Examples of weaknesses of the organization. Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise

To achieve its goals, it is important for the management of the enterprise to know the potential opportunities, as well as the weaknesses of the enterprise. Internal strengths allow a company to take advantage of opportunities in the external environment, while weaknesses indicate the potential for danger from the external environment that may arise if management does not develop precautions.

The so-called SWOT analysis is used as an effective tool for analyzing the current influence of the external environment on the activities of an enterprise. Its name comes from the initial letters of the English words strengths; weaknesses; opportunities; threats. Such an analysis must be carried out in order to identify and eliminate existing weak spots, increase power and avoid possible threats. Its meaning is that the manager enters data useful for use in strategic planning, in four cells - strengths, weaknesses, dangers and opportunities.

A SWOT analysis is very similar to drawing up a strategic balance sheet: strengths are a company's competitive assets, and its weaknesses are liabilities. It's just a matter of how much its strengths (assets) offset its weaknesses (liabilities) (the 50:50 ratio is considered undesirable), and also how to use these strengths and how to tilt the strategic balance towards assets. Practice shows that SWOT analysis is a management tool for every top manager abroad.

Analysis of the organization's environment using the SWOT method

In order to successfully survive in the long term, an organization must be able to predict what difficulties may arise in its path in the future, and what opportunities may open up for it. Therefore, strategic management, studying the external environment, focuses on finding out what threats and opportunities the external environment contains.

Knowing about them is not enough to successfully manage threats and truly seize opportunities. You need to be able to counter threats and have the capacity to exploit them. Advantages and disadvantages internal environment organizations, as much as threats and opportunities, determine the conditions for the successful existence of the organization.

Environmental analysis is aimed at identifying threats and opportunities that may arise during external environment in relation to the organization, as well as strong and weaknesses that the organization has. It is to solve this problem that certain methods of environmental analysis have been developed.

SWOT method(an abbreviation made up of the first letters of the English words: strength, weakness, opportunities and threats), which is used in strategic management to analyze the environment, is a fairly widely recognized approach that allows for a combined study of the external and internal environment. Using the SWOT method, it was possible to establish lines of communication between the strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in the organization, external threats and opportunities. The SWOT methodology involves first identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as threats and opportunities, and then establishing connections between them, which can later be used to formulate the organization's strategy.

Stage I - taking into account the specific situation in which the organization is located, a list of its weak and strengths, as well as a list of threats and opportunities.

Stage II - establishing connections between them. For this purpose, a SWOT matrix is ​​compiled, which has the following form:

Rice. 6.1. SWOT Matrix

The top and left sections of the matrix record all relevant opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses.

At the intersection of the sections, four fields are formed: the “SEVEN” field (strength and opportunities), the “PPE” field (strength and threats), the “SLM” field (weakness and opportunities), the “SLZ” field (weakness and threats). In each of these fields, the researcher must consider all possible pairwise combinations and highlight those that should be taken into account when developing the organization's behavior strategy. For those couples who find themselves at:

• field “SEVEN” - a strategy should be developed to use the organization’s strengths in order to benefit from the opportunities that have appeared in the external environment;
• field “SLM” - the strategy should be structured in such a way that, due to the opportunities that have arisen, an attempt is made to overcome the weaknesses of the organization;
• field “PPE” - the strategy should include the use of the organization’s strength to eliminate threats;
• field “SLZ” - the organization must develop a strategy that would allow it to get rid of the weakness and try to prevent the threat.

When developing a strategy, you should remember that opportunities and threats can turn into their opposites. Thus, an untapped opportunity can become a threat if a competitor exploits it, and vice versa.

To successfully analyze the organization’s environment, it is important not only to identify threats and opportunities, but also to try to evaluate them from the point of view of how important it is for the organization to take into account each of the identified threats and opportunities in its behavior strategy.

To assess opportunities, a method is used to position each specific opportunity on the opportunity matrix.

The Impact of Opportunities on the Organization

Rice. 6.2. Opportunity Matrix

The nine fields of possibilities obtained inside the matrix have different meaning for the organization. Opportunities that fall into the fields “VS”, “VP”, “SS” have great importance for the organization, and they must be used. Opportunities that fall into the “CM”, “EM”, “NM” fields are practically not worthy of the organization’s attention. Regarding opportunities that fall into other fields, management must make a positive decision about their use if the organization has enough resources.

A similar matrix is ​​used to assess threats.

Impact of threats on the organization

	Destruction	Critical condition	Serious condition	"Minor bruises"
High probability	Field "VR"	Field "VC"	Field "BB"	Field "VL"
Average probability	Field "SR"	Field "SK"	Field "NE"	Field "SL"
Low probability	Field	Field "NK"	Field "NV"	Field "NL"

Rice. 6.3. Threat Matrix

Those threats that fall into the fields “VR”, “VK”, “SR” cause a very great danger for the organization and require immediate and mandatory elimination. Threats that fall into the fields of “BB”, “SC”, “HP” should also be in the field of view of senior management and be dealt with as a matter of priority. Regarding the threats that are in the fields of “NK”, “SV”, “VL”, a careful and responsible approach to eliminating them is needed.

Threats that have entered other fields should not fall out of sight of the organization’s management, therefore their development should be carefully monitored, although the goal of eliminating them as quickly as possible is not set.

Based on an assessment of the internal state of the enterprise and studies of the external environment, below is SWOT - activity analysis OJSC "Milkman" (tab. 6.2.).

