...A SWOT Analysis view of the software development industry Georgios Kormaris Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands gkormari@cs.uu.nl WWW home page: http://www.cs.uu.nl/ Introduction I n the past twenty to thirty years many changes and developments have taken place in the software industry which started off during the 1960s mainly in the United States of America and experienced a revolutionary boom since the 1980s, Steinmueller, (1995). There are many different ways and methods of developing software and planning the strategy of a software development company, as we can derive from many recent research projects. Most of these projects are usually concerned with the way that software is developed and not with the way that the strategy of the company as a whole is planned, Cusumano, MacCormack, Kemerer, & Crandall, (2003). Another important factor is which techniques and methods are used to analyze company’s environment and how the strategy is formulated and implemented. In this paper we analyze a popular method for strategic planning which has been mostly used for product portfolio planning and strategic planning on an abstract level, as stated in a research paper by Houben, Lenie, & Vanhoof, (1999). We will focus our interest in the software industry and base our research on the case study of the Austrian software industry as it is presented by Bernroider, (2002). Additionally, certain guidelines are...
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...Reliance |Growth through Vision | | | |"Growth has no limit at Reliance. I keep revising my vision. | |Only when you can dream it, you can do it." | | | |Dhirubhai H. Ambani | |Founder Chairman | |Reliance Group of Companies | | | | | | Reliance |[pic] |[pic]...
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...(i)Executive Summary This project discusses the Strategic Management process which Robbins and Coulter (2007:240) define as” A six –step process that encompasses strategy planning, implementation, and evaluation”. The project is based on the strategic management of Barclays Bank. The main goal of Barclays bank is to satisfy people’s needs and offer them the best service. According to Jones and George (2008:308), the SWOT analysis is “A planning exercise in which managers identify organizational strengths (s) and weaknesses (W) and environmental opportunities (O) and threats (T)”. Strengths might include adequate financial resources, economies of scale, and proprietary technology. Weaknesses include lack of strategic direction, obsolete facilities, and lack of managerial depth and talent. Whereas, Opportunities might include the possibility of serving additional customers in the face of weakening competition, or the chance to enter foreign markets due to falling trade barriers. Threats might include the likely entry of new lower-cost foreign competitors, rising sales substitute products, and slowing market growth (Dessler, 2004). Four important features that lead to the success of Barclays bank are: High quality products, team spirit between the bank’s employees, wide spread global presence and strong management with well educated managers. Although Barclays bank is a highly qualified bank, it still lacks important services and offers like Islamic banking and Drive...
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...Swot Analysis Strategic Management: SWOT analysis’ advantages and disadvantages Decision-making and problem-solving techniques Strategic Management is defined as a set of managerial decisions and actions that determines the long-run performance of a corporation. It includes a variety of tools and analysis which help implement, evaluate and control the general strategy of a company. Strategy formulation begins with a situational analysis and it emphasises the monitoring and evaluating of external opportunities and threats in light of a corporation´s strengths and weaknesses (Wheelen and Hunger, 2006; Saloner et al., 2001). Objective The objective of this report is to describe, analyse and discuss advantages and disadvantages of a concept named SWOT which is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. These concepts are frequently used as tools for analyzing the external environment of an organisation as well as the internal factors that constitutes its structure (Wheelen and Hunger, 2006). History SWOT analysis came from a research conducted at Stanford Research Institute in the 1960´s. The creation of the SWOT analysis comes 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. Albert Humphrey together with his team began testing this tool and it suddenly became a corporate planning trend, which seemed to appear first at Du Pont in 1949 (Morrison...
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...Strategic Management: SWOT analysis’ advantages and disadvantages Decision-making and problem-solving techniques Strategic Management is defined as a set of managerial decisions and actions that determines the long-run performance of a corporation. It includes a variety of tools and analysis which help implement, evaluate and control the general strategy of a company. Strategy formulation begins with a situational analysis and it emphasises the monitoring and evaluating of external opportunities and threats in light of a corporation´s strengths and weaknesses (Wheelen and Hunger, 2006; Saloner et al., 2001). Objective The objective of this report is to describe, analyse and discuss advantages and disadvantages of a concept named SWOT which is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. These concepts are frequently used as tools for analyzing the external environment of an organisation as well as the internal factors that constitutes its structure (Wheelen and Hunger, 2006). History SWOT analysis came from a research conducted at Stanford Research Institute in the 1960´s. The creation of the SWOT analysis comes 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. Albert Humphrey together with his team began testing this tool and it suddenly became a corporate planning trend, which seemed to appear first at Du Pont in 1949 (Morrison, 2009; Friesner...
