SWOT (Marketing Management)

MARKETING MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT  # 1

                                       

TOPIC

SWOT  ANALYSIS OF MICROSOFT        

CORPORATION

SWOT ANALYSIS

A SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to an organization while Opportunities and threats originate from outside the organization. A SWOT analysis, usually performed early in the project development process, helps organizations evaluate the environmental factors and internal situation facing a project.

Ideally a cross-functional team or a task force that represents a broad range of perspectives should carry out SWOT analyses. For example, a SWOT team may include an accountant, a salesperson, an executive manager, an engineer, and an ombudsman.

strengths:

A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a

basis for developing a competitive advantage.example of such strengths include:

•  specialist marketing expertise.
• a new, innovative product or service.
• location of your business.
• quality processes and procedures.
• any other aspect of  business that adds value to a product or service.

weaknesSes:

The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a weakness. For example,

each of the following may be considered weaknesses:

• Lacke of potent protection.
• weak brand name.
• high cost structure.
• lack of access to the best natural resources.
• lack of access to key distribution channels.
• undifferentiated products and service (i.e. in relation to  competitors)
• location of your business.
• poor quality goods or services.
• damaged reputation

In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength. Take the case  in which a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity. While this

capacity may be considered a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be a considered a weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity prevents the firm from reacting quickly to changes in the strategic environment.

Opportunities and threats are external factors. For example:

opportunitIES:

The external environmental analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and growth. Some examples of such opportunities include.

• a developing market such as the Internet.
• mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances
• moving into new market segments that offer improved profits
• loosening of regulations.
• arrival of new technologies.
• removal of international trade barrier.
• a market vacated by an ineffective competitor