CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A)
"It was late morning on January 21, 2004 and Dr Robert Easton was enjoying the beautiful sunshine and crisp mountain air on the ski slopes of Davos, Switzerland when his mobile phone rang. It was a call from Ken Greatbatch, the former CFO of Vantico, with very interesting news: Clariant's attempt to auction off its operating division, AZ Electronic Materials (AZ-EM), had failed. There was now a great chance of an exclusive deal for Carlyle to acquire the company. Clariant needed to make the deal happen, and fast; it had promised shareholders and analysts during the summer of 2003 that it would reduce its debt level by almost a??800 million. Six months had passed and the company had very little to show for its efforts. To dispose of its division, Clariant had initially engineered an auction among AZ-EM's closest competitors, but had not succeeded in finding a suitable buyer. Faced with the failed auction, increased pressure from shareholders and a clear need to raise cash rapidly, Clariant resorted to its second-best option - a negotiated sale with a qualified private equity buyer. The Carlyle Group immediately voiced an interest and offered to expedite due diligence if a deal could be negotiated rapidly. Speed was now of the essence for Clariant's top management team, who were very keen to figure out how quickly Easton and his team could move. Learning objectives: Buyout, due diligence, managing transition, turnaround management, leverage, incentives, restructuring."
Authors :: Benoit Leleux, Bala Chakravarthy, Jonathan Lachowitz
Swot Analysis of "CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A)" written by Benoit Leleux, Bala Chakravarthy, Jonathan Lachowitz includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Az Clariant facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Entrepreneurial finance and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) casestudy better are - – increasing household debt because of falling income levels, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, increasing energy prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation,
banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Az Clariant, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Az Clariant 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Az Clariant
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 Az Clariant
Strengths CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Az Clariant in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Az Clariant 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 Az Clariant in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Az Clariant 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
High brand equity
– Az Clariant has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Az Clariant to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Az Clariant digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Az Clariant 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.
Organizational Resilience of Az Clariant
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Az Clariant does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Innovation driven organization
– Az Clariant is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Az Clariant has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Az Clariant 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.
Training and development
– Az Clariant has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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.
Learning organization
- Az Clariant 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 Az Clariant is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Az Clariant is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Az Clariant in the sector have low bargaining power. CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Az Clariant to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Az Clariant 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.
Weaknesses CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) are -
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 Az Clariant has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Az Clariant 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Az Clariant is planning to shift buying processes online.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 Az Clariant 's lucrative customers.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Az Clariant 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of Az Clariant products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Az Clariant needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Az Clariant 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 - CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Az Clariant 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A), 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) HBR case study mentions - Az Clariant 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Az Clariant is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Az Clariant needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Az Clariant to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Opportunities CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) | 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) are -
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. Az Clariant can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Developing new processes and practices
– Az Clariant 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Az Clariant can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Leadership & Managing People segment.
Manufacturing automation
– Az Clariant 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.
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 Az Clariant in the consumer business. Now Az Clariant can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Az Clariant 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, CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
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. Az Clariant 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. Az Clariant 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Az Clariant 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Az Clariant is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Az Clariant 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Az Clariant can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Buying journey improvements
– Az Clariant can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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
– Az Clariant 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.
Threats CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) are -
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Az Clariant has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Az Clariant 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 Az Clariant 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.
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 Az Clariant.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A), Az Clariant 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 .
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 Az Clariant business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, 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 Az Clariant in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Environmental challenges
– Az Clariant 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. Az Clariant can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Az Clariant with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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. Az Clariant needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Az Clariant high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.
Increasing wage structure of Az Clariant
– 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 Az Clariant.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Az Clariant is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Leadership & Managing People field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Az Clariant 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 CARLYLE GROUP AND THE AZ-EM BUYOUT (A) 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 Az Clariant needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.