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January 2015
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a completely 100% unofficial unauthorized unapproved website. info always subject to change, correction, updating
& ,& January 6 - February 2, 2015
& for the NW Seattle
& financing is through Subaru/Chase with no prepayment penalty, no loan fees, no buy down fees, on approval of credit.
News changes for January
2014 Hybrid gets 0% to 60 months
2015 Legacy gets lower leases payments
2015 Impreza gets lower lease payments, especially sedans
2015 Crosstrek gets 1.49%x48, 1.90%x60-72 mos, and leases are now available
2015 Impreza gets 1.49%x48, 1.90%x60-72 mos, and leases are now available
Dealers are motivated to move...
2014 Crosstrek Hybrids
2015 Legacy, especially leases
2015 Impreza, especially leases
2015 Finance rates
new Crosstrek 1.49% 24-36-48 mos, 1.90% 60-63-72 months
new Impreza 1.49% 24-36-48 mos, 1.90% 60-63-72 months
Outback 1.49% 24-36-48 mos, 1.90% 60-63-72 monthsLegacy 1.49% x 24-36-48 mos, 1.90% x 60-63-72 months
WRX, STI 2.90% x24-36-48-60-63 months
Forester .90% 24-36-48 mos, 1.90% x60-63-72 monthsBRZ 1.49% 24-36-48mos, 1.90% 60-63-72 months
2014 Finance rates
January is supposed to be the final month for 2014 rates
Crosstrek 1.49% x 24-36-48, 1.90% x 60-63-72 mos
new Crosstrek Hybrid& 0% x 24-60-63 mos, 1.90% x72 mos. With gas prices so low, the Hybrid is struggling
BRZ& (few if any are left)
0.9% now 24-72 months
the following 2014 models are sold out: Impreza, Forester, Outback, Legacy, WRX, STI, Tribeca
& Lease rates- available on 2015s and 2014s.
Ask your local dealer.&
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Trade Value- an easy way to trade in your Subaru
&Find a Subaru dealer&
Dealer news and updates wanted.
in Shoreline/North Seattle or the greater NW.&
Discounted prices. I've been selling Subarus
since 1996.
Have a Subaru? Get your Subaru
This website is created and maintained by Joe Spitz. I've been selling Subarus in the Shoreline (N.
Seattle), Puget Sound and greater Northwest area since 1996. If you're anywhere in the area& (including Idaho, Montana,
California, Oregon, ) and buying a Subaru, call and lets talk about what you want.
Note- this
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****************************************************************************
1/7/15 Crosstrek Premium CVT Special Edition model, package #15, details announced.
Only 1000 will be made. Package
#15 MSRP price $1995. All are Sunrise Yellow with black cloth. Available
starting March 2015, orders probably starting February.
Includes keyless access/pushbutton start, moonroof, 7" LCD audio
upgrade, leather steering wheel and shift handle, turn signal mirrors.
Premium CVT with Package #15 total& MSRP $26,140 including destination
1/6/15 January rates announced, Jan 6- Feb 2
2015 Legacy gets lower lease payments
2015 Impreza gets lower lease payments, especially sedans
2015 Crosstrek and Impreza get 1.49% x48, 190%x60-72 mos
2014 Hybrid gets 0%- with gas prices so low, the Hybrid needs help
1/5/15& December sales total 49,923
The Outback and Legacy continue to be in tight supply, especially Limited and Eyesight models.
The 2015 Crosstrek and Impreza are now arriving, and with their improved
ride (finally),& upgraded audio systems (finally), and standard rear
view camera (and finally), sales should increase sharply over 2014
Forester continues to be Subaru's top seller, and will (hopefully)
benefit from an 2016 model later this winter/spring with an upgraded
December 2014 sales by model
Outback 14,772, up 24% over
Forester 15,163, up 15% over
Legacy 5457, up 86% over
Crosstrek 5482, down 1% from
Impreza 5808, up 17% over
WRX, STI 2816, up 68% over
BRZ 416, down 41% from 705 12/13
Tribeca 9, down 94% from 143 12/14
2014 total sales 513,693 which is a new record, and up 21% over 424,683 2013 total.
