"Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service
In the late 1990s, faced with a number of burning management issues, a growing inmate population, and a problem of officer recruitment, the director of the Singapore Prison Service implemented a thorough transformation process, developing a new paradigm for modern prison management which impacted the whole of Singaporean society. Case A describes the brave decisions and innovative ideas championed by the directorate, inviting students to slip into the role of senior management and discuss the pros and cons of a key management decision without knowing the outcome (Case B).
Authors :: Thomas Hellwig, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries
Swot Analysis of ""Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service" written by Thomas Hellwig, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Prison Inmate facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Coaching, Organizational culture and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service casestudy better are - – increasing energy prices, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, there is backlash against globalization, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
geopolitical disruptions, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Prison Inmate, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Prison Inmate 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Prison Inmate
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 Prison Inmate
Strengths "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Prison Inmate in "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service Harvard Business Review case study are -
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Prison Inmate 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Prison Inmate has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Prison Inmate 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
– Prison Inmate has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Prison Inmate is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Prison Inmate to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Prison Inmate to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Innovation driven organization
– Prison Inmate is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Prison Inmate 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.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Prison Inmate 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 Prison Inmate in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Organizational Resilience of Prison Inmate
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Prison Inmate does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Prison Inmate in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Prison Inmate digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Prison Inmate 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Prison Inmate in the sector have low bargaining power. "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Prison Inmate to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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 Prison Inmate supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Prison Inmate vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service, 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service, in the dynamic environment Prison Inmate has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Prison Inmate has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Lack of clear differentiation of Prison Inmate products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Prison Inmate needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Prison Inmate is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Prison Inmate needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Prison Inmate to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Prison Inmate is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Thomas Hellwig, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries suggests that, Prison Inmate 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 Prison Inmate 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.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Prison Inmate 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Prison Inmate 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. Prison Inmate 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Prison Inmate 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.
Opportunities "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service | 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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. Prison Inmate can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Manufacturing automation
– Prison Inmate 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Prison Inmate has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Prison Inmate to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service case study. Prison Inmate can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
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. Prison Inmate can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Prison Inmate 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Prison Inmate 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, "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Prison Inmate 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Prison Inmate to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Prison Inmate 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Prison Inmate 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
– Prison Inmate can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Prison Inmate 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Prison Inmate is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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.
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 Prison Inmate in the consumer business. Now Prison Inmate can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Threats "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service are -
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Prison Inmate 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.
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. Prison Inmate 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.
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 Prison Inmate.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Prison Inmate 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Prison Inmate 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service .
Regulatory challenges
– Prison Inmate 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 Leadership & Managing People industry regulations.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Prison Inmate 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Prison Inmate has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Prison Inmate 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Prison Inmate in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The Leadership & Managing People industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
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 Prison Inmate business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Prison Inmate will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Prison Inmate is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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 "Captains of Lives" (B): The Transformation Journey of the Singapore Prison Service 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 Prison Inmate needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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