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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis

Overview
Steps
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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis

Overview

SWOT analysis is usually performed when a team is working on strategy or visioning. The team identifies the domain or area of concern and gathers information concerning strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T). In the description below, the area of concern for the SWOT analysis, is the adoption, implementation, and rollout of the new technology
If project members are familiar with SWOT analysis, they may adapt this technique to elicit information about the organization and previous change efforts. The scope may be expanded to include observations about the culture of the organization. It is critical to conduct the SWOT analysis in an interview or interactive development session and to involve people (managers and practitioners) who have participated on breakthrough teams for earlier technology adoption efforts.
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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis

Steps

Step 1: Explain the SWOT approach
Step 2: Identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Step 3: Describe the SWOTs
Step 4: Assess the impact of the SWOTs
Step 5: Document resulting strategic issues
Step 6: Assign SWOT analysis completion tasks
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Steps

Step 1: Explain the SWOT approach

Purpose: To explain why SWOT analysis is being carried out on the project
Process:
Using presentation slides for the project:
  • remind the group of the overall process and where SWOT analysis fits in
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  • go through the basic reasoning for SWOT, which is:
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  • in any business situation, including the adoption and implementation of information technology, there will be:
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  • things that are going well (strengths)
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  • things that are going badly (weaknesses)
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  • things that we could do (opportunities)
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  • things that could adversely affect us (threats)
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  • strengths and weaknesses are generally identified by looking at ourselves (internal)
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  • opportunities and threats are generally identified by looking outside, at markets, competitors, etc. (external)
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  • we need to identify these SWOTs and determine if they are important to us
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Steps

Step 2: Identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

Purpose: To identify all possible SWOTs for the subject of the workshop
Process:
Use a combination of nominal group and brainstorming techniques. Ask the general question: "What are the major strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats that we have in......" and apply the question to:
  • our ability to align information technology with business strategy
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  • our applications
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  • the way we store our information
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  • the way we introduce or deploy new technology
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  • the way we use technology
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  • the way we are organized to supply and support information technology
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Provide the participants with four colored pads (Post-It Notes or cards) and associate each color with strengths, weaknesses, etc. Ask the participants to write their answers to the questions on the appropriately colored pad. Place the answers on a whiteboard or wall at the front of the group, sorted by color. When there are no more answers, lead the group through a brief review of the answers and:
  • eliminate duplicates (Note: an item that is identified as both a strength and a weakness is not a duplicate)
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  • get brief verbal descriptions of items where they are not generally understood
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  • allow brief discussions to arrive at consensus on the final list
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Break the group into four sub-groups and ask each sub-group to take one of the four sections. If possible, allow the group to decide on the smaller groups and to allocate the work between them.
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Steps

Step 3: Describe the SWOTs

Purpose: To develop and document a basic understanding of each SWOT item
Process:
Each sub-group takes the section of the analysis assigned to it and produces brief (1 or 2 sentence) descriptions of each SWOT item. Recurring themes or higher level categories may be identified.

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Steps

Step 4: Assess the impact of the SWOTs
Purpose: To decide what impact, if any, the SWOT item has, and to identify related strategic issues for the adoption and implementation of the new technology
Process:
Each sub-group should present the descriptions they have produced. After each group has gone through their items, the facilitator (or meeting leader) should go back through the items and ask the relevant questions from the following list:
Strengths: Is it important that we remain strong in this area?
No - Next item
Yes - Are we currently doing what we need to do to remain strong in this area?
  • Yes - Next item
  • No - Record as an Issue
Weaknesses: Does it matter if we are weak in this area?
No - Next item
Yes - Are we currently doing enough to get stronger in this area?
  • Yes - Next item
  • No - Record as an Issue
Opportunities: Should we try to take advantage of this opportunity?
No - Next item
Yes - Are we currently doing enough to take advantage of the opportunity?
  • Yes - Next item
  • No - Record as an Issue
Threats: Is there any danger of this threat impacting us?
No - Next item
Yes - Are we currently taking the right actions to combat this threat?
  • Yes - Next item
  • No - Record as an Issue
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Steps

Step 5: Document resulting strategic issues

Purpose: To document the results of the SWOT analysis as a series of (strategic) issues
Process:
Break the group into the sub-groups again and assign issues to each group, or get each group to take a set of issues. The group should:
  • decide if the issue is “strategic” and is significant enough to be addressed by the project
  • produce a statement of each issue that is deemed to be of strategic importance
Describing the issues should be a straightforward task since the issue should have been defined during steps 3 and 4. The goal is simply to put the issues into words that other people, (not involved in the SWOT analysis) can understand.
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Steps

Step 6: Assign SWOT analysis completion tasks

Purpose: To ensure that the SWOT analysis will be documented
Process:
Identify any items that require completion. These could be SWOTs or strategic issues. Go through the items and assign people to develop the descriptions.