodity prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Dosa Iffl, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Dosa Iffl 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Dosa Iffl
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 Dosa Iffl
Strengths DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Dosa Iffl in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN Harvard Business Review case study are -
Learning organization
- Dosa Iffl 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 Dosa Iffl is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Dosa Iffl digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Dosa Iffl 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Dosa Iffl is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Dosa Iffl 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 Innovation & Entrepreneurship field
– Dosa Iffl 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 Dosa Iffl in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Dosa Iffl in the sector have low bargaining power. DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Dosa Iffl to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Organizational Resilience of Dosa Iffl
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Dosa Iffl does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Dosa Iffl 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Innovation driven organization
– Dosa Iffl is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry
– DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Dosa Iffl to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Dosa Iffl to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Dosa Iffl in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Dosa Iffl is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN, 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Dosa Iffl 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Dosa Iffl is planning to shift buying processes online.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 Dosa Iffl 's lucrative customers.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 Dosa Iffl has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Lack of clear differentiation of Dosa Iffl products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Dosa Iffl needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Dosa Iffl 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 - DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN HBR case study mentions - Dosa Iffl takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Dosa Iffl 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Dosa Iffl is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Unnikrishnan Dinesh Kumar suggests that, Dosa Iffl 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.
Opportunities DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN | 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN are -
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. Dosa Iffl 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. Dosa Iffl 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, Dosa Iffl 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Dosa Iffl to increase its market reach. Dosa Iffl 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 Dosa Iffl 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Dosa Iffl can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Dosa Iffl 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Dosa Iffl 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 Dosa Iffl in the consumer business. Now Dosa Iffl can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. Dosa Iffl can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Manufacturing automation
– Dosa Iffl 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Dosa Iffl can develop new processes and procedures in Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Dosa Iffl 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Dosa Iffl 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 Dosa Iffl to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Dosa Iffl can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Dosa Iffl operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector.
Threats DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN are -
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Dosa Iffl 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN .
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.
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. Dosa Iffl 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.
Regulatory challenges
– Dosa Iffl 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 Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry regulations.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Dosa Iffl is facing in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Environmental challenges
– Dosa Iffl 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. Dosa Iffl can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry.
Increasing wage structure of Dosa Iffl
– 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 Dosa Iffl.
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. Dosa Iffl 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
– Dosa Iffl has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Dosa Iffl 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Dosa Iffl 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.
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 Dosa Iffl.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Dosa Iffl 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.
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. Dosa Iffl needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 DOSA KING: A STANDARDIZED MASALA DOSA FOR EVERY INDIAN 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 Dosa Iffl needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
