I. Introduction
SWOT Analysis
Figure 1: A basic SWOT Analysis matrix as described by Jackson, Aparna, & Erhardt,
(2003).
First of all we have to define the four main building blocks of our
diagram;
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Having defined the main building blocks of the SWOT analysis matrix,
we will dig deeper into these elements and link them with certain
aspects of an organization. The two main aspects of this effort were
already mentioned and they are the Internal and the External aspect of
an organization.
In Chapter 2 of the book by Ward & Peppard, (2008) an important step
in formulating a business strategy is stated, the so called Situation
Analysis, which if put into words answers to the question Where are
we now ?. This is where the Internal and External analysis of an
organization really come into play and help managers realize the
different dimensions of their business
Internal analysis
The internal part of an organization can vary, depending on the size,
but the main principles on which we focus our interest remain the
same and according to Bernroider, (2002) these are the following;
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products, what different price levels exist and how satisfied are
those customers.
Innovation, which is about the level of a companys desire to
invest in new technologies, follow technological breakthroughs,
keep up with the emerging business trends and in which extend
is part of the profits re-invest in research & development.
External analysis
The external analysis of an enterprise is a task which is a bit more
complicated (see Background and related literature), but it mainly is an
analysis of the current competition and of the market in which the
company operates. In order to give an example of external analysis
factors we will mention some external barriers and drivers as they are
stated by Bernroider, (2002):
Step Activity
1.
2.
Pre SWOT
SWOT
Analysis
3.
SWOT
Analysis
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Weaknesses)
4.
Selection of strategies
5.
Implementation of strategies
Pro SWOT
Pro SWOT
Table 1: The steps that have to be followed in order to carry out a successful SWOT
Analysis as described by Bernroider, (2002).
SWOT Analysis
Microsoft states the companys mission at its official corporate website,
which is defined as follows:
At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and
businesses through the world realize their full potential
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/about/default.mspx#values
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Figure 2: SWOT Analysis for Microsoft (see Appendix for larger version)
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Step 4 and 5
In the next two steps certain decisions have to be taken and
implemented, about the strategy of Microsoft, but we will not go into
detail, since it is not so close to the subject of the method we are
describing.
The general idea behind these two steps is to formulate a set of
candidate strategies, which could help solve the problem that the
managers are investigating. After carefully examining all possible
solutions and the effects they would have on the organization, one
preferred strategy would be selected and a strategic plan would be
designed.
To mention a couple of examples of what follows, the managers of
Microsoft should decide whether more money should be invested in the
emerging market of Online office or will Microsoft just
to fight
Google, since it seems that Google is the main competitor.
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diagram.
(see Appendix for large version)
V.
Activity
Subactivit
y
Description
Corporate
mission and
goals
definition
Define
corporate
mission
Determine
corporate goals
Define threats
Identify
opportunities
External
environmen
t analysis
Internal
environmen
t analysis
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Strategy
selection
Strategy
implementa
tion
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Formulate
strategic plan
Design
organizational
structure
Design control
systems
SWOT Analysis
for better staff efficiency.
Table 2: The activity table of the meta-process model
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VII.
Concept
Description
MISION STATEMENT
A mission statement is an
unambiguous statement of what the
organization does and its long-term
purpose (Ward & Peppard, 2008).
STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES
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LIST OF THREATS
LIST OF
OPPORTUNITIES
LIST OF STRENGTHS
LIST OF WEAKNESSES
SWOT ANALYSIS
An assessment of Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats. SWOT Analysis is used
within organizations in the early
stages of strategic and marketing
planning. It is also used in problem
solving, decision making or for
making staff aware of the need for
change, (BNET, 2009).
FUTURE CORPORATE
OBJECTIVES
STRATEGIC PLAN
A comprehensive, integrative
program that considers, at
minimum, the future of current
decisions, overall policy,
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ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
CONTROL SYSTEM
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VIII.
