Strategic analysis. Methods of strategic analysis

The means of transforming the data obtained during the environmental analysis process into the organization's strategy plan is strategic analysis. Its tools are quantitative methods, formal models and the study of the specifics of a given organization. Typically, strategic analysis goes through two stages - comparative, when the gap between the organization's targets and real opportunities is analyzed, and identifying strategic alternatives, when possible options for the development of a given organization are analyzed. This is followed by the final stage of strategy development, choosing the most suitable option and preparing a strategic plan.

First method of analysis

Gap analysis is quite simple and is an effective method in management when performing the first stage of strategic analysis. Its purpose is to determine the gap between the organization’s desires and its capabilities, and if such a gap exists, it is necessary to search for the most effective way to fill it. Strategic analysis requires a certain algorithm when studying such a gap.

First you need to identify the main interest of the company, which is expressed in terms of strategic planning. Increased sales, for example. Next, real opportunities are clarified, a strategic analysis of the environment is carried out, and the future state of the organization is projected, for example, in five years. It is necessary to determine specific indicators in the strategic plan that would correspond to the main interests of the company. Then the difference is established between the identified indicators and the possibilities dictated by the real state of affairs. And finally, special programs are being developed that contain ways to fill this gap.

Second method of analysis

The second way to conduct a gap analysis involves determining the difference between extremely modest forecasts and the highest expectations. If, for example, management expects a twenty percent real rate of turnover on its invested capital, and research shows that the real figure is a maximum of fifteen percent, then a detailed discussion of the search for funds and the necessary measures to fill this gap of five percent is necessary.

You can fill it out in different ways. This could be an increase in productivity until the desired twenty percent is achieved, or a renunciation of ambitions and satisfaction with fifteen. That last one is definitely a joke. But in any case, a strategic analysis of the organization will certainly force you to find the right way to fill the existing gap between what you want and your own capabilities.

Classic model

One of the most effective models of strategic analysis of an organization appeared back in 1926, when the dynamics of costs were already being studied and the experience curve was emerging. This method links the definition of strategy and achieving advantage through minimal costs. How were costs reduced if production volume increased? This was due to a number of specific factors. An in-depth internal strategic analysis of each of them was carried out. First of all, costs were reduced due to the expansion of production, during which new technologies almost always appear that provide such an advantage. In parallel, the choice of the most effective way to organize production and training of personnel with the transfer of such experience. In this way, the organization achieves economies of scale.

The experience curve is mainly used in the field of material production. Accordingly, the purpose of strategic analysis is to identify the main direction of the organization's strategy. Usually this is to capture as much market share as possible, because only the largest competitors have the opportunity to achieve the lowest costs, and therefore the highest profits. But the reduction in costs may not be associated strictly with an increase in production. It is much more important to have high-tech equipment that is designed for absolutely any production scale, including very small ones. Today, for example, modular equipment or computerization has penetrated literally everywhere, and this cannot but ensure high productivity. The main thing is to have the ability to maneuver, to quickly adapt in order to solve the most diverse and most specific problems. This model, naturally, has had its shortcomings over time. The main one is the one that takes into account only a single internal problem of the organization, and a strategic analysis of the external environment is not carried out at all (that is, the needs of customers are ignored, for example).

Market and life cycle

Strategic planning and strategic analysis cannot do without an analysis of market dynamics, for which it is necessary to apply a well-known model that, by analogy with the life cycle of a biological creature, repeats the life cycle of any product. In the market, a product also passes through major stages, each of which has its own level of sales and many characteristic marketing features. For example, a new baby product is born and goes straight into life, that is, into the market, where at first no big achievements are expected from it, that is, sales will be small, and manufacturers will focus only on growth.

This stage may drag on, but if the baby is healthy and the products are of high quality, he will grow up quickly and sales will increase. The second stage is the growth stage, which requires a different strategy. Next comes maturity: the strategy focuses on stability, since sales are stable. And finally, old age. The market is saturated with this product, decline sets in, sales decline, and therefore a reduction strategy is developed. The purpose of this model is to determine the correct strategy in business, tracking the path of products on the market step by step. There are a huge number of modifications of such life cycles, it all depends on the type of product. But modern strategic analysis cannot be firmly tied to the life cycle model.

