Strategic Plan: Combining Papers (week 2, week 3, and week 4 papers are attached)

Strategic Plan Part II: SWOT Analysis

Deidra Daniel

University of Phoenix

June 25, 2018

Strategic Plan Part II: SWOT Analysis

Introductions

The operations environment of company’s today is changing at a fast rate than ever before. These environment that see a change in the company’s environment can be termed as being internal and even external factors within a company’s parameter that defines its strengths and weaknesses in its operations. Therefore, SWOT analysis can be defined as “an examination of organizations internal strengths and weaknesses, its opportunities for growth and improvement, and the threats the external environment presents to its survival.” (Harrison, J. P. 2010).

The Sweet Beverages (SB) company has taken the responsibility of its packaging waste into its hands. It has created a new division that has the responsibility of making sure that its packaging waste that is thrown away by consumers after using/taking the soft drinks is collected and recycled by the company for re-use. The company thinks that its consumers are environmental friendly and since their waste is almost everywhere, that could be the reason why its sales has gone down. It has taken this measure to preserve the environment and to win back the trust its customers have in it. It hopes that when its customers know of this operation, they will buy more of its products without fear.

In this paper, I am going to highlight the SWOT analysis of this company’s operations and look into its strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities taking into considerations the internal and the external environments of the company that may have effects on these operations.

Internal factors and external factor in the environment that define the company’s strengths and weaknesses

1. Strengths

To have an effective implementation of this division’s activities, there are strengths that are a result of the company’s external and internal environment within the company. The internal factors that define the company’s strengths in this operations include: cost advantages, innovation skills, well convincing strategies or strategic plan, and the proven management of this operations. The external factors that could define the company’s strength include: Core competences, superior technological skills. (Neil, R).

a) Internal factors

The cost advantage on the company’s side gives it strengths on this operations. The company should use well convincing strategies to this come into being. The strategies employed by the company to perform the task of the waste bottles collection and recycling should be economical/cost effective. By doing this this will give the company an advantage and strength because it will save the company putting in more cash in the operation which can be used in doing some other activities/operations within the company.

The innovation skills the company has on the performance of this operation will also give it strength, if the skills are ahead and also comply with the cost effectiveness. The skills applied in the collection of the waste beverage bottles should be highly innovative and also environmental friendly.

The approved management of these operations by the company should be a team of individuals who can deliver to the company’s expectations. The management team should be able to manage the operations with the company’s interests in mind and pull all strings to see this made possible.

b) External factors

Core competencies from other companies in this area give the company strengths if the company uses the relevant strategies in implementing these operations. This will help the company gain a competitive advantage over its competitors if it gets to find the right measures to inform the consumers of this operation. Since many people in the world love sanity in the environment, they will be supportive to the company through buying its products without fear.

The technology skills of the company have to be superior to be able to have strength in these operations. The company needs to have advanced technology and technological expertise that has the relevant sills to perform these functions effectively.

2. Weaknesses

The failure of the company to meet the above discusses strengths its operation will turn out to be the company’s major weaknesses. These weaknesses can lead to the company’s completely losing its customers and even their trust due to failure of delivery and contributions to a dirty environment around the world. Not only will it be hazardous in terms of losing customers but will be an advantage to its competitors who engage in this similar operations successfully.

External factors that can create new opportunities for the company

The operations that the company involves itself in can be affected by external factors that might provide the company with new opportunities. They could include global, economic, resources, and culture.

a) Global

Due to the need to have a clean environment by the citizens of the world, global need for this implementation can create the company new opportunities in new territories. The governments and the citizens of the world can recognize the efforts of the company and its contributions towards a clean environment and in turn, win the company new markets globally.

b) Economic

The economic factor can also create the company new opportunity through its operation of recycling the used bottles. This can be achieved because the company can save a lot of cash it uses to get new bottles.

c) Resources

This operation can save the company its resources and the resources that are used in the manufacture of new bottles. The company can use its financial resources that are used to make purchase of resources needed to acquire new bottles in investing on other sects.

d) Culture

The global culture of preserving the environment can turn out to create new opportunities to the company in these operations. The company will get recognition like discussed in the global factor across all diverse cultures of the world creating new markets and opportunities for the company.

Threats as a result of the external and internal factors

It should be noted that the threats the company gets exposed to are as a result of its weaknesses and failures. This can result to significant loss of the company resulting to loss of customers and its market segments to its competitors. The company should minimize its weaknesses and improve its strengths to have minimum threats in its activities.

SWOT table

Factor	Strength	Weakness	Opportunity	Threat
Cost	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Innovation	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Strategy	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Management	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Competition	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Technology	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Global	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Economic	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
Resources	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No
culture	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No	Yes/No

Note: The status of the factor can be marked by underlining the appropriate word where applicable.

References

1. Harrison, J. P. (2010). Essentials of Strategic Planning in Healthcare. Chapter five, pg. 92.

2. Neil, R. Strategic Management. Pg. 44 & 45.