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IX.
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SWOT Analysis
created during a research project funded by a large number of
companies, making it rather confidential.
As stated in an article by Chapman, A., (2008) about SWOT Analysis
and its origin,
SWOT analysis came from the research conducted at Stanford
Research Institute from 1960-1970. The background to SWOT
stemmed from the need to find out why corporate planning failed. The
research was funded by the fortune 500 companies to find out what
could be done about this failure. The Research Team were Marion
Dosher, Dr Otis Benepe, Albert Humphrey, Robert Stewart, Birger Lie.
It is easy to understand that SWOT Analysis can be used in many
different areas of management, thus a method which gives managers
the opportunity to analyze a certain problem and put to paper the pros
and cons of a situation or a company. Therefore, it helps them to begin
their research in the certain problem and provides the basic concepts
in order to decide what the next move will be. For example, it is also
used for marketing management to define whether a new market
entrance would be profitable or would it be beneficial to create new
products, Wilson & Gilligan, (2005).
Another interesting quote from the article by Chapman, A., (2008)
would be the following;
A SWOT analysis measures a business unit, a proposition or idea; a
PEST analysis measures a market.
According to this quote, a market in which a company is active in
should be well measured. Current trends in marketing analysis usually
start with the external analysis dimension of the SWOT Analysis matrix.
Following this trend, firstly we examine an organizations external
environment and how it is identified and analyzed. Being more specific,
software companies have to pay close attention to their external
environment, since competition and market status play a huge role in
the success of a software company.
In his research paper, Bernroider, (2002) states that many companies
tend to use another, complementary, method in order to analyze their
external environment and in continuum to define certain their
Opportunities and Threats. The two most broadly used methods are
PEST (or PESTEL) and the 5 Forces model by Porter, (1998) and also
stated by Grundy, (2006).
PEST stands for Political, Economical, Social and Technological and it
revolves around these dimensions of the external environment of an
organization, in order to define potential threats and/or opportunities.
The 5 forces model by Porter is a rather known model, which consists
of the five main elements of a companys environment; (Existing)
Competitors, (Bargaining power of) Suppliers, (Bargaining power of)
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Buyers, (Threat of possible) Substitutes and (Threat of possible)
New Entrants.
SWOT Analysis is high level method and quite abstract, therefore it can
be used by many different types of organizations; from software
companies, which are addressed in this paper-, other businesses of all
types and sizes, up to universities and other large institutions.
To set some examples of the multidisciplinary nature of the SWOT
Analysis method, Guzmn, Moreno, & Tejada, (2008) used it in order to
define all different aspects of the travel agencies in the area of
Andalucia, a higly touristic area of Spain. In another case study, Dyson,
(2004), used SWOT Analysis in order to define the main strengths,
weaknesses, opportunites and threats of the University of Warwick.
Despite all of these examples, another advantage of SWOT Analysis is
that it can be easily combined with other methods and techniques,
such as PEST & the 5 forces model mentioned above, in order to
conduct thorough research of a specific company, product or even just
an idea. It can also be used to create new hybrid tools and/or methods
in order to create a new customized solution for a specific problem that
an organization might face. For example Houben, Lenie, & Vanhoof,
(1999) used SWOT Analysis to create a knowledge based system for
small and medium enterprises.
To sum up, SWOT Analysis is a useful tool for decision making and for
organizing ones thinking about a certain situation or idea, whether that
is a companys current situation, a certain problem within a companys
process etc. It should be combined with other analyzing techniques, in
order to achieve a high level of analysis of a company, so as to
succeed and make the most rewarding and efficient choices, since the
final result of SWOT Analysis is to formulate a general plan for a new
strategy and ways to implement it.
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X. References
Alonso, I. A., Verdn, J. C., & Caro, E. T. (2008). The Importance of IT Strategic
Demand Management in Achieving the Objectives of the Strategic Business
Planning. 2008 International Conference on Computer Science and Software
Engineering (pp. 235-238). IEEE Computer Society.
