Applying SWOT Analysis for Effective Planning

Applying SWOT Analysis for Effective Planning

Using a SWOT diagram as a planning tool can be very important for a company. The purpose in using this diagram as a planning tool is to ensure that the company is aware of its strengths and opportunities, as well as its weaknesses and the threats to its livelihood. When companies are not familiar with all four of these aspects, they can make mistakes when cause them to lose out on valuable benefits they could otherwise receive. Additionally, these companies may end up ignoring threats that could seriously harm them in the future. By focusing on what they can do to maximize their opportunities and play up their strengths, they will be one step further when it comes to staying ahead of the competition. A company that performs a SWOT analysis properly may also learn that it must take its external threats more seriously and work to improve its weaknesses so they will not be as much of a hindrance to its future plans and goals. Weaknesses can also be exploited by competitors, so it is best to find those weaknesses and work to minimize them.

Problem

The company that will be addressed here is Dresser-Rand. It is a world-renowned compressor company and highly dedicated to pleasing its customers (Dresser-Rand, n.d.). In addition to compressors, it makes steam turbines as well as other products (Products, 2003). The company has made a name for itself, and has gained a good reputation in its industry based on the reliability and overall quality of the products it produces. However, like any company it does have weaknesses it has to address. The main weakness with which it struggles is its technological "footprint." It has a website, but is not particularly savvy regarding e-marketing its products to those who would be interested in them. Without a proper way to market to the people who would buy its products, Dresser-Rand is missing out on a great deal of business that could have a significant impact on its bottom line. Because Dresser-Rand is missing out on so much potential business, a new strategy is needed. Companies today need strong, optimized web presences in order to make sure they are easily found online (Web, 2000). That can help a company stand out from its competition, and can also help ensure that the company is able to remain a leader in its industry.

Analysis

An evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats dealt with by Dresser-Rand is highly important, as this will help the company make a decision as to what it needs to do next and what direction it should be taking when it comes to making changes to help it improve its position. The largest strength of the company is the reputation it has. Being in business for a very long time means people in the industry recognize the name. Dresser-Rand has a long history of giving a great deal to their customers, and when they work hard at making people happy, that means repeat business. The company has also changed a lot over time, and has stayed at the forefront of innovation in their industry. Making several products means a bigger market, and that can translate into more money on the bottom line and less trouble from competitors -- but the customers have to know about the products and know where to find them easily (Search, 2003).

There are weaknesses with which the company must deal, however, with the largest one being a lack of e-marketing. There is a web site for the company, but since they do not do much marketing they are losing some of their business to competitors who aggressively market their products and who show up more easily in search results for those products. This is a serious weakness when it comes to technology, because the company needs to make sure its online presence is easy to find. The company has also gotten rather complacent about its good name and reputation. Yes, those things are important. However, they can fade over time if they are not maintained. Complacency is generally a very poor choice for any company, especially one in the technological age, where things can change very rapidly (Frost & Strauss, 2000). It is clear that the marketing strategy of Dresser-Rand needs work.

There are opportunities for the company to improve, and the main one is the internet. Creating a better e-marketing strategy is a good step toward becoming even more relevant in a technological society (Web, 2000). By studying what their competition is doing with their web presences, the company can move toward a better strategy that will work for them but that will also be competitive. By focusing on building a strong internet presence through their web site and social media outlets, any company can bring in more business (Search, 2003). The company can also consider shipping, orders, and other information sent through the internet, in order to make things easier for everyone involved (Frost & Strauss, 2000). Search engine optimization is vital for companies, as well, to ensure they are appearing at the top of the search results when people look for a product they sell (Search, 2003).

There are very few external threats for Dresser-Rand. The threats they face are more closely based on technology. If they do not use the opportunities they have and recognize their weaknesses, they may become their own threat. In other words, they will do damage to their own company by doing nothing, and not moving toward being more technologically savvy. The vast majority of companies today use technology, so if one company does not use it (or does not use it well, frequently, or properly), that company can easily get left behind (Search, 2003; Web, 2000). Dresser-Rand can avoid all of that, but it must recognize its threats first in order to find solutions with which to address them.

Solution