SWOT ANALYSIS
1. Outline THREE (3) types of information
that you will discover if you undertake
SWOT analysis.
Strengths
Opportunities
Threats
Weakness
Determine if strengths can be matched with opportunities
Determine if threats could be converted into strengths
Determine if threats could be converted into opportunities
2. WEAKNESS
Insufficient service
Large data volumes
Inaccurate data
Insecure system
Inefficient system
Unreliable system
Inefficient communication
Staff concerns/morale/potential loss of jobs
Various constraints uncovered by CATWOE
Issues uncovered by stakeholder analysis
Hardware problems
Software problems
Network problems
Data entry problems
Lack of system security training
3. STRENGTHS
• It has a good reputation
• Established company/brand/product
• Loyal customer base
• Experience/knowledge of the staff
• Sufficient finance
• Advantages that it has over other organisations
• Tasks that are performed well
• Good assets/facilities/location
• Effective information system
• Successful company
• Hard working staff
• Staff communicate well
• Large number of customers
• Expansion plans
• Plans to implement an improved information system
• Improved information system will satisfy customers
• Improved information system will aid couriers/other staff
4. THREATS
Economic factors/funding
Competition from other companies
Market trends
Political factors
Environmental factors
Factors relating to customers
Factors relating to trends
Factors relating to competitors
Factors relating to finance
Factors relating to politics
Factors relating to society
Factors relating to culture
Factors relating to technology
Factors relating to the environment
Factors relating to the Media
Legal factors
5. OPPURTUNITIES
Opportunities to develop/use any competitive advantages
Opportunities to make improved sales
Opportunities to make improved profits
Opportunities to meet new requirements of customers
Opportunities related to economic trends
Beneficial political/economic/social/technological opportunities
Opportunities to develop strengths/skills that competitors don’t have
Opportunities to maintain/further develop activities that are performed well at an
organisation
Opportunities to use various assets
Opportunities for expansion/growth
Opportunities to develop/use the experience/knowledge of staff
6. SOLUTIONS TO DEAL THE WEAKNESS
• Find the causes of system problems
• Remedy the causes of system problems
• Ensure that the new system is efficient
• Ensure that the new system is secure
• Ensure that the new system is robust/no data is lost
• Ensure that no data is duplicated
• Ensure that data is accurate
• Reassure staff that there are no job losses planned
• Plan for sufficient time to be available for staff to learn how to use a new system
• The weaknesses could be converted into strengths
• The weaknesses can be converted into opportunities
• Strengths can be determined and matched with opportunities
Match strengths with opportunities/put increased revenue towards improving/maintaining the
information system/use popularity to increase business/supportive management facilitate
less worried staff and potential improved productivity/new information system will facilitate
satisfied customers and staff
7. STRATEGY TO IMPROVE SALES OF A COMPANY
Match strengths to opportunities
Convert weaknesses or threats into strengths or opportunities
8. WHY PERFORM SWOT ANALYSIS? JUSTIFY.
• It can be used to provide a framework for reviewing the strategy, position, direction of an
organisation
• It can be used to identify the company’s strengths
• It can be used to identify the company’s weaknesses
• It can be used to identify any opportunities for the company
• It can be used to identify potential threats to the company
• It can be used to gather/structure/present/review information that specifies the aims of the call
centre
• It can be used to determine the company’s potential
• It could be used to match strengths and opportunities
• It can be used to convert weaknesses/threats into strength/opportunities
9. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF SWOT ANALYSIS
It could determine whether or not the call centre has a good/bad reputation
• It could determine whether the call centre has sufficient finance/insufficient finance
• It could determine whether the call centre has loyal customers
• It could determine the staff who have considerable experience/knowledge
• It could determine the advantages that the call centre has over other companies/competitors
• It could determine which competitors could be a threat
• It could determine which tasks are performed well/poorly
• It could determine what improvements should be made
• It could determine a range of internal threats
• It could determine a range of external threats
• It could determine which strengths could be matched with opportunities
• It could determine strategies to convert weaknesses/threats into strengths and/or opportunities
PEST ANALYSIS
10. Pest analysis reveal various influences that could affect the development of the
information system. These influences(or factors) are:
• Political influences
• Economic influences
• Social influences
• Technology influences
Political influences/factors
• Government regulations
• Changes of government
• Government grants
• Pressure groups
• Wars and conflicts
• Laws/regulations
• Limitations to expansion
• Limitations to developing a competitive strategy
• Limitations to potential mergers
Economic influences/factors
• Interest rates
• Exchange rates
• Taxation issues
• International financial issues
• Recession
• Demand
• Supply
• Market growth
• Market decline
• The labour market
• Government policies and regulations
Society influences/factors
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks.
• Advertising/marketing/publicity
• Lifestyle trends
• Consumer attitudes and opinions
• A brand, company, or technology image
• Consumer buying trends
• Fashion and role models
• Major events
• Cultural factors
• Ethical factors
• Environmental factors
Technology influences/factors
• Technology is out-of-date/poor quality
• Technology is operated by inexperienced/insufficiently trained staff
• Timescales for implementation of the technology are unrealistic
• Requirements/timescales/resources/budget/staff training/ implementation of the
technology is not planned adequately
• Only one solution for implementing technology is considered
• System components are developed individually which could lead to possible system
incompatibility/extra costs/extra time/inefficiencies
• There is insufficient funding available for the technology
• Designs for a new system are complex
• Developers are inexperienced
11. Potential Solutions(tasks) to Problems caused by Technological/ political/ social/
economic Factors
Identified problem/issues should be documented
A requirements specification that details the problems/issues should be produced
A requirements specification should document solutions and/or recommendations
Agreement should be reached between the systems analyst and the organisation’s stakeholders that
the solutions and/or recommendations are feasible
A requirements specification should be produced that documents the negative influences
The requirements specification should identify solutions to the negative influences
The identified solutions should be agreed to be feasible
The strengths at MAS should be analysed and documented
Opportunities within MAS should be analysed/documented
.
