SWOT Analysis

Metadata

• Name: swot-analysis
• Description: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis
• Triggers: SWOT, strengths weaknesses, strategic audit, competitive position

Instructions

Framework

Internal Analysis (S + W)

• 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?

• Capabilities and expertise
• Brand and reputation
• Customer relationships
• Technology/IP
• Cost advantages
• Team talent
• Distribution/scale

• What do we do poorly?
• Where do we lack resources?
• What are our competitive gaps?
• What should we avoid?

• Resource constraints
• Technology limitations
• Low brand awareness
• High churn
• Cost structure issues
• Legacy systems
• Key person dependencies

External Analysis (O + T)

• What market trends favor us?
• What competitor weaknesses exist?
• What regulatory changes help?
• What technology enables new solutions?

• Growing market segments
• Technological advances
• Regulatory tailwinds
• Competitor gaps
• Partnership opportunities
• Adjacent markets
• Shifting customer preferences

• What competitors threaten us?
• What market trends hurt us?
• What regulatory changes harm us?
• What technology disrupts us?

• 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

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