Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video
Zensar is a rapidly growing, mid-sized Indian IT services company with a collaborative management philosophy and innovative HR policies. One of its practices, Vision Communities, is an inclusive forum for innovation and strategy formulation. As the company grows, managers must decide how to scale the Vision Community process so that it retains its spirit of employee involvement and engagement while encompassing a larger, more geographically dispersed group of participants.
Swot Analysis of "Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video" written by David A. Garvin includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Zensar Natarajan facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Customers, Government, Human resource management, Innovation, IT, Leadership, Operations management, Organizational culture and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video casestudy better are - – there is backlash against globalization, increasing transportation and logistics costs, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing energy prices, increasing commodity prices, geopolitical disruptions, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings,
customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, wage bills are increasing, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Zensar Natarajan, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Zensar Natarajan 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Zensar Natarajan
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 Zensar Natarajan
Strengths Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Zensar Natarajan in Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video Harvard Business Review case study are -
Organizational Resilience of Zensar Natarajan
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Zensar Natarajan does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Zensar Natarajan has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Zensar Natarajan 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Zensar Natarajan 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Zensar Natarajan to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Zensar Natarajan to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Zensar Natarajan is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Zensar Natarajan 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
- Zensar Natarajan 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 Zensar Natarajan is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Zensar Natarajan 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 Zensar Natarajan 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 Zensar Natarajan digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Zensar Natarajan 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
– Zensar Natarajan is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
High brand equity
– Zensar Natarajan has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Zensar Natarajan to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Weaknesses Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video are -
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 Zensar Natarajan supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Zensar Natarajan vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Zensar Natarajan is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video, it seems that the employees of Zensar Natarajan 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 operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Zensar Natarajan 's lucrative customers.
Lack of clear differentiation of Zensar Natarajan products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Zensar Natarajan needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video HBR case study mentions - Zensar Natarajan 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Zensar Natarajan has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Zensar Natarajan 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 - Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Zensar Natarajan 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 bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, David A. Garvin suggests that, Zensar Natarajan 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Zensar Natarajan has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Opportunities Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video | 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video are -
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Zensar Natarajan is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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
– Zensar Natarajan can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Zensar Natarajan 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Zensar Natarajan to increase its market reach. Zensar Natarajan 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.
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 Zensar Natarajan 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Zensar Natarajan 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Zensar Natarajan to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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. Zensar Natarajan can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Zensar Natarajan 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Zensar Natarajan 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Zensar Natarajan 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Zensar Natarajan 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Zensar Natarajan 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.
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 Zensar Natarajan in the consumer business. Now Zensar Natarajan can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Threats Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video are -
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 Zensar Natarajan 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. Zensar Natarajan needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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, Zensar Natarajan 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video .
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. Zensar Natarajan can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Zensar Natarajan demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Zensar Natarajan is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Zensar Natarajan in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Environmental challenges
– Zensar Natarajan 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. Zensar Natarajan 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 Zensar Natarajan.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Zensar Natarajan has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Zensar Natarajan 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 Zensar Natarajan with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar: In-Class Comments, 4/7/11, Video 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 Zensar Natarajan needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.