Products and market

In 1975, the prominent economist Steiner proposed a new model, which is a kind of matrix with a classification of markets, as well as products of existing, new, related to existing, and completely new. This matrix can show different levels of risk and likelihood of successful production and benefit, considering a variety of market and product combinations. This model is still used to carry out strategic management analysis to determine the likelihood of success of an activity at the very beginning, when choosing a type of business, without losing the opportunity to see the ratio of investments for different units. All this means that it is possible to form an organization’s securities portfolio quite accurately.

The development of strategic analysis occurs during the formation of portfolio models, since it is then that it becomes possible to predict both the present and future of a new business, to consider the attractiveness of the market and the ability of new products to compete in it. The first classic portfolio model came from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). With its help, the main positions of the new business were determined. There are four of them:

1. The business is highly competitive, created for a fast-growing market. The position is ideal - "star".

2. The business is also highly competitive, but created for markets that are already mature and saturated, even subject to stagnation. This is an excellent source of cash for the organization, what is called a “cash cow”, “money bag”.

3. A business without a good position in the competition, but operating in a promising market. This is not yet a very well defined future, with a question mark.

4. A business with a weak competitive position in a stagnant market. They are the outcasts of the business world.

Using the Boston Model

The BCG model is used to determine interrelated conclusions about the positions of a business, about each of its business units within the organization and, of course, about strategic prospects. Using this matrix, the organization's management forms a portfolio, since combinations of all capital investments in different industries and business units are determined. What else is good about this model: the BCG matrix offers various options for strategies. With an increase in market share and business growth, the “question mark” easily turns into a “star”, and following the “cash cow” strategy, that is, maintaining market share, the business will also retain income, which is important for financial innovation and solving the problems facing every growing type of business.

The third option is the so-called “harvest”, when the business receives a short-term share of the maximum profit, even if it reduces its market share. This is not a strategy for strong businesses. This is how old “bugs” and “question marks” work, which did not manage to become an exclamation. If the opportunities to invest in a difficult business dry up, and the position still does not improve, there is a strategy for this case. The business is liquidated, and the funds received are used in other industries.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of the BCG model are, firstly, that it can be used to analyze the relationships between all business units that are part of an organization, pursuing long-term goals. Secondly, this model is able to analyze the various stages of development of the business as a whole and each of its business units. And the most important advantage: the model is simple and easy to understand, but nevertheless offers an excellent approach to assembling a business portfolio (that is, an organization's securities).

There are two disadvantages. The first is that with the help of this model, business opportunities are not always assessed accurately, and not all opportunities are calculated. They may advise leaving the market when not all internal and external changes have yet been completed, and the position of the business could still very well improve and even move towards a successful one. For example, a certain farmer in the seventies barely became fashionable for organic products, and his business could have become a “cash cow”, but it was too late, he was sold, since the BCG model did not foresee this possibility. The second drawback is an excessive focus on cash flows (cash), which are almost always supported by investments; this path is much more effective. Focusing on ultra-fast growth is also not so good, because it does not see the possibilities of using new and more effective management methods to improve the business.

Multifactor matrix

This is a more complex version of the portfolio model, which was developed by McKinsey & Company, a well-known international consulting company operating even in Russia. This matrix was ordered by General Electric Corporation. Compared to a simple portfolio model, a multifactor matrix has many advantages and no less significant disadvantages.

First of all, this is taking into account the largest number of factors in both the external and internal environment of the organization. But, using this model, it is also impossible to completely protect the analysis from erroneous conclusions. This is probably why there are no specific behavioral recommendations for activities in a particular market. A subjective or distorted assessment of a business’s position in the market is also possible.

Purpose of strategic analysis

The main goal is to assess the greatest impacts on the current and future position of the analyzed organization, but it is equally important to determine the specific impact on strategic choices. Based on the identified goals of the organization, the main tasks facing the organization are determined, which will help present indicators for strategic planning (moreover, completely regardless of the nature of these indicators - financial or not).

This means that the first step of strategic analysis will be to determine the following components: the main goal, main tasks, expectations and authoritative relationships within the organization. Against the background of the goal and main objectives, it is much easier to formulate strategies and all the criteria by which they will have to be evaluated. The goal is the whole meaning of the existence of a business and the nature of the organization’s activities. The main objectives are set and long-term, so that this goal is achieved.