Table 6.2. SWOT analysis of activities: OJSC "Molochnik"

sufficient raw material base; low cost of production; experienced staff; significant relative market share;	high depreciation of fixed production assets; inefficient use of enterprise resources; predominance of manual labor, low capital-labor ratio;
large range of products; stable financial position; management's willingness to take risks.	lack of structural divisions for marketing; presence of unprofitable activities; disproportionate growth of own and attracted capital; low degree of employees’ readiness for change; misunderstanding of team members with each other.
Possibilities	Threats
expansion of product markets; increasing trade turnover; economies of scale; increasing fixed and working capital; growth in labor productivity and material security of workers; increasing the level of professionalism of personnel; expansion of the product range; creation of a dealer network; increasing the profitability of activities; carrying out modernization technological equipment; Creation organizational culture at the enterprise; export of products to near and far abroad countries.	increasing the level of competition in the industry; technological lag; unsuccessful investment policy; reduction in the level of qualifications of personnel.

Based on generalized information about the internal and external environment of the enterprise and their groupings presented in SWOT matrices, we are able to preliminarily formulate a development strategy OJSC "Milkman" designed for 3 years, to 2004

INTRODUCTION

Logistics is the science of planning, organizing, managing and controlling material and information flows in space and time from their primary source to the final consumer.

Every organization needs reliable material flow. Logistics is an important function as managers need to ensure that these materials are moved as efficiently and effectively as possible. This can best be achieved by having an integrated logistics function, i.e. function responsible for all aspects of such movement. The results obtained are very significant, since they directly affect customer service and costs, as well as almost all other indicators of the organization's performance.

Materials management has always been an essential aspect economic activity. However, only relatively recently has it acquired the position of one of the most important functions economic life.

Inventory has always been considered a factor that ensures the safety of the logistics supply system, its flexible operation, and is a kind of “insurance.” Wide Application Logistics in business practice is explained by the need to reduce the time intervals between the acquisition of raw materials and the delivery of goods to the final consumer. Logistics makes it possible to minimize inventories, and in some cases refuse to use them altogether, significantly reduces the delivery time of goods, speeds up the process of obtaining information, and increases the level of service.

The relevance of the topic is due to the fact that the external environment is an integral part of the functioning of any enterprise. High-quality, effective business management implies the ability of an organization to quickly adapt to any changes in the external environment, as well as to effectively respond to them taking into account its own goals.

The subject of the study is organizational and economic relations that arise during the interaction of the functional elements of an enterprise, both among themselves and with the external environment.

In accordance with the topic and relevance, the goal of the course work was determined - to analyze the external environment based on data from the organization OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy.

The set goal required solving the following tasks:

clarify the concept of the organization’s external environment;

consider the main characteristics of the external environment that require consideration when conducting its analysis;

study theoretical basis methods for analyzing the external environment;

conduct an analysis of the external environment at JSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy using PEST analysis and SWOT analysis.

The object of study is the organization-manufacturer of metal products OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy.

Information base of the course work: organizational documentation, orders and reports of divisions and departments of the enterprise, statistical collections, analytical reviews, educational and periodical literature, regulatory documents and legislative acts, etc.

CHAPTER 1. ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT FACTORS OF THE ENTERPRISE ON THE MARKET OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

1 Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise

The general environment is the elements of the environment that are not directly related to the company, but influence the formation of the conditions in which the company operates. The general environment is a set of economic, market, political, social, technological and other factors that have an indirect impact on the activities of the organization.

The external environment is a set of active business entities, economic, social and natural conditions, national and interstate institutional structures and others external conditions and factors operating in the environment of the enterprise and influencing various areas of its activity.

Analysis of the external environment makes it possible to develop situational plans that will come into effect if one of the environmental factors changes at some point.

It is advisable to divide the analysis of the external environment into two stages. First, a comprehensive analysis of the environment is carried out - identifying both external and internal factors that can influence the activities of the organization. Then the “critical points” of the organization’s environment are determined.

When analyzing the external environment, it is advisable to talk about its two components: the working environment and the general environment.

Under the working environment of those market participants with whom the company has direct relationships and direct contacts, these include:

suppliers of resources necessary for the company’s activities (raw materials, financial and productive capital);

labor suppliers, that is employees,

customers, that is, consumers of products produced by the company;

intermediaries interacting with clients and other market participants in the financial, trade, and marketing areas;

contact audiences that have a significant impact on shaping the image of the company (means mass media, consumer societies, etc.

The internal environment of the organization is that part general environment which is within its boundaries. It has a constant and direct impact on the functioning of the organization. Information about the internal environment of the company is necessary for the manager to determine the internal potential that the company can count on in competition to achieve its goals. The manager forms and changes, when necessary, the internal environment of the organization, which is an organic combination of its internal variables. But for this he must be able to identify and know them.

The internal environment of an organization is part of the general environment of its activities and is located within the organization. This environment has a constant and direct impact on the functioning of the organization. Therefore, after analyzing the external environment, management must assess the organization's potential in order to determine its effective competitive strategy. Therefore, analysis of the internal environment, carried out for strategic purposes, must be systematic and multifactorial.

In order to determine the organization's behavioral strategy and implement this strategy, management must have an in-depth understanding of the internal environment of the organization, its potential and development trends, as well as the external environment, development trends and the place occupied by the organization in it. At the same time, the internal environment and external environment is studied by strategic management primarily in order to reveal those threats and opportunities that the organization must take into account when determining its goals in achieving them.

