SWOT Analysis

Strengths/Weaknesses (Internal Environment)

• Competitive advantages
• Marketing
  brand name(s)
  market analysis
  market position
  marketing campaigns
  marketing mix (e.g. prices for products/rates for services, product lines - breadth/depth/complements)
  value added to products/services (e.g. special warranties, extra customer care, etc.)
• Human Resources
  diversity
  employee education and experience levels
  employee knowledge (of company, products/services)
  employee programs
  hiring practices
  job design
  performance of employees
  performance review systems
  preparation/support for expatriates and repatriates
  quality of work life
  strikes/slowdown prevention policies
  teamwork
  training and development
  turnover/retaining
  wages/benefits
• Finance
  ability to raise capital
  analysis of financial ratios
  efficient use of capital
  stockholder value
• Corporate Culture
  doing vs. saying
  creativity
  flexibility
  integrity
  leadership
  management
  openness to learning
  policies
  productivity
  quality
  social responsibility
  vision
• Corporate Structure
  communication
  corporate objectives
  corporate strategies
  decision-making
  management of change
  structure available to handle rare occurrences (e.g. natural disasters, political obstacles, etc.)
• Operations
  customer focus
  customer service
  distribution
  downtime
  inventory control
  labor costs
  learning curves
  manufacturing systems (quality, capabilities, productivity)
  service
  value chain

• Information Technology
  effective use of
  (e.g. automation, database management, ecommerce, etc.)
• Innovation
  ability to keep products/services in demand
  research and development
  technology investments and results
• Strategies
  in terms of growth (e.g. mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances)
  in terms of refocusing (e.g. divesting, restructuring)
  within each function (e.g. marketing, human resources, etc.)
  in terms of direction (e.g. mission statement)
  business model
  business tools used (e.g. just-in-time)
  benchmarking against competitors and other companies within similar industries (and even different industries)
  quality management
  international capabilities
• Location

Opportunities/Threats (External Environment)

Alliances
Bargaining power of customers
Bargaining power of suppliers
Buyer relationships
Competition
Rivalry amongst closest competitors, competitors in related industries, potential competitors
Competitors' learning curves
Costs (of material resources, labor, etc.)
Customer loyalty
Distribution channels
Ecommerce
Economic climate/forces
Education of the workforce
Environmental situations/requirements/interest groups
Expansion opportunities
Interest group demands/support
Market demographics
Material resources (e.g. land)
Labor unions (relationships with)
Local/National/International communities
New entrants
New markets
Political climate/ forces (e.g. laws)
Product lifecycles
Related, unrelated, and supporting industries
Source(s) of employees
Stockholder support/demand
Substitute products/services
Supplier relationships
Takeover threats
Technology development
Trade association affiliations
University affiliations (e.g. joint research programs)