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A SWOT analysis can capture in a single graphic the company’s current business position and provide a template for guiding the selection of the best path forward.
September 26, 2025
By: Gary Shawhan
President, The CHEMARK Consulting Group, A Global Specialty Chemical Consulting Company
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WOT analysis is a well-known and established business tool. Its purpose is to provide a concise snapshot of the current business situation to help guide strategic decision making going forward. A quality SWOT analysis is normally supported by other elements of business analysis, which are chosen based on the circumstance being evaluated.
As a composite of the information gathered, a SWOT analysis can capture in a single graphic the company’s current business position and provide a template for guiding the selection of the best path forward.
SWOT analysis involves the assessment of four diametrically opposed elements of a given business situation. These elements include: (1) Strengths; (2) Weaknesses; (3) Opportunities; and (4) Threats.
SWOT analysis is intended to deliver a concise picture of a company’s business position for a given set of circumstances. The value of SWOT starts with having a well-defined purpose for creating it. The clarity of the company’s business goals and objectives helps establish the information boundaries that need to be examined.
As a business tool for aiding strategic planning and decision making, SWOT analysis contributes its greatest value when it is backed by sufficient, objective market research. The power of SWOT is in its ability to deliver an objective appraisal of the current business situation facing the company within the targeted business space. As a snapshot of the situation, it should provide valuable and digestible information to all levels of the organization.
Strengths
Identifying the company’s strengths is the easiest topic to address. Its accuracy is very dependent on the sources used in developing the information. The danger is in relying too much on internal sources closely connected with the project’s success. Objective viewpoints, obtained through market research and external contacts, help ensure a realistic view of the company’s strengths.
Weaknesses
Assessment of the weaknesses is intended to identify the challenges a company faces in accomplishing its goals and objectives. In many cases, these weaknesses are ones that can be resolved through management support, through capital investment, or by effective resource deployment. When the weaknesses present barriers that challenge company ROI guidelines, it can force management to re-evaluate going forward.
Opportunities
Vision and creative thinking are a necessary component of strategic planning for any important business activity. Identifying opportunities for revenue growth and increased profitability spotlights the importance of supporting specific projects for the management team.
Opportunities are often defined through the identification of unmet needs that are not currently being addressed by competitors or by the company. Examples of attractive opportunities include entering emerging or adjacent markets. They can also involve targeting additional geographic regions not currently served.
Threats
Identification of potential threats is a critical aspect of SWOT analysis. The possibility of disruptive changes, in particular, can invalidate current business strategies and revenue expectations. Such threats to the business need to be incorporated into a risk analysis.
Game-changing events come in many forms. Some examples include new technology, innovative manufacturing methods, industry-driven specifications changes, or the impact of revisions to environmental regulations.
SWOT analysis is an effective tool to examine a company’s relative position to its competitors in a given marketplace. It provides the company with a realistic view of the prospects for success. It also identifies where investments need to be considered to improve the company’s current competitive position.
A common practice, when using SWOT analysis, is to also include a SWOT for each of the major competitors serving the same market space. Expanding the list of companies serving the same space being analyzed brings additional value to its role in strategic planning and decision-making.
SWOT also provides an easy-to-digest picture of a particular business and its prospects for future growth at a particular place in time. When applying SWOT to compare the merits of alternative product lines, new product development projects, or other investment initiatives, SWOT delivers a useful comparative tool for management to aid in decision-making.
The value and accuracy of a SWOT analysis are dependent on the sources used in its creation. As the complexity of the business situation increases, the importance of having inputs from multiple internal sources as well as external sources increases. Objectivity and the perspective provided by all contributors help maximize the value of the SWOT analysis.
When input comes only from a few individuals with a personal stake in the outcome, objectivity becomes a concern in the value of the output in decision-making and for strategic planning.
The use of SWOT can apply to a wide range of business situations. Examples include:
• Assessing the competitive position of a particular product or product line in relation to the current competitive landscape.
• Shaping the market entry strategy for a new product launch.
• Identifying those key issues that need to be addressed in new product development to ensure success.
• A tool for comparing the company’s current business position in a given space to other competing business options as a basis for considering the priority it should be given going forward for resourcing and future investment.
• Evaluating alternative companies as business options for future decision-making. Examples include such things as distributors, office services companies, new plant locations, or activities involving M&A.
• Provide management with a broader view of the competitive landscape in a particular market within a particular market segment, geographic region, or particular area of technology.
In summary, the value of a SWOT analysis is in its ability to capture key issues about a particular business issue at a given moment in time in a concise, digestible format. As a tool to aid decision-making, its value is significantly greater when supported by supporting business analysis and data. CW
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