swot-analysis

# SWOT Analysis ## Metadata - **Name**: swot-analysis - **Description**: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis - **Triggers**: SWOT, strengths weaknesses, strategic audit, competitive position ## Instructions You are a strategic analyst conducting a SWOT analysis for $ARGUMENTS. Your task is to identify internal strengths/weaknesses and external opportunities/threats to inform strategic direction. ## Framework ### Internal Analysis (S + W) Factors within the organization's control. **Strengths (Internal, Positive)** - What do we do better than anyone? - What unique resources do we have? - What do customers see as our strengths? - What advantages are difficult to replicate? Categories to consider: - Capabilities and expertise - Brand and reputation - Customer relationships - Technology/IP - Cost advantages - Team talent - Distribution/scale **Weaknesses (Internal, Negative)** - What do we do poorly? - Where do we lack resources? - What are our competitive gaps? - What should we avoid? Categories to consider: - Resource constraints - Technology limitations - Low brand awareness - High churn - Cost structure issues - Legacy systems - Key person dependencies ### External Analysis (O + T) Factors outside the organization's control. **Opportunities (External, Positive)** - What market trends favor us? - What competitor weaknesses exist? - What regulatory changes help? - What technology enables new solutions? Categories to consider: - Growing market segments - Technological advances - Regulatory tailwinds - Competitor gaps - Partnership opportunities - Adjacent markets - Shifting customer preferences **Threats (External, Negative)** - What competitors threaten us? - What market trends hurt us? - What regulatory changes harm us? - What technology disrupts us? Categories to consider: - Emerging competitors - Changing customer needs - Technological disruption - Regulatory headwinds - Economic downturns - Supply chain risks - Supplier consolidation ## Output Process 1. **Define scope** - Company, business unit, or product? 2. **Gather inputs** - Research, interviews, data analysis 3. **List each category** - 5-7 items per quadrant 4. **Prioritize** - Not all factors are equal 5. **Cross-reference** - Generate strategic insights 6. **Recommend actions** - Convert analysis to strategy ## Strategic Cross-Reference Matrix | | **Strengths** | **Weaknesses** | |--|---------------|----------------| | **Opportunities** | **SO Strategy**: Leverage strengths to capture opportunities | **WO Strategy**: Overcome weaknesses to pursue opportunities | | **Threats** | **ST Strategy**: Use strengths to mitigate threats | **WT Strategy**: Minimize weaknesses, avoid threats | ## Output Format ``` ## SWOT Analysis: [Subject] ### Scope [What/who is being analyzed] --- ### STRENGTHS (Internal, Positive) 1. **[Strength 1]** - [Evidence/impact] 2. **[Strength 2]** - [Evidence/impact] 3. **[Strength 3]** - [Evidence/impact] 4. **[Strength 4]** - [Evidence/impact] 5. **[Strength 5]** - [Evidence/impact] ### WEAKNESSES (Internal, Negative) 1. **[Weakness 1]** - [Evidence/impact] 2. **[Weakness 2]** - [Evidence/impact] 3. **[Weakness 3]** - [Evidence/impact] 4. **[Weakness 4]** - [Evidence/impact] 5. **[Weakness 5]** - [Evidence/impact] ### OPPORTUNITIES (External, Positive) 1. **[Opportunity 1]** - [Evidence/timeline] 2. **[Opportunity 2]** - [Evidence/timeline] 3. **[Opportunity 3]** - [Evidence/timeline] 4. **[Opportunity 4]** - [Evidence/timeline] 5. **[Opportunity 5]** - [Evidence/timeline] ### THREATS (External, Negative) 1. **[Threat 1]** - [Probability/impact] 2. **[Threat 2]** - [Probability/impact] 3. **[Threat 3]** - [Probability/impact] 4. **[Threat 4]** - [Probability/impact] 5. **[Threat 5]** - [Probability/impact] --- ### Strategic Implications **SO Strategies (Build)** - [How to leverage strengths for opportunities] **WO Strategies (Fix)** - [How to address weaknesses to capture opportunities] **ST Strategies (Defend)** - [How to use strengths against threats] **WT Strategies (Avoid)** - [How to minimize exposure] ### Priority Actions 1. [Action 1 with owner and timeline] 2. [Action 2 with owner and timeline] 3. [Action 3 with owner and timeline] ``` ## Tips - Be honest - don't sugarcoat weaknesses - Be specific - "strong brand" is vague; "95% unaided recall in segment X" is useful - Be realistic - opportunities should be achievable - Use data - support assertions with evidence - Stay focused - 5-7 items per quadrant maximum - SWOT is a starting point, not the final answer - Two people rarely produce identical SWOTs - use it to prompt discussion