Subaru's total U.S market is now 3.1%. It was 1.4% in 2008.
December 2014 was the 37th consecutive month of growth and the 2014 year was the 7th consecutive year of growth
Subarus goal for 2015 is a very conservative 540,000 cars.
Total 2014 US Subaru sales by model
Outback& 138,790 in 2014, up 18% over 118,049 2013
Forester 159,953 in 2014, up 29% over 123,592 2013
Legacy 52,270 in 2014, up 24% over 42,291 2013
Crosstrek 70,956 in 2014, up 325 over 53,741 2013
Impreza 57, 996 in 2014, down 1% from 58,856 in 2013
WRX, STI 25,492 in 2014, up 42% over 17,969 2013
BRZ 7504 in 2014, down 13% from
Tribeca 732 in 2014, down 54% from 1,598 2013
1/2/15& last day for 2014's Share the Love
buy a car today, its the last day to
pick from 5 charities for Subaru to donate $250 to. Choices are ASPCA,
Make-A-Wish Foundation,
Meals On Wheels and the National Park Foundation plus one local charity.
12/29/14 2014 sales total is expected to pass 500,000 as people continue to discover that Subaru is a great car.
Its not an overnight success
though, Subaru has been on this growth path for the past 7 years, but
even before that Subaru was putting out quality all wheel drive cars. It
was just mostly a NW, NE, and greater Rocky Mountain area semi-secret
ignored in drier and warmer climates
from a press release
Subaru of America, Inc. has reached a significant milestone
in its history, by retailing 500,000 vehicles in a single calendar
The milestone caps a remarkable seven year growth period for the
brand in the U.S. in which the company has grown from 187,699 vehicle
sales in 2008 to what will total over 500,000 sales in 2014, once the
sales year closes on January 2
The growth in Subaru sales can be attributed to a combination of improved vehicle offerings, targeted and award-winning
marketing and an improved retailer body. The current generation of
Subaru vehicles grew in size compared to the previous generation in
order to better suit the needs of the American buyer while also
delivering improved interiors, technology and safety features such as
the award-wining Eyesight system. Furthermore, the company's retail
outlets have embraced process and amenity improvements as sales volume
increased, while the total number of outlets has remained steady.
All of the company's current models have contributed to its sales
the current Impreza (four and five-door) is enjoying its
best-ever generation and the Outback and the Forester mid-size CUV now
retail 300,000 units per year, combined. The new small CUV entrant, XV
Crosstrek, has also added over 60,000 sales to the year-total, while the
all-new Legacy sedan is enjoying more than
doubling its year-over-year monthly sales since the launch of the 2015
model. On the performance side, sales of the company's sporty models,
the WRX and STI, are at their highest levels ever following the debut of
the all-new 2015 models.
Thomas J. Doll, president and chief
operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. "We are delighted to
have reached this historic milestone and our results show we are
delivering vehicles that people want to buy. That we have grown so
steeply and also so steadily over the last seven years is a testament to
our products and to the commitment of our retailers who have had to
manage this increase in capacity. There is a positive air around our
business and we have no plan we expect 2015 to also
be another record year for Subaru."
12/14/14 2015 Impreza brochures available. 20pgs...
The 15 Impreza gets some good upgrades, including a quieter ride and
a standard rear view camera with a screen big enough to be functional
on all models. Eyesight safety system is now available on Limited and
Sport Limited. And prices are still reasonable.
12/5/14 $90,000,000 lottery winner plans to buy a Subaru Forester!
Lisa and Everett Quam of Washington State won $90m in a Powerball lottery. This is the first ever Powerball winner in Wa
After taxes, they will collect $56.8m lump sum or take monthly payments.
Both are long time Boeing employees and will leave their jobs.
Lisa Quam has picked out a new car, a Subaru Forester!
