The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Finance & Accounting
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010
This case presents financial statements and selected ratios for 14 unidentified healthcare organizations and asks that each set of financial information be matched with one of the following healthcare companies: a biotechnology firm, a community nursing company, a distributor (medical), a DME licensee and seller, a DME developer and seller, a home care provider, a hospital (diversified), an insurer, a lab/diagnostic firm, a medical device manufacturer, a nursing home operator, a pharmaceuticals company (branded), a pharmaceuticals company (generics), and a private practice.
Authors :: Richard Bohmer, Ethan S. Bernstein, Margarita Krivitski, Srinidhi Reddy
Swot Analysis of "The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010" written by Richard Bohmer, Ethan S. Bernstein, Margarita Krivitski, Srinidhi Reddy includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Dme Unidentified facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Financial analysis, Financial management, International business and Finance & Accounting.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 casestudy better are - – challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing energy prices, wage bills are increasing, technology disruption, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, there is backlash against globalization,
banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Dme Unidentified, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Dme Unidentified 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Dme Unidentified
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 Dme Unidentified
Strengths The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Dme Unidentified in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 Harvard Business Review case study are -
Training and development
– Dme Unidentified has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 Dme Unidentified 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Dme Unidentified has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Dme Unidentified 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Finance & Accounting industry
– The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Dme Unidentified to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Dme Unidentified to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Dme Unidentified in the sector have low bargaining power. The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Dme Unidentified to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Learning organization
- Dme Unidentified 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 Dme Unidentified is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Finance & Accounting segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Dme Unidentified digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Dme Unidentified 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Dme Unidentified is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Dme Unidentified has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Dme Unidentified in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Ability to lead change in Finance & Accounting field
– Dme Unidentified 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 Dme Unidentified in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Weaknesses The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 Dme Unidentified supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Dme Unidentified vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 HBR case study mentions - Dme Unidentified 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010, 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Dme Unidentified 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 - The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Lack of clear differentiation of Dme Unidentified products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Dme Unidentified needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Dme Unidentified 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Dme Unidentified is planning to shift buying processes online.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Dme Unidentified 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 bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Richard Bohmer, Ethan S. Bernstein, Margarita Krivitski, Srinidhi Reddy suggests that, Dme Unidentified 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Dme Unidentified is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Finance & Accounting segment. Dme Unidentified needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Dme Unidentified to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Dme Unidentified 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.
Opportunities The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 | 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 are -
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Dme Unidentified to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Dme Unidentified to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Dme Unidentified can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Dme Unidentified operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Dme Unidentified in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Finance & Accounting segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Dme Unidentified 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, The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
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 Dme Unidentified 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Dme Unidentified 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Dme Unidentified can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Finance & Accounting industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Dme Unidentified 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. Dme Unidentified 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Dme Unidentified 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Dme Unidentified to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Dme Unidentified 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Dme Unidentified has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Dme Unidentified to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 case study. Dme Unidentified can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Dme Unidentified 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.
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. Dme Unidentified can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 are -
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 Dme Unidentified in the Finance & Accounting sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Dme Unidentified is facing in Finance & Accounting sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010, Dme Unidentified 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 .
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Dme Unidentified with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Finance & Accounting field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Dme Unidentified can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Dme Unidentified.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Dme Unidentified has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Dme Unidentified 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Dme Unidentified 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Dme Unidentified 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.
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. Dme Unidentified needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting 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 wage structure of Dme Unidentified
– 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 Dme Unidentified.
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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 The Case of the Unidentified Healthcare Companies -- 2010 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 Dme Unidentified needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