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...WHAT IS SWOT ANALYSIS? SWOT analysis (alternately SWOT Matrix) is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in abusiness venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a convention at the Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International) in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500companies. Setting the objective should be done after the SWOT analysis has been performed. This would allow achievable goals or objectives to be set for the organization. Strengths: characteristics of the business, or project team that give it an advantage over others Weaknesses (or Limitations): are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage relative to others Opportunities: external chances to improve performance (e.g. make greater profits) in the environment Threats: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project Identification of SWOTs is essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning for achievement of the selected objective may be derived from the SWOTs. First, the decision makers have to determine whether the objective is attainable, given the SWOTs. If the objective is NOT attainable a different objective must...
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...SWOT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Dr. Kadrie MHM 525 j acqueline Sherrin SWOT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Dr. Kadrie MHM 525 j acqueline Sherrin 2016 2016 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis | | | | | Strengths | Partnership | S-Corporation | C-Corporation | LLC | | Inexpensive and easily formed. | Strong Financials with ability to grow | Strong Financials with ability to grow | Unlimited Lifespan | | No Corporate income taxes | High Customer satisfaction | High Customer satisfaction | Easy to transfer ownership | | Earnings are allocated to partners. | Owners have limited liability | Owners have limited liability | Owners have limited liability | | Highly-skilled clinical staff. | Highly-skilled clinical staff. | Highly-skilled clinical staff. | Highly-skilled clinical staff. | Weaknesses | | | | | | Unlimited personal liability of debt. | increased debt | Increased debt | Filing taxes is more expensive | | Is limited to life of owners | No specialty, primary care only | No specialty, primary care only | No specialty, primary care only | | Difficult to attract sufficient amounts of capital. | Outsourcing Tasks | Outsourcing Tasks | Outsourcing Tasks | | Lack of Technology | High Rent | High Rent | High Rent | Opportunities | | | | | | Increased efficiency (Patient Flow) | Better access | Better Access | Better Access | | Organization & Tech development | Improved security...
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...Planning is an important factor in any successful business or home. Planning involves deciding of future course of action, or in other words planning is deciding in advance what is to be done, how to be done, when to be done, and by whom to be done. It is an arrangement for doing something. Planning is a thinking process and is required for intelligent actions. It is the most basic of all management functions. A plan bridges the gap between where we are and where we want to go. The Three Steps The first step is determining the organization’s mission and goals. A mission statement is necessary for every business. It tells a customer or whoever reading the goals and achievements the business hopes to fulfill in so many years from now. In the second step management uses SWOT analysis and the five forces model to analyze strategies that will allow an organization to accomplish its missions and achieve its goals. The SWOT Analysis is “a planning exercise to identify strengths and weaknesses inside an organization and opportunities and threats in the environment” (Bethel College, 2006, P.190). The SWOT includes corporate, business, and functional level strategy to do the job. Corporate Level manages the growth of business, Business Level finds ways to compete, and Functional Level improves values of a business. The Five Forces Model affects how much profit organizations competing within the same industry can expect to make. These are the parts of the model: The level...
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...Assignment. 10 marks CLOs S1, S2, S3 1. Analyze and develop internal and external factors by using SWOT and PESTEL Analysis for competitive business strategies. 5 marks 2. Demonstrate the business models and corporate value chain analysis. 5 marks Analyze and develop internal and external factors by using SWOT and PESTEL Analysis for competitive business strategies. 5 marks When planning a project it is important to learn about the internal and external factors that can affect the project. There are some excellent strategic planning methods that you can use analyze all these factors. SWOT analysis and PEST analysis are two of the most frequently used planning methods. Below is a brief introduction to both methods and a comparison of SWOT analysis vs PEST analysis. What is SWOT Analysis ? SWOT when broken down simply means analyzing the: * Strengths – The advantages you have over the competition concerning this project. * Weaknesses – The disadvantages you have internally compared with your competitors. * Opportunities – Current external trends which are waiting to be taken advantage of. * Threats – External movements which may cause a problem and have a negative impact on your business. Sometimes SWOT is referred to as SLOT, where weaknesses are names as liabilities. By working through each of these points it is possible to identify any internal disadvantages or advantages which could benefit or hinder the outcome of a planned project...
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...and discussed the previous week’s objectives, which included the planning function of management, and the various factors that influence planning. Planning can be affected by legal issues, ethics and corporate social responsibility. A companys planning is also influenced by strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning. As a team we determined that learning about the steps of planning from the textbook’s learning objectives increased our knowledge through the learning activities and the instructor’s teachings. Since we are all in the process of pursuing our career, planning is an important step to ensure that we successfully accomplish our goals. The textbook defines planning as a conscious, systematic process of making decisions about goals and activities that an individual, group, work unit, or organization will pursue in the future (Bateman, 2011). Planning is an essential tool that can be used either in one’s personal life or a company. The planning function consist of identifying and diagnosing the problem, generating alternative solutions, evaluating alternatives, making a choice, implementing, and evaluation. This is a purposeful effort to accomplish ones goals. Planning provides individuals and work units with a clear map to follow in their future activities; at the same time this map may be flexible enough to allow for individual circumstances and changing conditions (Bateman, 2011). Planning is necessary step in our life whether it being about who’s going...