MORE 2014 CALENDAR YEAR
************************************
Get your Subaru
Did you know Subaru
makes small engine and portable home generators?& Parent company
Fuji also has Robin America with l engines for lawnmowers, jets skies,
generators etc. They make Subaru generators including quiet inverter ones.
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Discounted prices for Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Amgen, Apple, Paccar, Weyerhauser,
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Are you a member of& ASPCA, Guardian program, PSIA, IMBA,
AASI, ASHA, Prime, Perks or Passport Card Programs, SAM Seattle Art Museum,
MoF Museum of Flight, Are you a teacher, veterinarianmedical
doctor.... ?
LINKS.. scroll down
Subaru of America corporate
partners, vendors, marketing affiliations and sponsorships
Subaru price benefits may
be available to some of these groups. Also employees of, or suppliers,
vendors or contractors to Fuji or Subaru, may also qualify for Subaru
discounts. Contact your organization, company, union, or perks webpage
to change, correction, updating.& tips welcomed
http://www.aasi.org
, Crested Butte, Colorado
, dine out, fight Aids
- leader in action sport filmmaking- check out
official vehicle of the NSP
- pilots working with animal rescue shelters
- Pet Hero Award recognizes those who dedicate their lives to the welfare of animals
official vehicle of the PSIA
, Subaru does rallys
driving school in Pa
, skiing or riding down steep terrain
, lifestyle tour at some of the top mountains, with clinics and demos, giveaways...
SNST events at many ski events
- outdoor recreation, environmental education center, with biking, running trails, whitewater kayaking etc
- a clothing company that removes 1 pound of trash from oceans and waterways for every item sold.
- Subaru sponsors Penn State's community education project related to water
- yoga for all levels, with classes, panels, seminars, marketplace
full page of all sorts of links
a pre-owned lightly used Subaru into Canada, British Columbia BC, Alberta
AB, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, Surrey, Jasper, Red Deer, Kelowna,
North Vancouver, Sherwood Park, Coquitlam, Richmond, Salmon Arm ..
Books- mystery,
fiction, autobiographies,signed 1st editions. If you have books for sale
please call.
If you are in the
market for a new or used Subaru or any brand of used vehicle and live
in the Puget Sound area, I have excellent deals
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determine your interest in Subarus from the comfort of your home or work.
the car for all
the right seasons? a Subaru of course (R)related materials
more materials, ideas and resources.
& swot analysis
swot analysis
SWOT analysis method and examples, with free SWOT template
The SWOT analysis is an extremely useful tool for understanding and
decision-making for all sorts of situations in business and organizations. SWOT
is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Information
and inventors of SWOT analysis is below. The SWOT analysis headings provide
a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or
business proposition, or any other idea.
Completing a SWOT analysis is very simple, and is a good subject for
. SWOT analysis also works well in
Use SWOT analysis for business planning, strategic planning,
competitor evaluation, marketing, business and product development and research
reports. You can also use
Note that SWOT analysis is often interpreted and used as a
, especially in
business and marketing planning.
In addition to this 2x2 matrix method, SWOT analysis is also a
widely recognized method for gathering, structuring, presenting and reviewing
extensive planning data within a larger business or project planning process.
See also ,
which measures a business's market and potential according
Political, Economic, Social and Technological. It is often helpful to complete
a PEST analysis prior to a SWOT analysis. In other situations it may be more
useful to complete a PEST analysis as part of, or after, a SWOT analysis. See
also , which is used to analyse competitive position.
Please note: If you use SWOT Analysis as a 2x2 matrix method
, then technically Strengths and Weaknesses are internal
factors (generally the case anyway), whereas Opportunities and
Threats are external factors (this can be more difficult, since it
requires you to ignore internal threats and opportunities). The
thus only considers external threats and opportunities.
As a more general guide, here is a
If you have difficulty opening the above doc file here are two other
(portrait layout)
Weissbach)
A SWOT analysis measures a business unit, a a
PEST analysis measures a market.
A SWOT analysis is a subjective assessment of data which is
organized by the SWOT format into a logical order that helps understanding,
presentation, discussion and decision-making. The four dimensions are a useful
extension of a basic two heading list of pro's and con's (free
pro's and con's template here).
