Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model
Bridj, a Boston startup that provides Big Data-powered, "pop-up" bus routes that responded to transportation demand, has been in operation for a little over a year and has recently launched service in Washington, D.C., its second market. Despite media acclaim and positive relations with a wide range of stakeholders, Bridj faces challenges controlling costs, driving adoption, and improving its technology.
Swot Analysis of "Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model" written by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Daniel Fox includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Bridj Acclaim facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Data, Entrepreneurship, Government, Innovation, Technology and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, there is backlash against globalization, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing energy prices, increasing transportation and logistics costs,
supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Bridj Acclaim, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Bridj Acclaim
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 Bridj Acclaim
Strengths Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Bridj Acclaim in Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model Harvard Business Review case study are -
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Organizational Resilience of Bridj Acclaim
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Bridj Acclaim does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Training and development
– Bridj Acclaim has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Bridj Acclaim are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.
Learning organization
- Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj Acclaim is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
High brand equity
– Bridj Acclaim has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Bridj Acclaim to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Strong track record of project management
– Bridj Acclaim is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Bridj Acclaim has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Bridj Acclaim 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.
Analytics focus
– Bridj Acclaim 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 Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Daniel Fox 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Bridj Acclaim is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Bridj Acclaim in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Bridj Acclaim in the sector have low bargaining power. Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Bridj Acclaim to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model are -
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model, it seems that the employees of Bridj Acclaim 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 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 Bridj Acclaim supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Bridj Acclaim vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model 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 Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Bridj Acclaim is planning to shift buying processes online.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model, is just above the industry average. Bridj Acclaim 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Bridj Acclaim 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Bridj Acclaim is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Bridj Acclaim is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Bridj Acclaim needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Bridj Acclaim to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Bridj Acclaim 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 operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Bridj Acclaim 's lucrative customers.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Bridj Acclaim 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. Bridj Acclaim 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model, in the dynamic environment Bridj Acclaim has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Bridj Acclaim has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Opportunities Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model are -
Manufacturing automation
– Bridj Acclaim 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj Acclaim 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.
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. Bridj Acclaim can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Bridj Acclaim in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Leadership & Managing People segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
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 Bridj Acclaim in the consumer business. Now Bridj Acclaim can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Bridj Acclaim 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Bridj Acclaim 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, Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Bridj Acclaim is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Bridj Acclaim has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Bridj Acclaim to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model case study. Bridj Acclaim can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Bridj Acclaim 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj Acclaim to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Bridj Acclaim 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.
Threats Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model are -
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Bridj Acclaim 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
– Bridj Acclaim 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. Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model, Bridj Acclaim 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 .
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
High 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. Bridj Acclaim needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Bridj Acclaim business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj Acclaim
– 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 Bridj Acclaim.
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 Bridj Acclaim in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Bridj Acclaim is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Bridj Acclaim has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Bridj Acclaim 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Bridj Acclaim 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.
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. Bridj Acclaim 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 Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Bridj and the Business of Urban Mobility (A): Introducing a New Model is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Bridj Acclaim needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.