"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 - – increasing energy prices, geopolitical disruptions, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google,
central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, wage bills are increasing, 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 -
Digital Transformation in Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Kickboxing Intrapreneur digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Kickboxing Intrapreneur has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in 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.
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 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.
Learning organization
- Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
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.
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.
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.
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 -
Products dominated business model
– Even though Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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 - "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Jeremy Dann suggests that, Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur 's lucrative customers.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems, is just above the industry average. Kickboxing Intrapreneur needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study "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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Kickboxing Intrapreneur, firm in the HBR case study "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 -
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.
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.
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 Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Kickboxing Intrapreneur is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems 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.
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.
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.
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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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.
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.
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 -
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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. 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.
Environmental challenges
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Kickboxing Intrapreneur 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. Kickboxing Intrapreneur needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study "Kickboxing" at Adobe Systems, Kickboxing Intrapreneur may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Innovation & Entrepreneurship .
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.
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.