SWOT analysis can be used for all sorts of decision-making, and the
SWOT template enables proactive thinking, rather than relying on habitual or
instinctive reactions.
The SWOT analysis template is normally presented as a grid,
comprising four sections, one for each of the SWOT headings: Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The free SWOT template below includes
sample questions, whose answers are inserted into the relevant section of the
SWOT grid. The questions are examples, or discussion points, and obviously can
be altered depending on the subject of the SWOT analysis. Note that many of the
SWOT questions are also talking points for other headings - use them as you
find most helpful, and make up your own to suit the issue being analysed. It is
important to clearly identify the subject of a SWOT analysis, because a SWOT
analysis is a perspective of one thing, be it a company, a product, a
proposition, and idea, a method, or option, etc.
SWOT analysis is commonly presented and developed into a 2x2 matrix,
which is shown and explained within the
business/marketing - internal v external factors
Modern SWOT analysis in business and marketing situations is
normally structured so that a 2x2 matrix grid can be produced, according to two
pairs of dimensions.
Strengths and Weaknesses, are 'mapped' or 'graphed' against
Opportunities and Threats.
To enable this to happen cleanly and clearly, and from a logical
point of view anyway when completing a SWOT analysis in most business and
marketing situations, Strengths and Weaknesses are regarded distinctly
as internal factors, whereas Opportunities and Threats are
regarded distinctly as external factors.
Here is the explanation in more detail:
Strengths and Weaknesses
the internal environment - the
situation inside the company or organization
for example, factors relating to
products, pricing, costs, profitability, performance, quality, people, skills,
adaptability, brands, services, reputation, processes, infrastructure, etc.
factors tend to be in the
Opportunities and
the external environment - the
situation outside the company or organization
for example, factors relating to
markets, sectors, audience, fashion, seasonality, trends, competition,
economics, politics, society, culture, technology, environmental, media, law,
factors tend to be in the
swot matrix (2x2 matrix using internal/external categories)
Here is a typical extension of the basic SWOT analysis grid into a
useful 'action-based' 2x2 SWOT matrix.
The SWOT analysis in this format acts as a quick decision-making
tool, quite aside from the more detailed data that would typically be fed into
business planning process for each of the SWOT factors.
Here the 2x2 matrix model automatically suggests actions for issues
arising from the SWOT analysis, according to four different categories:
(internal)
weaknesses (internal)
opportunities(external)
strengths/opportunitiesobvious natural
priorities
Likely to produce greatest ROI (Return On Investment)
Likely to be quickest and easiest to implement.
Probably justifying immediate action-planning or feasibility
Executive question: "If we are not already looking at these
areas and prioritising them, then why not?"
weaknesses/opportunities potentially
attractive options
Likely to produce good returns if capability and
implementation are viable.
Potentially more exciting and stimulating and rewarding than
S/O due to change, challenge, surprise tactics, and benefits from addressing
and achieving improvements.
Executive questions: "What's actually stopping us doing these
things, provided they truly fit strategically and are realistic and
substantial?"
threats(external)
strengths/threatseasy
to defend and counter
Only basic awareness, planning, and implementation required to
meet these challenges.
Investment in these issues is generally safe and
necessary.
Executive question: "Are we properly informed and organized to
deal with these issues, and are we certain there are no hidden surprises?" -
and - "Since we are strong here, can any of these threats be turned into
opportunities?"
weaknesses/threats
potentially high risk
Assessment of risk crucial.
Where risk is low then we must ignore these issues and not be
distracted by them.
Where risk is high we must assess capability gaps and plan to
defend/avert in very specific controlled ways.
Executive question: "Have we accurately assessed the risks of
these issues, and where the risks are high do we have specific controlled
reliable plans to avoid/avert/defend?"