In the work of Popov S.A. a different approach to the structure of strategic analysis of the internal environment of an organization is proposed; it proposes to analyze:

individual business organizations;

functional subsystems of the organization;

main structural divisions of the organization;

all business processes of the organization.

The proposed structure of strategic analysis of the internal environment of an organization corresponds to the structure of the process of developing strategies at various levels (business, functional, operational and, as a general result, corporate.

The purpose of internal analysis is to study the company in depth and provide management with the information necessary when choosing a strategy. The analysis reveals the existence of a correspondence between the strategic aspirations of the company and its internal resources and capabilities. Having an internal focus on the organization, this type of analysis is ultimately focused on the requirements of the external environment. This focus of the analysis is to convince the organization’s employees to understand and accept the need for objective changes. During the internal analysis, it is possible to determine: whether the organization overestimates or underestimates itself; whether it overestimates or underestimates its competitors; which market demands it provides too much or too little value to.

competition logistics porter system

1.2 M. Porter’s analysis of the force of competition in the production of optical instruments using the example of Zavod-Novator LLC

Studying competitors, with whom the organization has to fight for the buyer and for the resources that it seeks to obtain from the external environment, is aimed at identifying the weaknesses and strengths of competitors and, taking this into account, building its strategy for competing with them.

The strategic model of analyzing the 5 forces of competition was described by Michael Porter in 1979. Michael Porter, using five building blocks specific to each industry, described ways to build competitive advantage and long-term profitability of a product, as well as ways in which a company can maintain its profitability and remain competitive over the long term.

Let's consider the system of incoming and outgoing information flows in the organization JSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy in Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2 - Types of information flows

Logistics operations in an organization are not limited to receiving goods from suppliers. Intra-organizational trade technological process also includes numerous logistics operations that are accompanied by the emergence and transfer of information used within the organization. Let us analyze the organization of JSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy as an information system. The internal environment of this organization consists of three functional subsystems:

) financial subsystem;

) technical subsystem;

) personnel subsystem.

Figure 2.3 Structure information system JSC " Construction Materials»

Let us characterize the subsystems by the type of main elements and their functions. The financial subsystem of an enterprise consists of the following main elements:

Accounting. The functions of the department are collecting, summarizing, processing economic and financial information, as well as monitoring the correct reflection of income and expenses in documents, and calculating employee salaries.

The technical subsystem of the organization of OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy consists of the following main elements:

engineering - technical department. Functions of the department - ensuring quality service, distribution labor resources, receiving complaints and applications from the public

purchase department. The functions of the department are to organize the uninterrupted supply of the organization with high-quality raw materials and components.

The personnel subsystem of the enterprise consists of the following main elements:

Human Resources Department. Functions of the department - search, selection and recruitment,
personnel certification, personnel training. Monitoring the proper execution of established documentation, etc.; trade union department Functions of the department - social protection personnel, organization of social events.

The organization uses various personal computers and office equipment as hardware for the functioning of the information system. All computers are combined into local network with the ability to exchange information. PCs on the network are connected in a daisy chain.

CONCLUSION

The enterprise is always open system, which through material and information flows is constantly and closely connected with suppliers, consumers and transport organizations that carry out the much-needed delivery and transportation of the organization’s products and materials. Information support for logistics management is one of the most important and current problems. Information becomes a logistics factor of production.

In this course work the provisions of the analysis of the external environment and the possibility of applying some methods of analysis were considered using the example of the organization OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy.

Analyzing the work of the enterprise, we analyzed the external environment of the organization using the following methods: analysis of environmental factors of indirect influence (PEST analysis); competitive analysis using the method of M. Porter.

We studied the SWOT analysis methodology and applied it in practice, using the example of Krasnoselskstroymaterialy OJSC. Analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities, possible options for the development of the organization when changing external factors, ways to use strengths to reduce risks.

We described the technological process of cement production in the organization. We got acquainted with the structure of the organization and examined the range of products.

We studied the production logistics subsystem of the organization, identified its goals and objectives. We learned that the bulk of the total volume of information addressed to OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy is information received by the organization from suppliers. These are, as a rule, documents accompanying the raw materials entering the organization, the so-called shipping documents, which are included in the incoming information flow.

LIST OF REFERENCES USED

1.Albekov A.U., Kostoglotov D.D. Introduction to commercial logistics. Rostov-on-Don: RGEA, 2005. - 386 p.

2.Albekov A. U., Mitko O. A. Commercial logistics. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2006. - 416 p.

.Baranovsky, S.I. Strategic marketing: textbook. allowance / S.I. Baranovsky, L.V. Lagodich. - Minsk: Information Computing Center of the Ministry of Finance, 2005. - 299 p.

.Vikhansky O.S. Strategic management: textbook. - Minsk: Gardarika, 2003. - 96 p.

.Gadzhinsky A. M. Logistics: Textbook for higher and secondary educational institutions- M.: Publishing and trading corporation "Dashkov and K", 2002. 408 p.

.Zalmanova M. E. Logistics: a textbook for higher educational institutions - Saratov: SSTU, 2005. - 346 p.

.Logistics: Textbook / Ed. B. A. Anikina - M: INFRA-M, 2002. - 368 p.

.Nerush Yu.M. Textbook for universities. - 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: UNITY - DANA, 2003.-495 p.

.Nikolaychuk V.E. Logistics. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2002. - 160 p.

.Novikov O. A., Uvarov S. A. Logistics. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House "Business Press", 2004. - 353 p.