BNET Business Network. (2009). BNET Business Network. Retrieved 3 5, 2009,
from Strategic Goal: Definition and additional resources from BNET:
http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/strategic+goal.html
BNET Business Network. (2009). BNET Business Network. Retrieved 3 20, 2009,
from Organizational Structure: Definition and additional resources from BNET:
http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/organization+structure.html
BNET Business Network. (2009). BNET Business Network. Retrieved 3 5, 2009,
from SWOT Analysis: Definition and additional resources from BNET:
http://dictionary.bnet.com/index.php?d=SWOT+Analysis
Bernroider, E. (2002). Factors in SWOT Analysis Applied to Micro, Small-toMedium, and Large Software Enterprises: An Austrian Study. European
Management Journal , 20 (5), 562-573.
Chapman, A. (2008). SWOT analysis method and examples. Retrieved 2009, from
http://www.businessballs.com:
http://businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm
Cusumano, M., MacCormack, A., Kemerer, C. F., & Crandall, B. (2003). Software
Development Worldwide: The State of the Practice. IEEE Software .
Dyson, R. G. (2004). Strategic development and SWOT analysis at the University
of Warwick. European Journal of Operational Research , 152, pp. 631-640.
Fowler, M. (2003). UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling
Language (3rd Edition). Addison-Wesley Professional.
Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porter's five forces model.
Strategic Change , 15 (5), 213-229.
Guzmn, J., Moreno, P., & Tejada, P. (2008, September). The tourism SMEs in the
global value chains: the case of Andalusia. Service Business , 2, pp. 187-202.
Houben, G., Lenie, K., & Vanhoof, K. (1999). A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis
system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized
enterprises. Decision Support Systems , 26, 125-135.
Jackson, S. E., Aparna, J., & Erhardt, L. N. (2003, May 21). Recent Research on
Team and Organizational Diversity: SWOT Analysis and Implications. Journal of
Management , 29 (6), pp. 801-830.
Porter, M. (1998). How competitive forces shape strategy. In M. Porter, On
Competition (pp. 21-38). Boston, MA.: Harvard Business School Press.
Prefontaine, L., & Bourgault, M. (2002). Strategic Analysis and Export Behavior of
SMEs: A Comparison Between the United States and Canada. International Small
Business Journal , 20, pp. 123-138.
Princeton WordNet Search. (2009). WordNet Search 3.0. Retrieved 3 5, 2009,
from Princeton WordNet: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=control
%20system
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Richards, H. (2009). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 3 9, 2009, from SWOT
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats):
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/dstools/paradigm/swot.html
Steinmueller, E. (1995). The U.S. Software Indus : An Analysis and Interpretive
History. In D. C. Mowery, The International Computer Software Indus . Oxford
University Press.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). U.S. Environmental Agency
Retrieved 3 21, 2007, from US EPA Program Evaluation Glossary:
http://www.epa.gov/evaluate/glossary/s-esd.htm
Ward, J., & Peppard, J. (2008). Strategic Planning for Information Systems, third
edition. John Wiley & Sons, LTD.
Wilson, R. M., & Gilligan, C. (2005). Strategic Marketing Management, Third
Edition: planning, implementation and control. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Zheng, Y., & Mou, Z. (2008). Organizational Structure Adjustment of Agent Team
Based on Task. 2008 International Conference on Computer Science and
Software Engineering (pp. 557-560). IEEE Computer Society.
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XI.Appendix
Figure 6: Larger version of the SWOT Analysis example, where we analyze Microsoft
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SWOT Analysis
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SWOT Analysis
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WEAKNESSES
N
T
E
R
N
Core competences
A
L
E
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
X
T
E
R
N
Identify new
opportunities in the
market and in the
general external
environment
L
Table 4: A template for SWOT Analysis
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