External environment and internal

This is the second component of strategic analysis - where the organization exists, and all elements of the external environment - economic, social, technological, political - should be examined. Since the external environment is constantly moving and forced to undergo significant changes, the organization will have to solve critical strategic problems as they arise. There is a micro and macro environment, and they are interconnected. Microenvironment - immediate surroundings. It is necessary to analyze the competitive structure of the industry in which this organization operated, as well as the parameters for the development of this industry. The macroenvironment offers for analysis macroeconomic, social, legal, technological, and international factors that directly affect a given organization.

The third component of strategic analysis is the internal environment of the organization. Here the quality and completeness of the resources managed by the organization are determined, taking into account the key disadvantages and advantages of a given business. Internal strategic analysis reveals the overall picture of the constraints and impacts that are imposed on strategic choices, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, defining expectations and opportunities to influence the planning process.

Strategic Analysis

Introduction

2.1 External analysis

2.2 Internal analysis

3.1 SWOT- analysis

3.2 MatrixBCG

3.3 Porter method

3.4 GAP - analysis

3.5 STEP - analysis

Bibliography

Introduction

1. Goals and objectives of strategic analysis

There are different points of view on the main goal pursued by strategic analysis. But, of course, all these views are of a related nature, and they differ from each other only in a certain emphasis on certain areas. Most generally, it can be stated that the main goal of strategic analysis is to develop an understanding of the key factors that influence the present and future well-being of a business and ultimately determine the choice of strategy. Simply put, the search for factors of strategic success of the company. This setting is the essence of strategic analysis; it, in fact, acts as a fundamental methodological setting of strategic analysis.

In the course of the study, strategic analysis faces several tasks that are of a more applied nature. The analysis touches on the most significant aspects of the company's life. Thus, the tasks of strategic analysis can be divided into groups that concentrate around key problems.

When conducting a strategic analysis, the internal and external environment of the company is studied.

The company that the researcher “subjects” to strategic analysis is considered by him as a phenomenon of a dual nature. Firstly, the company is conceived as a kind of closed system with individual, distinctive features: it has its own structure, its own potential, a certain limited amount of specific resources, and some financial indicators. In this case, strategic analysis operates with the sphere "internal environment" companies. With this approach, the main result should be an understanding of the organization of management and planning processes within the company, and the general mechanisms of its (the company’s) existence.

Secondly, in strategic analysis, a company is understood as an integral element of a macrosystem (cluster, regional, national or global market) - here the nature of its industry connections, macroeconomic indicators of the location in which the company is located, the structure and state of markets, the business environment, etc. p. That is, we are touching upon the sphere "external environment" life of the company. It is important for us to understand the conditions in which the company has to operate, and how its relationships with this environment, partners, suppliers and competitors are established. At the same time, strategic analysis should be aimed primarily at identifying aspects of the macrosystem that are significant for a particular business. Thus, a manufacturer of women's clothing is unlikely to be interested in material about trends in changes in ratios in the state's defense order. Priority areas of research should be implied a priori, that is, they should be identified even before the start of strategic analysis - on the basis of common entrepreneurial sense and basic economic literacy and understanding of business.

Components of strategic analysis (SOB - strategic business area)

2.1 External analysis

External analysis includes analysis of customers, competition, market and uncertainties.

Components of external analysis

After the segmentation has been carried out and we understand what business processes we should work with, we can begin external strategic analysis. It should begin with an analysis of consumers, since ultimately it is the behavior of consumers that determines the success of the business as a whole - consumers “vote with their rubles” for certain products or services, purchase them, recommend them to friends and acquaintances, sometimes directly participating in distribution of goods (as, for example, happens with clients of some perfume companies that distribute products through catalogues).

In order to determine how to behave with consumers, in a strategic external analysis we have to find out who the largest consumers are. Should we focus on retail or work on the b2b principle. Let us note that the largest consumers are not always the most profitable (which is clearly seen in the example of banks, whose mass private clients make up a small fraction of the total profit). Therefore, it is also very important for us to understand who the company’s most profitable customers are.

But we are not satisfied simply with the state of the market at the moment. For any businessman looking forward, identifying the most promising clients seems fundamental. This will allow us to reassess the attitude towards this category of consumers now and make appropriate organizational and technological decisions.

