Chaozhou Three-circle (300408) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / MBA Resources

Introduction to SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix for Chaozhou Three-circle (China)

Based on various researches at Oak Spring University , Chaozhou Three-circle is operating in a macro-environment that has been destablized by – cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, wage bills are increasing, there is backlash against globalization, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, etc

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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Chaozhou Three-circle

SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University, we believe that Chaozhou Three-circle can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Chaozhou Three-circle, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

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SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix

SWOT analysis of Chaozhou Three-circle can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning of Chaozhou Three-circle
2. Improving business portfolio management of Chaozhou Three-circle
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in China
4. Making a Electronic Instr. & Controls sector specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Chaozhou Three-circle

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Strengths of Chaozhou Three-circle | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Chaozhou Three-circle are -

Analytics focus

– Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. The technology infrastructure of China 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.

Learning organization

- Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders at Chaozhou Three-circle emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Organizational Resilience of Chaozhou Three-circle

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing Chaozhou Three-circle does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Chaozhou Three-circle is one of the leading players in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry in China. It is in a position to attract the best talent available in China. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Digital Transformation in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Chaozhou Three-circle digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Chaozhou Three-circle in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Strong track record of project management in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry

– Chaozhou Three-circle is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Chaozhou Three-circle has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Ability to lead change in Electronic Instr. & Controls

– Chaozhou Three-circle is one of the leading players in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry in China. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry in China but also across the existing markets. The ability to lead change has enabled Chaozhou Three-circle in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.

High brand equity

– Chaozhou Three-circle has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Chaozhou Three-circle to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry

– Chaozhou Three-circle has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Chaozhou Three-circle to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Chaozhou Three-circle to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

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Weaknesses of Chaozhou Three-circle | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Chaozhou Three-circle are -

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative at Chaozhou Three-circle, in the dynamic environment of Electronic Instr. & Controls industry it has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Electronic Instr. & Controls industry, Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

No frontier risks strategy

– From the 10K / annual statement of Chaozhou Three-circle, it seems that company is thinking out the frontier risks that can impact Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. 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.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Chaozhou Three-circle has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Chaozhou Three-circle is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry, but Chaozhou Three-circle needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Chaozhou Three-circle to focus more on services in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry rather than just following the product oriented approach.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of China, Chaozhou Three-circle needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Chaozhou Three-circle has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry over the last five years. Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Chaozhou Three-circle is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication can help Chaozhou Three-circle to provide better information regarding Electronic Instr. & Controls products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

High bargaining power of channel partners in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry

– because of the regulatory requirements in China, Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Electronic Instr. & Controls industry.

High dependence on Chaozhou Three-circle ‘s star products

– The top 2 products and services of Chaozhou Three-circle still accounts for major business revenue. This dependence on star products in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry has resulted into insufficient focus on developing new products, even though Chaozhou Three-circle has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

High operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, Chaozhou Three-circle has high operating costs in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Chaozhou Three-circle lucrative customers.

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Chaozhou Three-circle Opportunities | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The opportunities of Chaozhou Three-circle are -

Leveraging digital technologies

– Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Chaozhou Three-circle can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Chaozhou Three-circle operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Electronic Instr. & Controls sector.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Chaozhou Three-circle to increase its market reach. Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Chaozhou Three-circle is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Chaozhou Three-circle can utilize new technology in the field of Electronic Instr. & Controls industry to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry

– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Chaozhou Three-circle in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. Now Chaozhou Three-circle can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Reforming the budgeting process

- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Chaozhou Three-circle can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Chaozhou Three-circle in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.

Buying journey improvements

– Chaozhou Three-circle can improve the customer journey of consumers in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. It 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.

Finding new ways to collaborate

– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Chaozhou Three-circle can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Manufacturing automation

– Chaozhou Three-circle can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Electronic Instr. & Controls 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.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

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Threats Chaozhou Three-circle External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The threats of Chaozhou Three-circle are -

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Chaozhou Three-circle in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. The Electronic Instr. & Controls 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.

Environmental challenges

– Chaozhou Three-circle 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. Chaozhou Three-circle can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, Chaozhou Three-circle may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Electronic Instr. & Controls sector.

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 Chaozhou Three-circle in the Electronic Instr. & Controls sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry to Electronic Instr. & Controls industry are lowering. It can presents Chaozhou Three-circle with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the Electronic Instr. & Controls sector.

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. Chaozhou Three-circle needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

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 Chaozhou Three-circle.

Easy access to finance

– Easy access to finance in Electronic Instr. & Controls industry will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Chaozhou Three-circle can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

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 Chaozhou Three-circle business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Increasing wage structure of Chaozhou Three-circle

– 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 Chaozhou Three-circle.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle prominent markets.

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Chaozhou Three-circle 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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Chaozhou Three-circle has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Electronic Instr. & Controls industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Chaozhou Three-circle needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Electronic Instr. & Controls 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.

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Weighted SWOT Analysis of Chaozhou Three-circle Template, Example

Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers at Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle 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 Chaozhou Three-circle needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.

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