Swot Analysis of "Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B)" written by Denis Shackel, Ken Mark includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that 909c13 Blair facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Customers, Human resource management, Leadership, Sales and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, technology disruption, increasing transportation and logistics costs, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, geopolitical disruptions,
challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the 909c13 Blair, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which 909c13 Blair 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of 909c13 Blair
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 909c13 Blair
Strengths Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of 909c13 Blair in Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the 909c13 Blair 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.
Organizational Resilience of 909c13 Blair
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that 909c13 Blair does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled 909c13 Blair to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped 909c13 Blair to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Ability to recruit top talent
– 909c13 Blair is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Strong track record of project management
– 909c13 Blair is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Learning organization
- 909c13 Blair 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 909c13 Blair is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that 909c13 Blair 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of 909c13 Blair in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of 909c13 Blair in the sector have low bargaining power. Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps 909c13 Blair to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
High brand equity
– 909c13 Blair has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled 909c13 Blair to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Diverse revenue streams
– 909c13 Blair is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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.
Weaknesses Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) are -
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B), is just above the industry average. 909c13 Blair needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, 909c13 Blair 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.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
909c13 Blair 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of 909c13 Blair products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, 909c13 Blair needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at 909c13 Blair 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 dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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 909c13 Blair has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) HBR case study mentions - 909c13 Blair 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, 909c13 Blair has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B), in the dynamic environment 909c13 Blair has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. 909c13 Blair has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, 909c13 Blair 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of 909c13 Blair is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. 909c13 Blair needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help 909c13 Blair to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Opportunities Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) | 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) are -
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for 909c13 Blair in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Leadership & Managing People segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects 909c13 Blair can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
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 909c13 Blair in the consumer business. Now 909c13 Blair can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help 909c13 Blair to increase its market reach. 909c13 Blair will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
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. 909c13 Blair can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, 909c13 Blair 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, Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B), 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. 909c13 Blair 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. 909c13 Blair 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, 909c13 Blair can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that 909c13 Blair operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Manufacturing automation
– 909c13 Blair 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at 909c13 Blair 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– 909c13 Blair 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help 909c13 Blair to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Buying journey improvements
– 909c13 Blair can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, 909c13 Blair 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.
Threats Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) are -
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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for 909c13 Blair 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.
Regulatory challenges
– 909c13 Blair 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.
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. 909c13 Blair 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.
Environmental challenges
– 909c13 Blair 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. 909c13 Blair can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
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 909c13 Blair in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– 909c13 Blair 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents 909c13 Blair with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that 909c13 Blair is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Consumer confidence and its impact on 909c13 Blair 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.
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 909c13 Blair business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B), 909c13 Blair 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 .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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 Blair Howard: Developing an Exceptional Presentation (B) 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 909c13 Blair needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.