It should be separately noted that in the course of studying the mass of consumers, it would be logical to identify specific groups within them that differ from each other according to a certain set of characteristics, except for direct participation in the purchase of goods (i.e., the scale of spending). To segment them in general, criteria such as product characteristics, type of organization, customer loyalty, geographic location, price sensitivity, and product usage can be used.

Consumer motivation falls into two opposing scales: satisfied and unsatisfied needs.

In the set of satisfied needs, it is necessary to separately study which elements of the product are rated by the consumer as the most significant; what are the true goals of consumers, why do they buy this product or service; how can they be segmented in even more detail, taking into account an in-depth study of motivational priorities; which pushes consumers to change priorities in evaluating the product and its consumption.

It is logical that studying customer dissatisfaction is even more important. Here we need to understand why consumers were dissatisfied. To do this, it is necessary to find out the reasons for consumers’ refusal of a product or service, how the consumer’s decision was influenced by various incidents in the relationship with the supplier of the product or service, and why these incidents became possible. Consumers can identify some of their unmet needs on their own; alas, they cannot identify others. We need to try to distinguish between these two types of needs.

Finally, we must understand what needs become the turning point for these consumers. The result of studying consumers should be a structured understanding of the principles and goals of their behavior; we must learn to anticipate the desires of consumers and be able to “play” with their interests.

The saturation of the competitive environment and the behavior of the main competitors is always one of the most important factors determining the success of a particular business. Often, it is the conditions of competition, and not the desires and choices of consumers, that force entrepreneurs to take certain measures, often very unpopular.

First of all, we must understand who the main competitors of the SOB are in this market as a whole. Here it is important for us to determine who is, in principle, able to compete with this product or service. Thus, for air carriers, competitors are not only the same airlines, but also various types of land and water transport or pipelines, if we are talking exclusively about cargo. It is necessary to anticipate who could potentially enter a given market and has such plans. For example, Microsoft Corporation entered the market with its unique product as something of a shock for game console market participants. This decision by the management of the American company greatly influenced the structure of the business as a whole, and forced many Japanese companies to look for new competitive advantages in the fight for consumers.

But it is important, of course, to study the history of the business itself. We must be aware of who we are usually competing against, who is a weak but potentially dangerous player, who is ready to enter the market with a substitute product. Understanding these factors makes it possible to anticipate market dangers and take proactive precautions. For example, the short-sightedness of American steel producers regarding competition with aluminum led the industry to a deep crisis. But it was possible to understand the dangerous trend even when aluminum began to take over the beverage packaging market from steel. We should try to segment competitors, see which of them can be grouped into strategic groups based on their assets, competencies, methodology, markets, strategies, etc.

We also need to understand what new competitors the company may have, what are the current barriers to entry into the industry, and how to build our own strategy regarding new players. There are many options for behavior here - from creating additional difficulties when entering a business (through cartel agreement with existing players or for objective reasons) to setting up active cooperation with startups.

When assessing competitors, we focus on a set of indicators such as:

Goals and strategies Cost structure and benefits according to this structure Image and positioning Strengths and weaknesses “Tricks” (innovation, management, our strategic weaknesses) Efficiency in terms of competencies and use of assets Success of the business as a whole

Of course, the most important stage in conducting an analysis of the external environment is the analysis of the market in which the company is present or which it is about to enter. Market analysis, in fact, will help determine the conditions under which you will have to play in the future. As they say: “You don’t go to someone else’s monastery with your own rules.” On the other hand, over time, the company itself may begin to dictate terms to the market, as happened, for example, with the already mentioned Microsoft.

At the same time, we must begin our market analysis by studying the general state of the industry that interests us. This approach will allow us to understand at what stage of value migration a given product is located, which business models are currently considered the most successful and efficient.

We must identify the main macroeconomic indicators of the industry and market in order to understand the main trend of its development. Explore the competitive environment, in which Porter’s concept of “competitive environment” will greatly help us.

Harvard Business School professor Porter suggests that the level and type of competition is influenced by several interrelated factors. Firstly, this is the power of the buyer, which lies in the fact that it is the buyer who makes the final decision on choosing a particular product. Buyers, to the extent of their sophistication and awareness, can create various consumer unions that will control the quality of products, etc.

Secondly, this is the power of suppliers, who determine the speed of creation of the final product, influence the company’s costs and constitute an important competitive advantage for each of their market players. The developed infrastructure of suppliers allows us to organize highly efficient production. Often, it is to maintain connections with suppliers that large businesses or regional authorities resort to cluster initiatives. Industrial clustering has become an influential tool for attracting automotive component manufacturers to the region for Eastern European countries.

