Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement
This tape includes the highlights of question and answer sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, one of the largest mobile phone companies in India. The video focuses on the challenges and lessons learned from Bharti's innovative outsourcing agreements. The Q&A sessions were recorded as part of Professor Asis Martinez-Jerez's Customer Intelligence Advantage elective class sessions in 2006, 2007, and 2009, held on the HBS campus.
Swot Analysis of "Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement" written by F. Asis Martinez-Jerez, Lisa Brem includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Sessions Akhil facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement casestudy better are - – digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing commodity prices, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation,
there is backlash against globalization, geopolitical disruptions, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Sessions Akhil, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Sessions Akhil 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Sessions Akhil
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 Sessions Akhil
Strengths Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Sessions Akhil in Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Sessions Akhil 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 Sessions Akhil 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 Sessions Akhil digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Sessions Akhil 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Sessions Akhil is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Analytics focus
– Sessions Akhil 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 F. Asis Martinez-Jerez, Lisa Brem 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.
Learning organization
- Sessions Akhil 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 Sessions Akhil is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Organizational Resilience of Sessions Akhil
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Sessions Akhil does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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
– Sessions Akhil has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Sessions Akhil is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Sessions Akhil in the sector have low bargaining power. Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Sessions Akhil to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Sessions Akhil to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Sessions Akhil to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High brand equity
– Sessions Akhil has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Sessions Akhil to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Weaknesses Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement are -
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Sessions Akhil is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Sessions Akhil needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Sessions Akhil 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement, it seems that the employees of Sessions Akhil 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
Sessions Akhil 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Sessions Akhil, firm in the HBR case study Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Sessions Akhil is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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 Sessions Akhil has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Sessions Akhil 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Sessions Akhil needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement, is just above the industry average. Sessions Akhil 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 decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Sessions Akhil has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Sessions Akhil even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement HBR case study mentions - Sessions Akhil 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement | 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement are -
Loyalty marketing
– Sessions Akhil 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 Sessions Akhil can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
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 Sessions Akhil to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Buying journey improvements
– Sessions Akhil can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Sessions Akhil is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Sessions Akhil 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Sessions Akhil 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Sessions Akhil to increase its market reach. Sessions Akhil 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. Sessions Akhil can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Sessions Akhil 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Sessions Akhil can develop new processes and procedures in Leadership & Managing People 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Sessions Akhil can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
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. Sessions Akhil can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement are -
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Sessions Akhil 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.
Environmental challenges
– Sessions Akhil 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. Sessions Akhil can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
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 Sessions Akhil.
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 Sessions Akhil in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Sessions Akhil 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.
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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Sessions Akhil 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement .
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Sessions Akhil 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Sessions Akhil with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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. Sessions Akhil 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Sessions Akhil has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Sessions Akhil 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.
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 Sessions Akhil 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. Sessions Akhil 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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 Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement 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 Sessions Akhil needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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You can download Excel Template of Case Study Solution & Analysis of Q and A Sessions with Akhil Gupta, Deputy Group CEO and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Video Supplement