Swot Analysis of "Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A)" written by V. Kasturi Rangan, Katharine Lee includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Bhavani Manjula facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Entrepreneurial finance and Finance & Accounting.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) casestudy better are - – competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing energy prices, wage bills are increasing, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices,
banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Bhavani Manjula, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Bhavani Manjula 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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Bhavani Manjula
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Finance & Accounting field.
4. Making a Finance & Accounting topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Bhavani Manjula
Strengths Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Bhavani Manjula in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Learning organization
- Bhavani Manjula 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 Bhavani Manjula is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Innovation driven organization
– Bhavani Manjula is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Organizational Resilience of Bhavani Manjula
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Bhavani Manjula does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Ability to lead change in Finance & Accounting field
– Bhavani Manjula 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 Bhavani Manjula in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Analytics focus
– Bhavani Manjula 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 V. Kasturi Rangan, Katharine Lee 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Bhavani Manjula in the sector have low bargaining power. Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Bhavani Manjula to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Bhavani Manjula 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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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.
Training and development
– Bhavani Manjula has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Bhavani Manjula 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Bhavani Manjula 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Bhavani Manjula is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Bhavani Manjula is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) are -
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Bhavani Manjula 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.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Bhavani Manjula has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Bhavani Manjula is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Finance & Accounting segment. Bhavani Manjula needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Bhavani Manjula to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A), in the dynamic environment Bhavani Manjula has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Bhavani Manjula has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Bhavani Manjula is planning to shift buying processes online.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A), it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Finance & Accounting 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 harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Bhavani Manjula is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Bhavani Manjula, firm in the HBR case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Bhavani Manjula 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 - Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Lack of clear differentiation of Bhavani Manjula products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Bhavani Manjula needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) HBR case study mentions - Bhavani Manjula 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.
Opportunities Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) are -
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Bhavani Manjula 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Bhavani Manjula to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Bhavani Manjula has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Bhavani Manjula to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) case study. Bhavani Manjula can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Bhavani Manjula 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 Finance & Accounting segment.
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. Bhavani Manjula can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Bhavani Manjula can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Finance & Accounting industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Bhavani Manjula 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
– Bhavani Manjula can develop new processes and procedures in Finance & Accounting 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.
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 Bhavani Manjula 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Bhavani Manjula can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Finance & Accounting 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
– Bhavani Manjula 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Bhavani Manjula is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Bhavani Manjula can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Bhavani Manjula operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.
Threats Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) are -
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Bhavani Manjula in the Finance & Accounting industry. The Finance & Accounting 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Bhavani Manjula with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A), Bhavani Manjula may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Finance & Accounting .
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Bhavani Manjula is facing in Finance & Accounting sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Bhavani Manjula needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Finance & Accounting industry regulations.
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 Bhavani Manjula business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Bhavani Manjula 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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (A) .
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. Bhavani Manjula needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Bhavani Manjula 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. Bhavani Manjula can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Bhavani Manjula has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Bhavani Manjula needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Finance & Accounting 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.
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.
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 Bhavani Manjula.
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 Bhavani Manjula in the Finance & Accounting sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Who Killed Bhavani Manjula?--A Story of Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh (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 Bhavani Manjula needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