Thirdly, there is a threat of new competitors appearing on the market, associated with the activity of young entrepreneurs or the reorientation of players from previous markets to new ones. Depending on the barrier to entry into an industry, new entrants may cause more or less damage to incumbents.

Fourthly, substitutes or substitutes pose a great threat to the industry. The emergence of less expensive or better quality substitutes often sweeps away industry orthodoxies. Such shocks at one time were the invention of plastic or the beginning of industrial production of rubber.

We can also use STEEPG analysis when analyzing the market. Consider the competitive positions of the main manufacturers, alliances and associations. After which we should conduct a detailed analysis of our potential competitors and find out the key factors for their success in this market.

Particular attention should be paid to the threats and opportunities of the market, both those that are quite obvious and those that are at first glance hidden from view. For example, oil producers were shocked by the invention of energy-saving production and methods of long-term storage of energy resources after the oil crisis of the 70s. However, even now they are repeating previous mistakes, losing sight of the fact that the intensive development of alternative energy consumption technologies can darken their cloudless future. The analysis of the industry should be completed with conclusions about its overall attractiveness and future development prospects.

So, market analysis consists of identifying its characteristics such as:

Current size and growth Profitability of the business Cost structure Distribution system Key market trends Forecast of market conditions in the short, medium and long term Key factors for success in the market

Also, although it seems very difficult and costly in organizational and time terms, we should analyze unforeseen bursts of activity in our field of activity. In very general terms, this analysis will allow us to prepare in advance to take adequate measures against possible sources of danger. Such sources for a business can be:

Technology (for example, the emergence of new technologies from competitors) Power (for example, the decision to nationalize certain industries) Economy (for example, global economic stresses) Culture (for example, the inability to sell a product in a certain cultural location) Demographics (for example, changes in the age structure of consumers)

After we have identified the most significant trends, threats and opportunities, we can begin to write probable scenarios for the development of circumstances. As a rule, scenarios are written either for a specific event (for example, the emergence of a new substitute product), or according to the “favorable” - “probable” - “negative” format.

2.2 Internal analysis

In fact, the analysis of the internal environment of an enterprise differs little from the principles used in the analysis of the external environment. But at this stage of internal analysis, the company itself becomes the object of research. In this case, all areas of the enterprise are considered:

organization and management; production; marketing; accounting and finance; personnel Management.

The purpose of internal analysis is to identify the strategic situation within the enterprise, characterizing the current state of the business and the use of various resources.

The main purpose of financial analysis is to study key financial parameters and ratios. It is aimed at providing an objective picture of the financial condition of the company: profits and losses, settlements with creditors, liquidity, stability, etc. That is, financial analysis of an enterprise is a certain method of understanding the financial mechanism of the company, the processes of formation and use of financial resources for its operational and investment activities. The result of financial analysis is an assessment of the financial well-being of the company, the rate of turnover of all capital, and the profitability of the funds used.

Financial analysis, as part of strategic analysis, in addition to describing the current state, touches on the sphere of historical perspective. Simply put, one of the tasks of financial analysis is to study the dynamics of changes in the economic parameters of a company.

Financial analysis is the simplest from the point of view of implementation, as it deals with statistical indicators of the company's activities. Therefore, it is logical that the initial basis for financial analysis is accounting and reporting data. The main method of analyzing financial statements is the deductive method, that is, the transition from the general to the specific. In the course of such an analysis, the historical and logical sequence of economic facts and events, the direction and strength of their influence on the results of operations should be reproduced.

There are 6 main methods for analyzing financial data:

Horizontal analysis vertical analysis trend analysis comparative analysis method of financial ratios factor analysis

Principle horizontal analysis(sometimes called temporary) is simple, it consists of comparing each reporting item with similar indicators of the previous period. Essence vertical analysis(or structural) is the determination of the structure of the final financial indicators with the determination of the impact of each reporting item on the result as a whole.

Trend analysis- this is a comparison of each reporting item with a number of previous periods and determination of the trend, that is, the main trend in the dynamics of the indicator, cleared of random influences and individual characteristics of individual periods. With the help of a trend, possible values ​​of indicators in the future are formed, and, therefore, a promising, predictive analysis is carried out.

