Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B)
The Global Health Initiative (GHI) is a tripartite collaboration among Northwestern University, non-profit donors, and commercial diagnostics companies. GHI attempts to bridge the gap between the market for sophisticated medical diagnostics equipment in wealthy nations and the need for point-of-care diagnostics in resource limited settings. In 2006 GHI narrowed its focus to HIV diagnostics for underserved nations. The case examines the accuracy-access tradeoff related to the roll-out of infant HIV diagnostics in Tanzania. Tanzania has a prevalent HIV/AIDS problem, particularly in children. As of 2007, Tanzania had an estimated 140,000 children infected with HIV. Existing lab-based diagnostic equipment was either inaccurate for use in infants or required highly skilled health workers. Tanzania's limited infrastructure also forced healthcare providers to choose between providing advanced care to a minority of the population and offering minimal care to the majority with poor access. A Kellogg MBA student research team performed more than thirty in-country interviews to collect data on stakeholder perceptions of three infant test concepts: the strip test, the squeeze test, and the filter paper test. Across the three tests, access decreased as accuracy increased-rural labs could not find or afford health workers skilled enough to conduct the test. In general, interviewees closely affiliated with the government preferred accuracy over access. In contrast, private health facilities had to follow fewer regulations and preferred access over accuracy. The case focuses on the decisions facing Kara Palamountain, the executive director of GHI, in her roll-out recommendations for infant HIV tests in Tanzania. It examines key factors of working in a developing country, including the need to operate in the absence of sufficient market research, balance the competing agendas of different stakeholders, and mitigate external risks such as major international funding drying up.
Authors :: Kara Palamountain, Sachin Waikar, Andrea Hanson, Katherine Nelson
Swot Analysis of "Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B)" written by Kara Palamountain, Sachin Waikar, Andrea Hanson, Katherine Nelson includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Diagnostics Hiv facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Emerging markets, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Product development, Technology and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) casestudy better are - – increasing household debt because of falling income levels, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing energy prices, technology disruption, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies,
there is increasing trade war between United States & China, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Diagnostics Hiv, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Diagnostics Hiv 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Diagnostics Hiv
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 Diagnostics Hiv
Strengths Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Diagnostics Hiv in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Diagnostics Hiv 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 Diagnostics Hiv in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Diagnostics Hiv digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Organizational Resilience of Diagnostics Hiv
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Diagnostics Hiv does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Diagnostics Hiv in the sector have low bargaining power. Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Diagnostics Hiv to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Diagnostics Hiv is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Training and development
– Diagnostics Hiv has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Diagnostics Hiv in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Diagnostics Hiv 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Diagnostics Hiv has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Learning organization
- Diagnostics Hiv 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 Diagnostics Hiv is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Diagnostics Hiv is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Weaknesses Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) are -
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Diagnostics Hiv 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 - Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Diagnostics Hiv 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.
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 Diagnostics Hiv supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Diagnostics Hiv vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Diagnostics Hiv is planning to shift buying processes online.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Kara Palamountain, Sachin Waikar, Andrea Hanson, Katherine Nelson suggests that, Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B), it seems that the employees of Diagnostics Hiv 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B), 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 operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Diagnostics Hiv 's lucrative customers.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B), is just above the industry average. Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) HBR case study mentions - Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Opportunities Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) | 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) are -
Loyalty marketing
– Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Diagnostics Hiv can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Diagnostics Hiv is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Leadership & Managing People industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Diagnostics Hiv 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. Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Diagnostics Hiv can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Diagnostics Hiv can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Diagnostics Hiv operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Diagnostics Hiv can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Leadership & Managing People segment.
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 Diagnostics Hiv in the consumer business. Now Diagnostics Hiv 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 Diagnostics Hiv has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Diagnostics Hiv to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) case study. Diagnostics Hiv can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Diagnostics Hiv 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.
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. Diagnostics Hiv can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Leadership & Managing People industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Diagnostics Hiv can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Diagnostics Hiv 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Diagnostics Hiv to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Threats Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) are -
Consumer confidence and its impact on Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Diagnostics Hiv is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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 Diagnostics Hiv in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Diagnostics Hiv with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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 Diagnostics Hiv business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Diagnostics Hiv 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.
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 Diagnostics Hiv.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B), Diagnostics Hiv may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Leadership & Managing People .
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Diagnostics Hiv 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Diagnostics Hiv 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) .
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.
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. Diagnostics Hiv can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B) 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 Diagnostics Hiv needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.