N.B. SWOT analysis is a very flexible tool. Its use is not
restricted to business and marketing. Be mindful that when SWOT is used in
situations outside of business and marketing, strict categorization of the SWOT
dimensions (according to 'internal' and 'external' factors) can be limiting,
and so a more open interpretation of the model can be helpful in such
circumstances, especially when assessing Opportunities and Threats.
Also be mindful that if using the SWOT analysis model only as a 2x2
matrix, which assumes the categorization of internal and external factors (and
notably limiting the assessment of threats and opportunities to external
factors only), that it is very easy then to miss certain threats and
opportunities that can exist (internally) within the company/organization. Some
internal threats and opportunities can be substantial, for example,
opportunities such as: energy-saving, process-improvement, training,
advertising, or discontinuing loss-making products, or threats such as:
desertion or key staff, the loss of major contracts, to name just a couple of
typically ever-present threats within large commercial corporations.
Be mindful therefore that the 'simplified' SWOT 2x2 matrix
'internal/external' method is not a reliable tool alone for identifying all
threats and opportunities within organizations, or indeed any other
situation.
You will note from the
below that the methodology did not begin, and was not
operated as the simple 2x2 'internal/external' matrix that we commonly see
today. Particularly, the original application of the model did not restrict
threats and opportunities to just external factors. Instead, six key aspects of
the business in question (namely: product, process, customer, distribution,
finance, admin) were each assessed using the SWOT model. Each aspect was
considered according to all four SWOT elements. Thus today when we apply the
SWOT model to an entire business, if we disregard internal threats and
opportunities, so the analysis can exclude some potentially serious issues.
swot analysis - different applications
SWOT analysis is a powerful model for many different situations. The
SWOT tool is not just for business and marketing. Here are some examples of
what a SWOT analysis can be used to assess:
a company (its position in the market, commercial viability,
a method of sales distribution
a product or brand
a business idea
a strategic option, such as entering a new market or launching a
new product
a opportunity to make an acquisition
a potential partnership
changing a supplier
outsourcing a service, activity or resource
project planning and project management
an investment opportunity
personal financial planning
personal career development - direction, choice, change,
education and qualifications planning and decision-making
life-change - downshifting, relocation,
relationships, perhaps even family planning?..
Whatever the application, be sure to describe the subject (or
purpose or question) for the SWOT analysis clearly so you remain focused on the
central issue. This is especially crucial when others are involved in the
process. People contributing to the analysis and seeing the finished SWOT
analysis must be able to understand properly the purpose of the SWOT assessment
and the implications arising.
SWOT analysis template
&Here is a larger illustration of SWOT analysis.
Note that this format is not presented or proposed as a 2x2
'internal/external' it's a more open demonstration of the sorts of
issues and questions which can be addressed when using the SWOT format as part
of business planning and decision-making.
Subject of SWOT analysis: (define the subject of the analysis
Advantages of proposition?
Capabilities?
Competitive advantages?
USP's (unique selling points)?
Resources, Assets, People?
Experience, knowledge, data?
Financial reserves, likely returns?
Marketing - reach, distribution, awareness?
Innovative aspects?
Location and geographical?
Price, value, quality?
Accreditations, qualifications, certifications?
Processes, systems, IT, communications?
Cultural, attitudinal, behavioural?
Management cover, succession?
weaknesses
Disadvantages of proposition?
Gaps in capabilities?
Lack of competitive strength?
Reputation, presence and reach?
Financials?
Own known vulnerabilities?
Timescales, deadlines and pressures?
Cashflow, start-up cash-drain?
Continuity, supply chain robustness?
Effects on core activities, distraction?
Reliability of data, plan predictability?
Morale, commitment, leadership?
Accreditations, etc?
Processes and systems, etc?
Management cover, succession?
opportunities
Market developments?
Competitors' vulnerabilities?
Industry or lifestyle trends?
Technology development and innovation?
Global influences?
New markets, vertical, horizontal?
Niche target markets?
Geographical, export, import?
Market need for new USP's?
Market response to tactics, e.g., surprise?
Major contracts, tenders?
Business and product development?
Information and research?
Partnerships, agencies, distribution?