Comparative analysis(spatial) is an analysis of summary reporting indicators for individual indicators of the company, its subsidiaries, divisions, and workshops. But comparative analysis can also be of an external nature, that is, an analysis of the indicators of a given company with the indicators of competitors, with industry averages and average general economic data.

Financial ratio method(method of relative indicators) is widely used in the practice of financial analysis. It consists of calculating numerical ratios of various reporting forms and determining the relationships between individual reporting indicators. Relative indicators (coefficients) are divided into two types: distribution coefficients and coordination coefficients. Distribution coefficients are used in cases where it is necessary to determine what part a particular absolute indicator makes up of the total of the group of absolute indicators that includes it. Distribution ratios and their changes during the reporting period play an important role in the preliminary study of the company's financial condition. Coordination coefficients are used to express the relationships between essentially different absolute indicators of financial condition that have different economic meanings.

Base factor analysis are relative indicators (ratios) obtained by applying the method of financial ratios. Factor analysis consists of analyzing the influence of individual factors on a performance indicator. Factor analysis can be direct, that is, breaking up an effective indicator into its component parts, and reverse, when individual elements are combined into a common effective indicator.

The concept of competitiveness is key in the activities of any company. It is widespread and used in almost all scientific disciplines related to business in one way or another. However, the concept of competitiveness does not have a generally accepted definition when its content as a whole is formed. There are two traditions of understanding competitiveness; they differ only in the subject of competition. The first takes the product and the activities accompanying its implementation as the subject, that is, the competitiveness of a company is nothing more than the sum of the competitiveness of its elements. Another tradition considers a company as a subject of competition, therefore the concept of “competitiveness of a company” has the character of a targeted solution to the problem of selling a product in a specific situation, that is, the competitiveness of a company is the ability to be better than other participants in a particular market in terms of certain performance indicators during a certain period.

Actually, we see two sides of competitiveness: orientation towards the internal environment of the company, and orientation towards the external environment. But at this stage of strategic analysis, we are exclusively interested in the internal environment of the company. Actually, the analysis is aimed at identifying those unique properties of the company that allow it and will allow it, with their development, to ensure business success and long-term competitiveness in each of the strategic areas of business in the future. In fact, these properties are the key success factors. Now we see that at the stage of internal analysis, the analysis of competitiveness is equal to the analysis of key success factors. It should be noted that success in competition is possible only with a combination of these two components of competitiveness.

So, let's look at the most common groups of key success factors.

Value chain analysis is one of the most effective tools for analyzing the mechanism of utility and cost differentiation, as well as identifying the relationship between them. This analysis shows the contribution of each activity to solving the company's main objectives. Value chain analysis provides direction for industry efforts to increase customer satisfaction without incurring additional costs.

The company's activities are divided into:

Primary activities (purchasing, commoditization, distribution, marketing, sales and service) Supporting activities (These are aimed at supporting core activities. They include: general management and infrastructure, ensuring timely procurement; technology and process development; selection, creation and personnel management; planning and finance).

To form a company's competitive advantages, a comparative analysis of the entire value chain and the value chains of competitors is carried out. Based on the results of the analysis, the possibility of determining costs by eliminating activities that did not participate in creating value is established. It should be noted that any element of the value chain can become a source of competitive advantage.

The analysis process reveals which stages of value creation account for the largest share of total costs. Reducing costs at key stages of value creation means creating a strong competitive advantage, regardless of whether it is aimed at reducing prices or strengthening the image.

The main purpose of value chain analysis is to focus on the business processes that create value and outsource the remaining business processes.

Value chain analysis results

3. Strategic analysis tools

The key factor for the success of each specific analysis is the correct selection of tools for its implementation. Tools make up the body of analysis; they allow us to practically study phenomena that interest us and obtain appropriate results.

Of course, for each company the set of tools will be different, because it directly depends on the tasks assigned to analysts. However, there is a list of the most popular and reputable tools that are suitable for use in most cases. These include: benchmarking, SWOT analysis, STEP analysis, BCG matrix, McKinsey matrix, value chain study, life cycle, Porter’s method and others. We will try to briefly talk about the most interesting of them here.

One of the models for the relationship between types of strategic analysis (SWOT analysis: practice and problems of application.//Improving institutional mechanisms in industry. - Novosibirsk, 2005).

