4. SWOT: Internal Factors
• Strengths
– Positive tangible and intangible attributes,
internal to an organization. They are within
the organization’s control.
• Weakness
– Factors that are within an organization’s
control that detract from its ability to attain
the core goal. Which areas might the
organization improve?
5. SWOT: External Factors
• Opportunities
– External attractive factors that represent the reason for an
organization to exist and develop. What opportunities exist in the
environment, which will propel the organization?
– Identify them by their “time frames”
• Threats
– External factors, beyond an organization’s control, which could place
the organization mission or operation at risk. The organization may
benefit by having contingency plans to address them if they should
occur.
– Classify them by their “seriousness” and “probability of occurrence”.
6. SWOT Matrix
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities S-O strategies: W-O strategies: use
build on success opportunites to
address weaknesses
Threats S-T strategies: use W-T strategies:
success to defensive actions vs
minimize threats susceptible areas
7. SWOT strategies
• S-O strategies: build on success, good
practices, models
• S-T strategies: use success to minimize threats
• W-O strategies: use opportunities to address
weaknesses
• W-T strategies: defensive actions vs
susceptible areas
8. Caution!
• SWOT analysis can be very subjective. Do not
rely on it too much. Two people rarely come-
up with the same final version of SWOT.
• Use it as guide and not a prescription.