Market volume demand trends?
Seasonal, weather, fashion influences?
Political effects?
Legislative effects?
Environmental effects?
IT developments?
Competitor intentions - various?
Market demand?
New technologies, services, ideas?
Vital contracts and partners?
Obstacles faced?
Insurmountable weaknesses?
Employment market?
Financial and credit pressures?
Economy - home, abroad?
Seasonality, weather effects?
swot analysis example
This SWOT analysis example is based on an imaginary situation. The
scenario is based on a business-to-business manufacturing company, who
historically rely on distributors to take their products to the end user
market. The opportunity, and therefore the subject for the SWOT analysis, is
for the manufacturer to create a new company of its own to distribute its
products direct to certain end-user sectors, which are not being covered or
developed by its normal distributors.
Subject of SWOT analysis example: the creation of own
distributor company to access new end-user sectors not currently being
developed.
End-user sales control and direction.
Right products, quality and reliability.
Superior product performance vs competitors.
Better product life and durability.
Spare manufacturing capacity.
Some staff have experience of end-user sector.
Have customer lists.
Direct delivery capability.
Product innovations ongoing.
Can serve from existing sites.
Products have required accreditations.
Processes and IT should cope.
Management is committed and confident.
weaknesses
Customer lists not tested.
Some gaps in range for certain sectors.
We would be a small player.
No direct marketing experience.
We cannot supply end-users abroad.
Need more sales people.
Limited budget.
No pilot or trial done yet.
Don't have a detailed plan yet.
Delivery-staff need training.
Customer service staff need training.
Processes and systems, etc
Management cover insufficient.
opportunities
Could develop new products.
Local competitors have poor products.
Profit margins will be good.
End-users respond to new ideas.
Could extend to overseas.
New specialist applications.
Can surprise competitors.
Support core business economies.
Could seek better supplier deals.
Legislation could impact.
Environmental effects would favour larger competitors.
Existing core business distribution risk.
Market demand very seasonal.
Retention of key staff critical.
Could distract from core business.
Possible negative publicity.
Vulnerable to reactive attack by major competitors.
See also the , which measures a business according to
Political, Economic, Social and Technological. It is often
helpful to complete a PEST analysis prior to competing a SWOT analysis.
See also .
more on the difference and relationship between PEST and SWOT
There is some overlap between PEST and SWOT. Similar factors appear
in each. That said, PEST and SWOT are certainly two different perspectives:
PEST tends to assess a market, including competitors, from the
standpoint of a particular proposition or a business.
SWOT in business and marketing tends to be an assessment of a
business or a proposition, whether it is your own business or (less commonly) a
competitor's business or proposition.
Strategic planning is not a precise science - no tool is mandatory -
it's a matter of pragmatic choice as to what helps best to identify and explain
the issues.
PEST analysis may useful before SWOT analysis where it helps to
identify SWOT factors. Alternatively PEST analysis may be incorporated within a
SWOT analysis, to achieve the same effect.
PEST becomes more useful and relevant the larger and more complex
the business or proposition, but even for a very small local businesses a PEST
analysis can still throw up one or two very significant issues that might
otherwise be missed.
The four quadrants in PEST vary in significance depending on the
type of business, for example, social factors are more obviously relevant to
consumer businesses or a B2B (business-to-business) organization close to the
consumer-end of the supply chain, whereas political factors are more obviously
relevant to a global munitions supplier or aerosol propellant manufacturer.
All businesses benefit from a SWOT analysis, and all businesses
benefit from completing a SWOT analysis of their main competitors, which
interestingly can then provide useful points back into the economic aspects of
the PEST analysis.
This remarkable piece of history as to the origins of SWOT analysis
was provided by , one of
the founding fathers of what we know today as SWOT analysis. I am indebted to
him for sharing this fascinating contribution. Albert Humphrey died on 31
October 2005. He was one of the good guys.