.Fundamentals of logistics: Textbook. Manual/Ed. L.B. Mirotina and V.I. Sergeeva - M.: INFRA-M, 1999. - 451 p.

.Polushkin O.A. Strategic management: lecture notes. - Moscow: EKSMO, 2008. -138 p.

.Workshop on logistics / Ed. B.A. Anikina. - M.: INFRA-M, 2004. - 312 p.

.Kotler, F. Marketing management / F. Kotler, K.L. Keller. - 12th ed. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2006. - 816 s.

.Sergeev V.I. Logistics in business: Textbook - M.: INFRA-M, 2001. - 608 p.

.Stock J.R., Lambert D.M. Strategic logistics management. Per. from English 4th ed. - M.: INFRA-M, 2010. - 976 p.

.Chudakov A.D. Logistics: Textbook - M.: RDL Publishing House, 2001. - 480 p.

.Shcherbakov V.V., Uvarov S.A. Modern systems economic relations and logistics. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house St. Petersburg GUEF, 2004. - 296 p.

APPENDIX A

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE ENTERPRISE OJSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterialy"

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Have you ever wondered what a good military leader does before a battle? He studies the field of the upcoming battle, looking for all the advantageous hills and dangerous swampy places, assesses his own strength and the strength of the enemy. If he doesn't do this, he will doom his army to defeat.

The same principles apply in business. Business is an endless series of small and major battles. If you don't assess your business's strengths, weaknesses, and market opportunities and threats before battle (those uneven terrain that become so important in the heat of battle), your chances of success will be greatly diminished.

In order to get a clear assessment of your company's strengths and market situation, there is a SWOT analysis.

SWOT-analysis is the determination of the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise, as well as the opportunities and threats emanating from its immediate environment (external environment).

• Strengths (S trengths) advantages of your organization;
• Weaknesses (W eaknesses) shortcomings of your organization;
• Possibilities (O pportunities) external environmental factors, the use of which will create advantages for your organization in the market;
• Threats (T hreats) factors that could potentially worsen your organization's position in the market.

Using a SWOT analysis will allow you to systematize all available information and, seeing a clear picture of the “battlefield,” make informed decisions regarding the development of your business.

SWOT analysis in the marketing plan of your enterprise

SWOT analysis is an intermediate link between formulating the mission of your enterprise and defining its goals and objectives. Everything happens in this sequence (see Figure 1):

1. You have determined the main direction of development of your enterprise (its mission)
2. Then you weigh your strengths and evaluate the market situation to understand whether you can move in the indicated direction and how best to do this (SWOT analysis);
3. After that, you set goals for your enterprise, taking into account its real opportunities(defining the strategic goals of your enterprise, which will be discussed in one of the following articles).

So, after conducting a SWOT analysis, you will have a clearer idea of ​​the advantages and disadvantages of your enterprise, as well as the market situation. This will allow you to choose the optimal path of development, avoid dangers and make the most efficient use of the resources at your disposal, while simultaneously taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the market.

Even if you are sure that you are already well aware of everything, we still advise you to conduct a SWOT analysis, since in this case it will help structure the existing information about the enterprise and the market and take a fresh look at the current situation and emerging prospects.

How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis

In general, conducting a SWOT analysis comes down to filling out the matrix shown in Figure 2, the so-called. "SWOT analysis matrices". It is necessary to enter the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise, as well as market opportunities and threats, into the appropriate cells of the matrix.

Strengths of your business - something that it excels at or some feature that provides you with additional features. Strength may lie in your experience, access to unique resources, the availability of advanced technology and modern equipment, highly qualified personnel, high quality products you produce, your fame trademark and so on.

Weaknesses of your company are the absence of something important for the functioning of the company or something that you are not yet successful in comparison with other companies and puts you in an unfavorable position. Examples of weaknesses include a too narrow range of products, a poor reputation of the company in the market, lack of financing, low level service, etc.

Market opportunities are favorable circumstances that your business can exploit to gain an advantage. Examples of market opportunities include the deterioration of the positions of your competitors, a sharp increase in demand, the emergence of new technologies for the production of your products, an increase in the level of income of the population, etc. It should be noted that opportunities in terms of SWOT analysis are not all opportunities that exist in the market, but only those that your business can exploit.

Market threats are events that, if they occur, could have an adverse impact on your business. Examples of market threats: new competitors entering the market, rising taxes, changing consumer tastes, declining birth rates, etc.

Note: the same factor can be both a threat and an opportunity for different enterprises. For example, for a store selling expensive products, an increase in household income may be an opportunity, as it will lead to an increase in the number of customers. At the same time, for a discount store, the same factor can become a threat, since its customers, with rising salaries, may move to competitors offering a higher level of service.

So, we have determined what the result of a SWOT analysis should be. Now let's talk about how to achieve this result.

From words to action

Step 1. Determining the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise

The first step of a SWOT analysis is to assess your own strengths. The first step will allow you to determine what the strengths and weaknesses of your business are.

In order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise, you need to:

1. Make a list of parameters by which you will evaluate your enterprise;
2. For each parameter, determine what is strong point your enterprise, and what is weak;
3. From the entire list, select the most important strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise and enter them into the SWOT analysis matrix (Figure 2).

Let's illustrate this technique with an example.

So, you have already done a significant amount of work on the SWOT analysis of your company. Let's move on to the second step - identifying opportunities and threats.

