Based on various researches at Oak Spring University , MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is operating in a macro-environment that has been destablized by – there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing energy prices, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, wage bills are increasing, increasing commodity prices, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings,
increasing transportation and logistics costs, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University, we believe that MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun
2. Improving business portfolio management of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in United States
4. Making a Misc. Financial Services sector specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun
Strengths of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun are -
Organizational Resilience of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun in Misc. Financial Services industry is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Successful track record of launching new products
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the Misc. Financial Services 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.
Ability to lead change in Misc. Financial Services
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is one of the leading players in the Misc. Financial Services industry in United States. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in the Misc. Financial Services industry in United States but also across the existing markets. The ability to lead change has enabled MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Digital Transformation in Misc. Financial Services industry
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Highly skilled collaborators
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive Misc. Financial Services industry. Secondly the value chain collaborators of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
High brand equity
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Analytics focus
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 Misc. Financial Services industry. The technology infrastructure of United States is also helping 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun in the Financial sector have low bargaining power. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun are -
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the Misc. Financial Services industry, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication can help MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to provide better information regarding Misc. Financial Services products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the Misc. Financial Services industry over the last five years. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Need for greater diversity
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.
Employees’ less understanding of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun strategy
– From the outside it seems that the employees of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Misc. Financial Services industry, but MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to focus more on services in the Misc. Financial Services industry rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of United States, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Products dominated business model
– Even though MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has some of the most successful models in the Misc. Financial Services industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Aligning sales with marketing
– From the outside it seems that MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the Misc. Financial Services industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department at MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is planning to shift buying processes online.
MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun Opportunities | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun are -
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Misc. Financial Services sector.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can utilize new technology in the field of Misc. Financial Services industry to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.
Loyalty marketing
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Misc. Financial Services industry, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Misc. Financial Services industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Misc. Financial Services sector. 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.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– consumer behavior has changed in the Misc. Financial Services industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Leveraging digital technologies
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to increase its market reach. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in Misc. Financial Services industry. This can help MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun to build a more holistic ecosystem for MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun products in the Misc. Financial Services industry by providing – data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Threats MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun are -
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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun.
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.
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. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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.
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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Environmental challenges
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Misc. Financial Services 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun in the Misc. Financial Services sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun is facing in Misc. Financial Services 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, MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Misc. Financial Services sector.
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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun in Misc. Financial Services industry. The Misc. Financial Services 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 Misc. Financial Services industry and other sectors.
Regulatory challenges
– MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 Misc. Financial Services industry regulations.
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. MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Misc. Financial Services industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers at MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun 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 MainStay DefinedTerm Muni Opportun needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.