SWOT analysis came from the research conducted at Stanford Research
Institute from . The background to SWOT stemmed from the need to find
out why corporate planning failed. The research was funded by the fortune 500
companies to find out what could be done about this failure. The Research Team
were Marion Dosher, Dr Otis Benepe, Albert Humphrey, Robert Stewart, Birger
It all began with the corporate planning trend, which seemed to
appear first at Du Pont in 1949. By 1960 every Fortune 500 company had a
'corporate planning manager' (or equivalent) and 'associations of long range
corporate planners' had sprung up in both the USA and the UK.
However a unanimous opinion developed in all of these companies that
corporate planning in the shape of long range planning was not working, did not
pay off, and was an expensive investment in futility.
It was widely held that managing change and setting realistic
objectives which carry the conviction of those responsible was difficult and
often resulted in questionable compromises.
The fact remained, despite the corporate and long range planners,
that the one and only missing link was how to get the management team agreed
and committed to a comprehensive set of action programmes.
To create this link, starting in 1960, Robert F Stewart at SRI in
Menlo Park California lead a research team to discover what was going wrong
with corporate planning, and then to find some sort of solution, or to create a
system for enabling management teams agreed and committed to development work,
which today we call 'managing change'.
The research carried on from 1960 through
companies and
organizations were interviewed and a 250-item questionnaire was designed and
completed by over 5,000 executives. Seven key findings lead to the
conclusion that in corporations chief executive should be the chief planner and
that his immediate functional directors should be the planning team. Dr Otis
Benepe defined the 'Chain of Logic' which became the core of system designed to
fix the link for obtaining agreement and commitment.
Motivation
Monitor and repeat steps 1 2 and 3
We discovered that we could not change the values of the team nor
set the objectives for the team so we started as the first step by asking the
appraisal question, for example, what's good and bad about the operation. We
began the system by asking what is good and bad about the present and the
future. What is good in the present is Satisfactory, good in the future is an
O bad in the present is a Fault and bad in the future is a Threat.
This was called the SOFT analysis.
When this was presented to Urick and Orr* in 1964 at the Seminar in
Long Range Planning at the Dolder Grand in Zurich Switzerland they changed the
F to a W and called it SWOT Analysis.
SWOT was then promoted in Britain by Urick and Orr as an exercise in
and of itself. As such it has no benefit. What was necessary was the sorting of
the issues into the programme planning categories of:
Product (what are we selling?)
Process (how are we selling it?)
Customer (to whom are we selling it?)
Distribution (how does it reach them?)
Finance (what are the prices, costs and investments?)
Administration (and how do we manage all this?)
[*N.B. Albert Humphrey's
reference to 'Urick and Orr' is uncertain. Does this
instead really refer to the notable British management theorists/and for a time
consultancy partners Lyndall Urwick and John Leslie Orr? I don't know. If you do please tell me.]
The second step then becomes 'what shall the team do' about the
issues in each of these categories. The planning process was then designed
through trial and error and resulted finally in a 17 step process beginning
with SOFT/SWOT with each issue recorded separately on a single page called a
planning issue.
The first prototype was tested and published in 1966 based on the
work done at 'Erie Technological Corp' in Erie Pa. In 1970 the prototype was
brought to the UK, under the sponsorship of W H Smith & Sons plc, and
completed by 1973. The operational programme was used to merge the CWS milling
and baking operations with those of J W French Ltd.
The process has been used successfully ever since. By 2004, now,
this system has been fully developed, and proven to cope with today's problems
of setting and agreeing realistic annual objectives without depending on
outside consultants or expensive staff resources.
the seven key research
The key findings were never published because it was felt they were
too controversial. This is what was found:
1) A business was divided into two parts. The base business plus the
development business. This was re-discovered by Dr Peter Senge at MIT in 1998
and published in his book the Fifth Discipline (not '5th Dimension' as
previously stated here - thanks J Hoffman for this correction, 28 Jan 2011).
The amount of development business which become operational is equal to or
greater than that business on the books within a period of 5 to 7 years. This
was a major surprise and urged the need for discovering a better method for
planning and managing change.