Step 2: Identify Market Opportunities and Threats

The second step of SWOT analysis is a kind of “terrain reconnaissance” – market assessment. This stage will allow you to assess the situation outside your enterprise and understand what opportunities you have, as well as what threats you should be wary of (and, accordingly, prepare for them in advance).

The method for determining market opportunities and threats is almost identical to the method for determining the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise:

Let's move on to an example.

You can use the following as a basis for assessing market opportunities and threats: next list parameters:

1. Demand factors (here it is advisable to take into account the market capacity, the rate of its growth or contraction, the structure of demand for the products of your enterprise, etc.)
2. Competition factors (you should take into account the number of your main competitors, the presence of substitute products on the market, the height of barriers to entry and exit from the market, the distribution of market shares between the main market participants, etc.)
3. Sales factors (it is necessary to pay attention to the number of intermediaries, the presence of distribution networks, conditions of supply of materials and components, etc.)
4. Economic forces(the exchange rate of the ruble (dollar, euro), the level of inflation, changes in the level of income of the population are taken into account, tax policy states, etc.)
5. Political and legal factors (the level of political stability in the country, the level of legal literacy of the population, the level of law-abidingness, the level of government corruption, etc. are assessed)
6. Scientific and technical factors (usually the level of development of science is taken into account, the degree of introduction of innovations (new goods, technologies) into industrial production, the level state support development of science, etc.)
7. Socio-demographic factors (you should take into account the size and age-sex structure of the population of the region in which your enterprise operates, birth and death rates, employment levels, etc.)
8. Socio-cultural factors (usually the traditions and value system of society, the existing culture of consumption of goods and services, existing stereotypes of people’s behavior, etc. are taken into account)
9. Natural and environmental factors (the climate zone in which your enterprise operates, the state of the environment, public attitude towards environmental protection, etc. are taken into account)
10. And finally international factors (among them, the level of stability in the world, the presence of local conflicts, etc. are taken into account)

Next, as in the first case, you fill out the table (Table 2): in the first column you write down the assessment parameter, and in the second and third columns the existing opportunities and threats associated with this parameter. The examples in the table will help you understand the list of opportunities and threats for your enterprise.

Table 2. Identification of market opportunities and threats

Evaluation options	Possibilities	Threats
1. Competition	Barriers to entry into the market have increased: from this year it is necessary to obtain a license to engage in this type of activity	A large foreign competitor is expected to enter the market this year
2. Sales	A new retail chain has appeared on the market, which this moment selects suppliers	Starting this year, our largest wholesale buyer determines suppliers based on the results of the tender
3. etc.

After filling out Table 2, as in the first case, you need to select the most important ones from the entire list of opportunities and threats. To do this, you need to evaluate each opportunity (or threat) on two parameters by asking yourself two questions: “How likely is it that this will happen?” and “How much will this affect my business?” Select events that are likely to happen and will have a significant impact on your business. Enter these 5-10 opportunities and approximately the same number of threats into the appropriate cells of the SWOT analysis matrix (Figure 2).

So, the SWOT analysis matrix is ​​completed, and you see in front of you full list the main strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise, as well as the prospects opening up for your business and the dangers that threaten it. However, that's not all. Now you need to take the final step and compare your business's existing strengths and weaknesses with market opportunities and threats.

Step 3. Compare your business's strengths and weaknesses with market opportunities and threats

Comparing strengths and weaknesses with market opportunities and threats will allow you to answer the following questions regarding the further development of your business:

1. How can I take advantage of emerging opportunities by leveraging the company's strengths?
2. What weaknesses of the company can prevent me from doing this?
3. What strengths can be used to neutralize existing threats?
4. What threats, exacerbated by enterprise weaknesses, do I need to be most concerned about?

To compare the capabilities of your enterprise with market conditions, a slightly modified SWOT analysis matrix is ​​used (Table 3).

Table 3. SWOT analysis matrix

	POSSIBILITIES 1. Emergence of a new retail network 2. etc.	THREATS 1. Emergence of a major competitor 2. etc.
STRENGTHS 1. High quality products 2. 3. etc.	1. How to take advantage of opportunities Try to become one of the suppliers new network, focusing on the quality of our products	2. How you can reduce threats To keep our customers from switching to a competitor by informing them about the high quality of our products
WEAK SIDES 1.High production cost 2. 3. etc.	3. What can prevent you from taking advantage of opportunities? The new network may refuse to purchase our products, since our wholesale prices are higher than those of competitors	4. The most great dangers for the company An emerging competitor can offer the market products similar to ours at lower prices

Once you've filled out this matrix (as we hope the examples we've provided will help you), you'll find that:

1. determined main directions of development of your enterprise(cell 1, showing how you can take advantage of emerging opportunities);
2. formulated the main problems of your enterprise that need to be resolved as soon as possible for the successful development of your business (the remaining cells of table 3).

Now you are ready to set goals and objectives for your enterprise. However, we will talk about this in one of the following articles, and now we will dwell on a question that is probably of interest to you:

Where can I get information to conduct a SWOT analysis?

In fact, most of the information you need to conduct a SWOT analysis is already at your disposal. Basically, of course, this is data about the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise. All you need to do is collect all these disparate facts (taking reports from accounting, production and sales departments, talking with your employees who have the necessary information) and organize them. It will be better if you can involve several key employees of your enterprise in collecting and analyzing this information, since it is easy to miss any important detail alone.

