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Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension


In July 2004, Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of Greater London, had to decide whether or not to expand the system of congestion charging he had implemented 17 months earlier. Skeptics had predicted fierce popular opposition or chaos from the original scheme, which required that cars and trucks pay a charge of A?5 (US$7.95) to enter an 8-square-mile area of Central London between the hours of 7:00 am and 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday. The critics were confounded, however, when the A?5 charge resulted in a substantial reduction in Central London congestion and the payment and enforcement mechanisms proved to be remarkably convenient and fair. The Mayor's proposal to extend the A?5 charge to a congested area immediately to the west seemed risky, however, since the technical and political problems of charging might grow disproportionately with the size of the charging zone. HKS Case Number 1788.0

Authors :: Jose Gomez-Ibanez

Topics :: Leadership & Managing People

Tags :: Financial analysis, Innovation, Leadership, Policy, Project management, Strategic planning, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension" written by Jose Gomez-Ibanez includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Charging Congestion facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Financial analysis, Innovation, Leadership, Policy, Project management, Strategic planning and Leadership & Managing People.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension casestudy better are - – banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing transportation and logistics costs, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, there is backlash against globalization, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , there is increasing trade war between United States & China, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Charging Congestion, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Charging Congestion 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Charging Congestion
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 Charging Congestion




Strengths Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Charging Congestion in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension Harvard Business Review case study are -

Learning organization

- Charging Congestion 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 Charging Congestion is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Charging Congestion 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Charging Congestion in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Training and development

– Charging Congestion has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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.

Analytics focus

– Charging Congestion 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 Jose Gomez-Ibanez 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.

Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Charging Congestion digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Charging Congestion 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.

Diverse revenue streams

– Charging Congestion is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Charging Congestion has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Charging Congestion 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.

Strong track record of project management

– Charging Congestion 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 Charging Congestion in the sector have low bargaining power. Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Charging Congestion to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field

– Charging Congestion 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 Charging Congestion in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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.






Weaknesses Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension are -

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Charging Congestion is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Charging Congestion 's lucrative customers.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Charging Congestion is planning to shift buying processes online.

Need for greater diversity

– Charging Congestion has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Charging Congestion 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.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Charging Congestion 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.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension, it seems that the employees of Charging Congestion 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 dependence on star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Charging Congestion has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension, 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 bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Jose Gomez-Ibanez suggests that, Charging Congestion 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 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 Charging Congestion supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Charging Congestion vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.




Opportunities Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension | 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension are -

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Charging Congestion 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.

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. Charging Congestion can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

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 Charging Congestion in the consumer business. Now Charging Congestion can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

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. Charging Congestion 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. Charging Congestion 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.

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 Charging Congestion 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.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Charging Congestion can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Charging Congestion operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Charging Congestion 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.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Charging Congestion has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Charging Congestion to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension case study. Charging Congestion can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Buying journey improvements

– Charging Congestion can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Charging Congestion 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

– Charging Congestion 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.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Charging Congestion 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Charging Congestion to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Charging Congestion 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 Charging Congestion to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.




Threats Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension are -

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.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Charging Congestion 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 Charging Congestion with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

Increasing wage structure of Charging Congestion

– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Charging Congestion.

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 Charging Congestion in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Charging Congestion 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.

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.

Environmental challenges

– Charging Congestion 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. Charging Congestion can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Charging Congestion 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension .

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. Charging Congestion can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

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 Charging Congestion business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

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. Charging Congestion needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Charging Congestion is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Congestion Charging in London (A) The Western Extension 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 Charging Congestion needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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