2) Dr Hal Eyring published his findings on 'Distributive Justice'
and pointed out that all people measure what they get from their work and
divide it by what they give to the work and this ratio is compared to others.
If it is not equal then the person first re-perceives and secondly slows down
if added demands are not met. (See for interest Adams Equity Theory and the
3) The introduction of a corporate planner upset the sense of fair
play at senior level, making the job of the corporate planner impossible.
4) The gap between what could be done by the organisation and what
was actually done was about 35%.
5) The senior man will over-supervise the area he comes from.
Finance- Finance, Engineering-Engineering etc.
6) There are 3 factors which separate excellence from mediocrity:
a. Overt attention to purchasing
b. Short-term written down departmental plans for improvement
c. Continued education of the Senior Executive
7) Some form of formal documentation is required to obtain approval
for development work. In short we could not solve the problem by stopping
in conclusion
By sorting the SWOT issues into the 6 planning categories one can
obtain a system which presents a practical way of assimilating the internal and
external information about the business unit, delineating short and long term
priorities, and allowing an easy way to build the management team which can
achieve the objectives of profit growth.
This approach captures the collective agreement and commitment of
those who will ultimately have to do the work of meeting or exceeding the
objectives finally set. It permits the team leader to define and develop
co-ordinated, goal-directed actions, which underpin the overall agreed
objectives between levels of the business hierarchy.
Albert S Humphrey August 2004
translating SWOT issues into actions under the six categories
Albert Humphrey advocated that the six categories:
Product (what are we selling?)
Process (how are we selling it?)
Customer (to whom are we selling it?)
Distribution (how does it reach them?)
Finance (what are the prices, costs and investments?)
Administration (and how do we manage all this?)
provide a framework by which SWOT issues can be developed into
actions and managed using teams.
This can be something of a 'leap', and so the stage warrants further
explanation. Translating the SWOT issues into actions, are best sorted into (or
if necessary broken down into) the six categories, because in the context of
the way that business and organizations work, this makes them more quantifiable
and measurable, responsible teams more accountable, and therefore the
activities more manageable. The other pivotal part in the process is of course
achieving the commitment from the team(s) involved, which is partly explained
in the item summarising Humphrey's TAM& model and
As far as identifying actions from SWOT issues is concerned, it all
very much depends on your reasons and aims for using SWOT, and also your
authority/ability to manage others, whom by implication of SWOT's breadth and
depth, are likely to be involved in the agreement and delivery of actions.
Depending on pretext and situation, a SWOT analysis can produce
issues which very readily translate into (one of the six) category actions, or
a SWOT analysis can produce issues which overlay a number of categories. Or a
mixture. Whatever, SWOT essentially tells you what is good and bad about a
business or a particular proposition. If it's a business, and the aim is to
improve it, then work on translating:
strengths (maintain, build and leverage),
opportunities (prioritise and optimise), weaknesses (remedy
or exit), threats (counter)
into actions (each within one of the six categories) that can be
agreed and owned by a team or number of teams.
If the SWOT analysis is being used to assess a proposition, then it
could be that the analysis shows that the proposition is too weak (especially
if compared with other SWOT's for alternative propositions) to warrant further
investment, in which case further action planning, other than exit, is not
If the proposition is clearly strong (presumably you will have
indicated this using other methods as well), then proceed as for a business,
and translate issues into category actions with suitable ownership by team(s).
This is my understanding of Albert Humphrey's theory relating to
developing SWOT issues into organizational change actions and accountabilities.
(I'm pleased to say that Albert kindly confirmed that this is indeed
There are other ways of applying SWOT of course, depending on your
circumstances and aims, for instance if concentrating on a department rather
than a whole business, then it could make sense to revise the six categories to
reflect the functional parts of the department, or whatever will enable the
issues to be translatable into manageable, accountable and owned aims.
Here is a , developed and used to speed up the process of initiating and
controlling organizational change.
- as Albert Humphrey would have agreed: these systems are fuelled
and enabled by bringing love and humanity to work. A system works best on a
compassionate foundation, so make sure you build one.
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