The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The SWOT analysis serves to determine the position of a company and is the basis for the company’s own strategy development and strategic innovation decisions.
The company’s own strengths are combined with the influences from the corporate environment and recorded in a four-field matrix. Opportunities, for example to win new customers through new products or services, become visible and can be the basis for idea-finding and innovation measures.
SWOT analysis is a basic method to sharpen the focus for developing action strategies. It is very applicable in transformations to be implemented or in the transformation of entrepreneurial business models as well as products. The SWOT analysis provides a sufficiently precise current status on which to build further.
SWOT defines a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis. Accordingly, the opportunities and risks are an analysis of the external environment. These are compared with the strengths and weaknesses of the internal company analysis. In this way, it is examined whether and which options for action could exist for transformations. Thus, SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool for a company.
You can find a lot of material about SWOT analysis on the Internet. Also, books by business experts with instructions for action on SWOT analysis have already been published manifold. The following is a rough orientation, because the questions and listing of points for the individual topics of the SWOT analysis can be very individually and specifically designed:
Strengths (strengths):
– Customers & Customer Satisfaction
– Know-how
– Personnel
– Innovative strength
– Processes
Weaknesses (weakness):
– Cost structure
– Culture
– Productivity and bureaucracy
– Commitment and conflicts
– Liquidity
Opportunities:
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Innovations
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New target groups
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Changing values
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Deregulation
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Globalization
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Digitalisierung
Risks (threats):
– Customer expectations
– Competition
– Legislation and political framework
– Business cycle and economic crises
Especially in the case of an upcoming digital transformation, which is supposed to follow a strategic planning, the SWOT analysis can be used quickly and easily.