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...A h Tools esearc to R Guide SWOT Analysis Eva Chen Paul Bruneski SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats History of SWOT In the 1960’s and 70’s, Albert Humphrey is said to have developed this strategic planning tool using data from the top companies in America at the time. A SWOT Analysis looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that are relevant to an organization in a new venture. A SWOT Analysis is a tool which allows users to look at the direction a company or organization may wish to move towards in the future. A SWOT Analysis is a useful tool, which in conjunction with others can help make informed decisions. Table of Contents History of SWOT Definition of SWOT 1 1 Internal and 2 External Factors Guides for using SWOT 2 Potential Uses of 3 SWOT Strengths & Weaknesses of the method 3 Example: SWOT 4 of British Airway Definition of SWOT By specifying clear objectives and identifying internal and external factors that are either helpful or not, a short and simple SWOT analysis is a useful resource which may be incorporated into an organizations strategic planning model. Strengths- Internal attributes that are helpful to the organization to achieving its objective Weaknesses – Internal attributes that are harmful to the organization to achieving its objective Opportunities – External factors that help the organization achieve its objective Threats - External factors that are harmful to the organization...
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...Events Management *************** Introduction Event management is a continuous process that revolves around the utilization of project management practices, in the creation and programming of events such as conferences, seminars, festivals and business exhibitions. It involves the planning, monitoring and controlling of activities and resources that would be used, as an event evolves from a preliminary concept into an active and operational implementation. The process of event management involves studying the purpose of the event, identifying the prospective target audience, inventing a suitable event concept, planning and coordinating the logistics and finally executing the proposed event. It is important to note that event management continues even after the execution of the actual event. Post-event analysis is necessary to gauge the ultimate success or failure of an event. This essay first distinguishes between various requirements for the design and staging of events and the response to these from the business, leisure and tourism companies. And critically analyze the interconnectedness of international event tourism with its economic, technological, socio-culture and political contexts. And then demonstrate close industry consultation and partnership and draw on numerous practical projects and case studies from a range of national and international organizations (private, public and third sectors) in order to produce critical appraisals...
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...PROJECT MANAGEMENT WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT? : The word project comes from the Latin word projectum from the Latin verb proicere, "to throw something forwards" which in turn comes from pro-, which denotes something that precedes the action of the next part of the word in time (paralleling the Greek πρό) and iacere, "to throw". The word "project" thus actually originally meant "something that comes before anything else happens". When the English language initially adopted the word, it referred to a plan of something, not to the act of actually carrying this plan out. Something performed in accordance with a project became known as an "object". Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. A project is a finite endeavor (having specific start and completion dates) undertaken to create a unique product or service which brings about beneficial change or added value. This finite characteristic of projects stands in sharp contrast to processes, or operations, which are permanent or semi-permanent functional work to repetitively produce the same product or service. In practice, the management of these two systems is often found to be quite different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills and the adoption of separate management philosophy. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals...
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...speaker notes, in which you address the following: • Evaluate the planning function of management as it relates to the organization’s goals and strategies. Use steps in the planning process outlined in the text. • Analyze the influence that legal issues, ethics, and corporate social responsibility have had on management planning at BP. Provide at least one example for each. • Analyze at least three factors that influence the company's strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning. Planning Part of the management function that involves setting goals and deciding how to best achieve them is called planning. Setting goals and developing plans helps the organization to move in a focused direction while operating in an efficient and effective manner. Strategies or plans are then developed for moving the organization closer to its goals. Types of Planning There are four types of planning a company can use; strategic, tactical, operational and contingency planning. Planning is part of making a decision and a manager can use the following types of planning in making short and long term decisions for a company. Strategic Strategic planning is an “organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people” (Bradford & Duncan, 2000). Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organization's future course, usually anything...
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...Management Planning MGT/330 January 25, 2012 Management Planning Over the last few decades, managers of businesses large and small have been applying formal planning techniques to set forth long and short - term goals for their companies. Managers also prepare the company to respond to known and unknown circumstances that may occur in the future. Planning is a deliberate and methodical decision process pointed at setting goals for the purpose of advancing business. This function is controlled by managers at all levels who draw on the intelligence and expertise of the employees and delegate assignments accordingly. To be done well, the six steps of the basic planning process must be implemented in the planning function of management. This basic planning process is a critical function that involves an analysis or overview of the situation at hand. A review of any alternative goals and plans that can be used along with the evaluation of goals and plans, selection of which goals and plans will be used, implementation of the plans and goals, and establishing control systems to monitor the progression of the goals and plans (Bateman & Snell, 2009). The executive management team made up of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, and sometimes, a Chief Intelligence Officer is referred to as the strategic managers that are responsible for strategic planning of the organization’s long-term goals and strategies...
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