Of course, information about the market (opportunities and threats) is somewhat more difficult to obtain. But here the situation is not hopeless. Here are some sources you can get useful information from:

1. results of marketing research, reviews of your market, which are sometimes published in some newspapers (for example, Delovoy Peterburg, Vedomosti, etc.) and magazines (for example, Practical Marketing, Exclusive Marketing, etc.);
2. reports and collections of the State Statistics Committee and St. Petersburg Statistics Committee (information on population size, mortality and birth rates, age and sex structure of the population and other useful data);
3. Finally, you can get all the necessary information by ordering marketing research from a specialized company.

We will tell you more about the sources and methods of collecting information that you may need to conduct a SWOT analysis in the following articles. And now let's summarize all of the above.

Summary

SWOT analysis this is a determination of the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise, as well as the opportunities and threats emanating from its immediate environment (external environment).

A SWOT analysis will allow you to choose the optimal path for developing your business, avoid dangers and make the most of the resources at your disposal.

The procedure for conducting a SWOT analysis in general comes down to filling out a matrix that reflects and then compares the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise and the opportunities and threats of the market. This comparison allows you to determine what steps can be taken to develop your business, as well as what problems you urgently need to solve.

The following materials were used in preparing the article:

Zavgorodnyaya A.V., Yampolskaya D.O. Marketing planning. SPb: Peter. 2002. 352 p.

Kotler F. Marketing management. St. Petersburg, Peter Kom, 1998. 896 p.

Solovyova D.V. Electronic course of lectures on modeling. 1999.

SWOT analysis- this is the determination of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, as well as the opportunities and threats emanating from its immediate environment (external environment). Any organization is located and operates in an environment. Every action of all organizations without exception is possible only if the environment allows its implementation.

The external environment is the source that supplies the organization with the resources necessary to maintain its internal potential at the proper level. The organization is in a state of constant exchange with the external environment, thereby providing itself with the opportunity to survive.

The internal environment of an organization is the source of its lifeblood. It contains the potential that allows an organization to function, and, consequently, to exist and survive in a certain period of time. But the internal environment can also be a source of problems and even the death of an organization if it does not ensure the necessary functioning of the organization.

The study of the internal environment is aimed at understanding what strengths and weaknesses an organization has. Strengths serve as the basis on which an organization relies in its competitive struggle and which it should strive to expand and strengthen. Weaknesses are the subject of close attention by management, who must do everything possible to get rid of them.

To get a comprehensive picture of the internal environment of an organization and its weaknesses, it is necessary to identify a number of factors influencing it and give them an analysis. The SWOT method is a widely recognized approach that allows for a joint study of the external and internal environment. The SWOT methodology involves first identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as threats and opportunities, and then establishing chains of connections between them, which will later be used to formulate the organization's strategy.

In general, conducting a SWOT analysis comes down to filling out the matrix shown in Fig. 1, so-called " matrices SWOT analysis" The strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, as well as market opportunities and threats, must be entered into the appropriate cells of the matrix.

Figure 1 - SWOT analysis matrix

Strong sides business - something that it excels at or some feature that provides you with additional opportunities. Strength may lie in your experience, access to unique resources, advanced technology and modern equipment, highly qualified personnel, high quality of your products, recognition of your brand, etc.

Weak sides enterprise is the absence of something important for the functioning of the enterprise or something that you are not yet successful in comparison with other companies and puts you at a disadvantage. Examples of weaknesses include a too narrow range of products, a poor reputation of the company in the market, lack of financing, low level of service, etc.

Market possibilities are favorable circumstances that a company can use to gain an advantage. Examples of market opportunities include the deterioration of the positions of your competitors, a sharp increase in demand, the emergence of new technologies for the production of your products, an increase in the level of income of the population, etc. It should be noted that opportunities in terms of SWOT analysis are not all opportunities that exist in the market, but only those that your business can exploit.

Market threats- events the occurrence of which may have an adverse impact on the enterprise. Examples of market threats: new competitors entering the market, rising taxes, changing consumer tastes, declining birth rates, etc.

One and the same factor can be both a threat and an opportunity for different enterprises. For example, for a store selling expensive products, an increase in household income may be an opportunity, as it will lead to an increase in the number of customers. At the same time, for a discount store, the same factor can become a threat, since its customers, with rising salaries, may move to competitors offering a higher level of service. So,

Step 1. Definition strong And weak sides The first step of a SWOT analysis is to assess your own strengths. The first stage will allow you to determine what the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise are. In order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, you need to:

• - Make a list of parameters by which you will evaluate the enterprise;
• - For each parameter, determine what is the strength of the enterprise and what is the weakness;
• - From the entire list, select the most important strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise and enter them into the SWOT analysis matrix (Fig. 1).

The main components of the SWOT matrix can be determined using the expert method.

Let's illustrate this methodology example. To evaluate the enterprise, we will use the following list of parameters:

• - Organization(here the level of qualifications of employees, their interest in the development of the enterprise, the presence of interaction between departments of the enterprise, etc. can be assessed)
• - Production(can be assessed production capacity, quality and degree of wear and tear of equipment, quality of manufactured goods, availability of patents and licenses (if necessary), cost of your products, reliability of supply channels for raw materials and materials, etc.)
• - Finance(production costs, availability of capital, capital turnover rate, financial stability of the enterprise, business profitability, etc. can be assessed)
• - Innovation(here the frequency of introduction of new products and services at the enterprise, the degree of their novelty (insignificant or dramatic changes), payback period for funds invested in the development of new products, etc.)
• - Marketing(here you can evaluate the quality of goods/services (how your consumers evaluate this quality), brand awareness, completeness of assortment, price level, advertising effectiveness, enterprise reputation, effectiveness of the sales model used, range of additional services offered, qualifications of service personnel).

