Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B)
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)-formally part of the California Institute of Technology-is one of a number of federally funded research institutions within NASA, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL has played a large role in many space and planetary explorations, and in particular in missions to the planet Mars. As a project-based organization, JPL has many opportunities to learn between successive missions, but there are also many challenges to the development and exchange of experience-based knowledge. The case "Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (A)" (HBS No. 917-405) provides background on the knowledge management challenges facing Jennifer Trosper, and in particular on her decision whether or not to seek funding for a hands-on training program building miniature, educational versions of a Mars surface vehicle. This case describes her decision and provides further information on subsequent efforts made after the initial decision.
Swot Analysis of "Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B)" written by Dorothy Leonard, Christopher Myers includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Jpl Nasa facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Labor and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) casestudy better are - – technology disruption, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is backlash against globalization, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing household debt because of falling income levels, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models,
geopolitical disruptions, increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Jpl Nasa, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Jpl Nasa 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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Jpl Nasa
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 Jpl Nasa
Strengths Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Jpl Nasa in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Innovation driven organization
– Jpl Nasa is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Jpl Nasa in the sector have low bargaining power. Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Jpl Nasa to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Diverse revenue streams
– Jpl Nasa is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) 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.
Organizational Resilience of Jpl Nasa
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Jpl Nasa does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Jpl Nasa to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Jpl Nasa to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Analytics focus
– Jpl Nasa 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 Dorothy Leonard, Christopher Myers 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.
High brand equity
– Jpl Nasa has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Jpl Nasa to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Training and development
– Jpl Nasa has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Jpl Nasa 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 Jpl Nasa in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Jpl Nasa has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Jpl Nasa 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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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.
Weaknesses Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) are -
Products dominated business model
– Even though Jpl Nasa 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 - Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Jpl Nasa 's lucrative customers.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B), it seems that the employees of Jpl Nasa 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, Jpl Nasa 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 star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) 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 Jpl Nasa has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Jpl Nasa 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. Jpl Nasa 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B), is just above the industry average. Jpl Nasa 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Jpl Nasa is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Jpl Nasa needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Jpl Nasa to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
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 Jpl Nasa supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Jpl Nasa vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Jpl Nasa, firm in the HBR case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Jpl Nasa is planning to shift buying processes online.
Opportunities Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) are -
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Jpl Nasa is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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.
Buying journey improvements
– Jpl Nasa can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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.
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 Jpl Nasa 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Jpl Nasa 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Jpl Nasa 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Jpl Nasa can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Jpl Nasa operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Loyalty marketing
– Jpl Nasa 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.
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. Jpl Nasa 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. Jpl Nasa 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.
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. Jpl Nasa can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Manufacturing automation
– Jpl Nasa 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Jpl Nasa 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Jpl Nasa 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, Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B), 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. Jpl Nasa can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B) are -
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Jpl Nasa has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Jpl Nasa 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Jpl Nasa with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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 Jpl Nasa in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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. Jpl Nasa needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Jpl Nasa 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.
Increasing wage structure of Jpl Nasa
– 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 Jpl Nasa.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Jpl Nasa 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Jpl Nasa is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Environmental challenges
– Jpl Nasa 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. Jpl Nasa can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (B), Jpl Nasa 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 .
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. Jpl Nasa 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 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.
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. Jpl Nasa 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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Transferring Knowledge Between Projects at NASA JPL (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 Jpl Nasa needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.