SWOT Analysis at CFDL Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats 1 st May 2012

Why? Manage rapid changes in L & T environment Uncover opportunities Understand our weaknesses to better manage and eliminate threats Craft a strategy that helps us maximise and sustain QUALITY in CDD

About SWOT… 1960s: -Albert S. Humphrey, expert in corporate strategic planning founded the SWOT analysis model -Precise, verifiable statements -Prioritise SIGNIFICANT factors -Apply at the right level -Use with other tools, e.g. USP analysis

Strengths Often internal: What advantages do we -CFDL-USP- have? What do we do better than anyone else? What unique or lowest-cost resources can we draw upon that others can't? What do people in our market see as our strengths? What is our University’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP, or competitive edge)?

Weaknesses Often internal: What should we improve? What should we avoid? What are people in our ‘market’ (higher education) likely to see as weaknesses? What factors will contribute to substandard CDD?

Opportunities Usually external: What good opportunities can we spot? What interesting trends are we aware of? Are there any strengths from which we can create opportunities? Useful opportunities can come from: Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale. Changes in government policy. Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, and so on. Local/Regional events.

Threats Usually external: What obstacles do we face? What are our competitors doing? Are quality standards or specifications for our job, products or services changing? Is changing technology threatening our position? Could any of our weaknesses seriously threaten our core responsibilities?

Group Activity 1.Divide into your work groups, i.e. IDs, ETs, EPs, LS & MMU 2.Identify 6 core responsibilities 3.Conduct a SWOT analysis of these core responsibilities 4.Present Reports of your findings

Group Reports