Next, Table 1 is filled out: the assessment parameter is written in the first column, and the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise that exist in this area are written in the second and third columns. For example, Table 1 shows several strengths and weaknesses for the “Organization” and “Production” parameters.

Table 1 - Determining the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise

After this, from the entire list of strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, it is necessary to select the most important ones (the strongest and weakest sides) and write them down in the appropriate cells of the SWOT analysis matrix (Fig. 1).

It is optimal if you can limit yourself to 5-10 strengths and the same number of weaknesses, so as not to experience difficulties in further analysis.

Step 2. Definition market opportunities And threats. This stage will allow you to assess the situation outside the enterprise and understand what opportunities the enterprise has, as well as what threats should be feared (and, accordingly, prepare for them in advance).

The method for determining market opportunities and threats is almost identical to the method for determining the strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise:

• 1. Make a list of parameters by which you will evaluate the market situation;
• 2. For each parameter, determine what is an opportunity and what is a threat to the enterprise;
• 3. From the entire list, select the most important opportunities and threats and enter them into the SWOT analysis matrix.

Example. The following list of parameters can be taken as a basis for assessing market opportunities and threats:

• 1. Demand factors (here it is advisable to take into account the market capacity, the rate of its growth or contraction, the structure of demand for the enterprise’s products, etc.)
• 2. Factors competition(one should take into account the number of main competitors, the presence of substitute products on the market, the height of barriers to entry and exit from the market, the distribution of market shares between the main market participants, etc.)
• 3. Sales factors (it is necessary to pay attention to the number of intermediaries, the presence of distribution networks, conditions of supply of materials and components, etc.)
• 4. Economic factors (the exchange rate of the ruble (dollar, euro), the level of inflation, changes in the level of income of the population, state tax policy, etc. are taken into account)
• 5. Political And legal factors(the level of political stability in the country, the level of legal literacy of the population, the level of law-abidingness, the level of government corruption, etc. are assessed)
• 6. Scientific and technical factors(usually the level of development of science, the degree of introduction of innovations (new goods, technologies) into industrial production, the level of government support for the development of science, etc. are taken into account)
• 7. Socio-demographic factors(one should take into account the size and age-sex structure of the population of the region in which the enterprise operates, the birth and death rates, the level of employment, etc.)
• 8. Socio-cultural factors (usually the traditions and value system of society, the existing culture of consumption of goods and services, existing stereotypes of people’s behavior, etc. are taken into account)
• 9. Natural And environmental factors(the climate zone in which the enterprise operates, the state of the environment, public attitude towards environmental protection, etc. are taken into account)
• 10. And finally, international factors (among them, the level of stability in the world, the presence of local conflicts, etc. are taken into account)

Table 2 - Determination of market opportunities and threats

Then you need to select the most important ones from the entire list of opportunities and threats. To do this, each opportunity (or threat) must be assessed on two parameters by asking two questions: “How likely is it that this will happen?” and “How much will this affect my business?” Select those events that are likely to happen and will have a significant impact on the business. These 5-10 opportunities and approximately the same number of threats are entered into the corresponding cells of the SWOT analysis matrix (Fig. 2).

So, the SWOT analysis matrix is ​​completed, and we see before us a complete list of the main strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, as well as the prospects opening up for the business and the dangers that threaten it.

Step 3. Comparison strong And weak parties With market opportunities And threats will answer the following questions regarding the further development of your business:

• 1. How can I take advantage of emerging opportunities by leveraging the company's strengths?
• 2. What weaknesses of the enterprise can prevent me from doing this?
• 3. What strengths can be used to neutralize existing threats?
• 4. What threats, compounded by enterprise weaknesses, should I be most concerned about?

To compare the capabilities of an enterprise with market conditions, a slightly modified SWOT analysis matrix is ​​used (Table 3).

Table 3 - SWOT analysis matrix

POSSIBILITIES 1. Emergence of a new retail network 2. etc.	1. Emergence of a major competitor 2. etc.
STRENGTHS 1. High quality products 3. etc.	1. How to take advantage of opportunities Try to become one of the suppliers of the new network, focusing on the quality of our products	2. How you can reduce threats To keep our customers from switching to a competitor by informing them about the high quality of our products
WEAK SIDES 1. High production cost 3. etc.	3. What can prevent you from taking advantage of opportunities? The new network may refuse to purchase our products, since our wholesale prices are higher than those of competitors	4. The biggest dangers for the company An emerging competitor can offer the market products similar to ours at lower prices

By filling out this matrix, we find that:

• 1. determined basic directions development enterprises(cell 1, showing how you can take advantage of emerging opportunities);
• 2. formulated basic Problems enterprises that need to be resolved as quickly as possible for successful business development (the remaining cells of Table 3).

Next stage there will be a determination of the optimal strategy through which the enterprise can actually improve results at minimal cost.

So way, SWOT analysis- this is the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise, as well as the opportunities and threats emanating from its immediate environment (external environment), the comparison of which allows us to determine what steps can be taken for the development of the enterprise, and what problems urgently need to be solved.

After conducting a SWOT analysis, you can more clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of the enterprise, as well as the market situation. This will allow you to choose the optimal path for business development, avoid dangers and make the most efficient use of available resources, while simultaneously taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the market.

