Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model
Two Brattle Center (TBC) is a struggling for-profit private mental health clinic based in Harvard Square. Its founder, Dr. Joan Wheelis, is a nationally recognized practicing psychiatrist who has developed outpatient treatment programs based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). These patients, typically adolescent girls and young women, struggle with emotional crises and are prone to destructive behaviors such as cutting, excessive use of alcohol, taking drugs and suicide attempts. These patients are very difficult to treat and TBC has developed programs that make a noticeable difference to these patients. DBT requires teams of people with different types of expertise and so the original operating model developed by Dr. Wheelis was one in which TBC was staffed by a large number of part-time clinicians, the "affiliate model." However, changes in the health care environment, particularly the advent of managed care, have put very real pressures on this model and the company is now in a state of crisis. Dr. Wheelis is trying to decide whether and how to keep it going. The key decision is whether to shift to a "staffing model" based on a larger number of full-time clinicians. This will require a larger patient population to make the economics of greater fixed capacity viable. Another constraint is the poor state of its basic financial systems. Morale is low and thus staff turnover is high, with many clinicians taking patients with them into their private practice when they go. TBC is trying to decide whether to join the Blue Cross Blue Shield network, which would increase its patient population but at rates much lower than it currently charges by only taking private patients. Dr. Wheelis is also pondering whether to start a non-profit foundation as a way of getting money to support its teaching and training programs, or even making the company a non-profit itself.
Swot Analysis of "Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model" written by Robert G. Eccles includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Tbc Wheelis facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Personnel policies and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model casestudy better are - – digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing energy prices, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic ,
cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, there is backlash against globalization, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Tbc Wheelis, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Tbc Wheelis 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Tbc Wheelis
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Leadership & Managing People field.
4. Making a Leadership & Managing People topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Tbc Wheelis
Strengths Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Tbc Wheelis in Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model Harvard Business Review case study are -
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Tbc Wheelis in the sector have low bargaining power. Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Tbc Wheelis to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Tbc Wheelis 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 Leadership & Managing People industry
– Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Tbc Wheelis to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Tbc Wheelis to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Tbc Wheelis 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
High brand equity
– Tbc Wheelis has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Tbc Wheelis to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Tbc Wheelis 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
– Tbc Wheelis has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Tbc Wheelis 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Tbc Wheelis is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Strong track record of project management
– Tbc Wheelis is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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.
Learning organization
- Tbc Wheelis 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 Tbc Wheelis is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Tbc Wheelis is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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.
Weaknesses Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model are -
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Tbc Wheelis is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Tbc Wheelis is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Tbc Wheelis needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Tbc Wheelis to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Tbc Wheelis 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model, it seems that the employees of Tbc Wheelis 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Tbc Wheelis 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model, is just above the industry average. Tbc Wheelis 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Robert G. Eccles suggests that, Tbc Wheelis 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Leadership & Managing People 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.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Tbc Wheelis 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.
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 Tbc Wheelis supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Tbc Wheelis vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Tbc Wheelis 's lucrative customers.
Opportunities Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model | 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model are -
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Tbc Wheelis can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Tbc Wheelis operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Tbc Wheelis 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 Tbc Wheelis in the consumer business. Now Tbc Wheelis 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 Tbc Wheelis 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 Tbc Wheelis to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Tbc Wheelis 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Tbc Wheelis can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Tbc Wheelis 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Tbc Wheelis to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 Tbc Wheelis 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Tbc Wheelis can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Leadership & Managing People 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Tbc Wheelis has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Tbc Wheelis to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model case study. Tbc Wheelis can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Tbc Wheelis is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Tbc Wheelis can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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.
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. Tbc Wheelis can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Threats Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model are -
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Tbc Wheelis is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Tbc Wheelis in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The Leadership & Managing People 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.
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. Tbc Wheelis 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.
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 Tbc Wheelis in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Tbc Wheelis has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Tbc Wheelis needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Leadership & Managing People 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.
Environmental challenges
– Tbc Wheelis 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. Tbc Wheelis can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
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.
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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Tbc Wheelis 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.
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 Tbc Wheelis business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Leadership & Managing People field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Tbc Wheelis can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Tbc Wheelis 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Tbc Wheelis with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model 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 Tbc Wheelis needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.