"Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems
The world leader in software for creating and editing media identifies some gaps in its ability to create new kinds of software and appeal to emerging market segments. The company taps into the expertise of an experienced entrepreneur and 'intrapreneur' who creates a system to mobilize employees at the grassroots level and generate hundreds of new concepts experiments each year utilizing lean start-up techniques. The case describes the anatomy of the new program in detail and asks how the company might adapt the program to spur even more growth.
Swot Analysis of ""Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems" written by Jeremy Dann includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Kickboxing Intrapreneur facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Entrepreneurship, Experimentation, Knowledge management, Motivating people and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems casestudy better are - – competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, wage bills are increasing, geopolitical disruptions, increasing household debt because of falling income levels,
cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Kickboxing Intrapreneur, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Kickboxing Intrapreneur
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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur
Strengths "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Kickboxing Intrapreneur in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to recruit top talent
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry
– "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Kickboxing Intrapreneur to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Kickboxing Intrapreneur to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Organizational Resilience of Kickboxing Intrapreneur
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Kickboxing Intrapreneur does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Strong track record of project management
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Analytics focus
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 Jeremy Dann 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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.
Training and development
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Kickboxing Intrapreneur in the sector have low bargaining power. "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Kickboxing Intrapreneur to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Ability to lead change in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Kickboxing Intrapreneur in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Weaknesses "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Kickboxing Intrapreneur vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Lack of clear differentiation of Kickboxing Intrapreneur products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Kickboxing Intrapreneur needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Kickboxing Intrapreneur is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Kickboxing Intrapreneur is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment. Kickboxing Intrapreneur needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems, it seems that the employees of Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 cash cycle compare to competitors
Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems HBR case study mentions - Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Opportunities "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems | 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems are -
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Kickboxing Intrapreneur to increase its market reach. Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Buying journey improvements
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur in the consumer business. Now Kickboxing Intrapreneur can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Kickboxing Intrapreneur has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Kickboxing Intrapreneur to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems case study. Kickboxing Intrapreneur can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Kickboxing Intrapreneur to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Kickboxing Intrapreneur can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Kickboxing Intrapreneur operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Kickboxing Intrapreneur can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems are -
Regulatory challenges
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems .
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Kickboxing Intrapreneur with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