The study of the internal environment is aimed at understanding what strengths and weaknesses an organization has. Strengths serve as the basis on which an organization relies in its competitive struggle and which it should strive to expand and strengthen. Weaknesses are the subject of close attention by management, who must do everything possible to get rid of them.

Thompson A.A. and Strickland A.D. proposed the following approximate set of characteristics, the conclusion of which should allow us to draw up a list of the organization’s weaknesses and strengths, as well as a list of threats and opportunities for it contained in the external environment.

Strengths:

· outstanding competence;

· adequate financial resources;

· high qualification;

· good reputation among buyers;

· well-known market leader;

· inventive strategist functional areas activities of the organization;

· the possibility of obtaining savings from increased production volumes;

· protection (at least somewhere) from strong competitive pressure;

· suitable technology;

· cost advantage;

· competitive advantage;

· presence of innovative abilities and the possibility of their implementation;

· time-tested management.

Weak sides:

· no clear strategic directions;

· deteriorating competitive position;

· outdated equipment;

· lower profitability because...;

· lack of managerial talent and depth of knowledge of problems;

· lack of certain types of key competency qualifications;

· poor tracking of the strategy implementation process;

Difficulties in solving internal production problems;

· vulnerability to competitive pressure;

lagging behind in research and development;

· very narrow production line;

· poor understanding of the market;

· competitive disadvantages;

· below average marketing skills;

· failure to finance necessary changes in strategy.

Possibilities:

· entering new markets or market segments;

· expansion of the production line;

· increasing diversity in interrelated products;

· adding related products;

· vertical integration;

· the opportunity to move to a group with a better strategy;

· acceleration of market growth.

Threats:

· the possibility of new competitors emerging;

· growth in sales of a replacement product;

slowdown in market growth;

· unfavorable government policies;

· increasing the competitive power of buyers and suppliers;

· changes in customer needs and tastes;

· unfavorable demographic changes.

An organization can supplement the list with those characteristics of the external and internal environment that reflect the competitive situation in which it finds itself.

SWOT method

The SWOT method used to analyze the environment - strength, weakness, opportunities and threats - is a widely recognized approach that allows for a joint study of the external and internal environment. Using the SWOT method, it is possible to establish lines of communication between the strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in the organization and external threats and opportunities. The SWOT methodology involves first identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as threats and opportunities, and then establishing chains of connections between them, which can later be used to formulate the organization's strategy.

Once a specific list of the organization's weaknesses and strengths, as well as threats and opportunities, has been compiled, the stage of establishing connections between them begins. To establish these connections, a SWOT matrix is ​​compiled, which has the following form (Fig. 2).

On the left, two blocks are highlighted (strengths, weaknesses), into which all the aspects of the organization identified at the first stage of analysis are respectively written out. At the top of the matrix there are also two blocks (opportunities and threats), into which all identified opportunities and threats are written down. At the intersection of blocks, four fields are formed: SIV (strength and capabilities); SIS (power and threats); SLV (weakness and opportunity); SLU (weakness and threats). In each field, the researcher must consider all possible pairwise combinations and highlight those that should be taken into account when developing the organization's behavior strategy.

Fig.2. SWOT Matrix

For those pairs that have been selected from the SIV field, a strategy should be developed to use the organization's strengths in order to capitalize on the opportunities that have arisen in the external environment. For those couples who find themselves on the SLV field, the strategy should be structured in such a way that, due to the opportunities that have arisen, they try to overcome the weaknesses in the organization. If the couple is on the SIS field, then the strategy should involve using the power of the organization to eliminate the threat. Finally, for couples in the SLU field, the organization must develop a strategy that would allow it to both get rid of the weakness and try to prevent the threat looming over it.

When developing strategies, you should remember that opportunities and threats can turn into their opposites. Thus, an untapped opportunity can become a threat if a competitor exploits it. Or, conversely, a successfully prevented threat can open up additional opportunities for the organization if competitors were unable to eliminate the same threat.

5.2.Assessment of the competitive strength of the enterprise

The most promising way to determine how well a firm holds its competitive position is to quantify, relative to its rivals, each of the key success factors and each significant indicator of competitive strength. Much of the information outside of assessing a firm's competitive position comes from previous research. In the process of industry analysis and competitive analysis, key success factors and competitive criteria are identified, which divide market participants into leaders and outsiders. Competitor research and comparative assessment are the basis for determining the advantages and capabilities of the main competitors.

The first step is to make a list of the key success factors in the industry and the most important indicators their competitive advantages or disadvantages (usually 6-10 indicators are enough).

The second step is to evaluate the company and its competitors for each indicator. In this case, it is preferable to use a scale from 1 to 10, but you can use stronger (+), weaker (–) and approximately equal (=) ratings if there is not enough information and the quantitative assessment is subjective (deceptively accurate).

The third step is summing up the assessments of the strengths of each of the rivals and calculating the final indicators of their competitive strength.

The fourth step is drawing conclusions about the scope and degree of competitive advantage or disadvantage and identifying those areas where the firm’s position is stronger or weaker.

High scores on indicators characterizing a specific strength indicate a strong competitive position and the presence of a competitive advantage. On the contrary, low scores in this case indicate a weak competitive position and competitive disadvantages.

Table 1 provides two examples of competitive strength assessments. The first example uses unweighted scores. This assumes that each key success factor/competitive strength is equally important. The company that scores highest on this factor has a competitive advantage. The size of this advantage is reflected by the difference between the company's valuation and the valuations of its competitors.