3.1 SWOT- analysis

This type of analysis is aimed at a cumulative study of both internal factors in constructing a certain model of business processes (the company’s weaknesses and strengths) and the study of external factors: threats to business and opportunities provided by the macroenvironment.

In general, SWOT analysis helps to understand:

Is the company using its differentiating advantages to compete, and if not yet, what strengths of the company can become its differentiating advantages in the market? Are the company's weaknesses its vulnerabilities, and are there opportunities for improvement? What opportunities give a company a chance to succeed by leveraging its skills and access to resources? What threats should management be most concerned about, and what strategic actions should they take?

We will also mention typical barriers that prevent managers from using this technique in the process of strategic analysis and which indicate a poor understanding of the essence of SWOT analysis. There are three main barriers to the competent and effective use of this technology:

Methodological – associated with the methodology for conducting SWOT analysis and summarizing its results. Informational – due to the difficulties of information support for this technology. Managerial – determined by the possibilities and limitations of using the results of SWOT analysis in the strategic process.

3.2 MatrixBCG

Following this logic, all the company’s products can be placed on a plane. The diameter of a circle is a cost expression for the volume of production of a particular product.

Profits received from the exploitation of “cash cows” should be used to finance the development of potentially profitable, but unprofitable due to small volumes of output, “question marks”, in order to grow them into the “stars” of tomorrow. “Dogs” must be put to sleep immediately.

Following this rational system, the company learns to finance itself. This approach is particularly attractive to corporate planners because it allows for exposure to the capital market. In reality, the “dogs” eat up all the company’s money, the “question marks” receive valuable instructions instead of funding, and the “cows” are exhausted only to find themselves spent “dry” (it is clear that all motivation is with the project managers “cows” is reduced to zero).

Analysis using the BCG matrix allows us to answer the question: is it worth keeping such a number of heterogeneous products and capacities in one company? Isn’t it more logical to separate the “cows” into mature, established enterprises, financed mainly by debt, and the “question marks” into innovative startups with a predominance of equity capital? The subtlety is that when the company's management begins to independently distribute resources between divisions, it inevitably makes mistakes.

Thus, in the late eighties, the Stern Stewart company conducted a study of the practice of financial restructuring of American companies, which revealed that the division of “cows” and “question marks” increases the total market value of the divided companies. F. Lichtenberg, a professor at the Columbia University Business School, came to similar conclusions.

Let us immediately warn you about other difficulties associated with the BCG matrix. First, we make the assumption that market share is directly correlated with profit. This is especially true for high-tech and cost-intensive production. Secondly, the use of the BCG matrix is ​​suitable for planning activities of business units rather than products. Thirdly, the BCG matrix assumes that departments work within the same company in close cooperation, and this is not always true. Sometimes it is very difficult to “make” departments work together: due to territorial disunity, different management methods or technological differences. And finally, fourthly, this matrix still leads to a noticeable simplification of business processes. For example, the absence of “dogs” in the list of products may scare off some customers, etc.

In general, the use of any strategic analysis tool is best complemented by the use of similar tools and proceeded very carefully.

3.3 Porter method

This method consists of identifying six main forces affecting business.

Note that initially Porter’s concept did not include the 6th force. At the moment, it includes a variety of influencing factors. For example, for Intel, Microsoft is such a de facto force.

3.4 GAP - analysis

3.5 STEP - analysis

4. Results of strategic analysis

Bibliography

1. G. Mintzberg, B. Ahlstrand, D. Lampel. Schools of strategy. St. Petersburg, “Peter”, 2001

2. M. Porter. Competitive strategy. M., Alpina Business Books, 2005

3. K. Stern, J. Stock Jr. Strategies that work. M., "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber", 2005

Great strategies begin with analysis and knowledge of simple truths

Lesson plan.

Essence, goals and stages of strategic analysis

External environment and its components. Methods of responding to changes in the external environment

Methods for analyzing the external environment.

Essence, goals and stages of strategic analysis

Strategic analysis occupies a key place in the company's development process. A well-conducted strategic analysis becomes a significant competitive advantage for a company, since it provides it with highly relevant and useful information, for example, regarding the situation in the industry. An essential quality of strategic analysis is its long-term perspective. Strategic analysis allows us to look into the future of a company through its present and past. Thus, he reveals to our eyes the underlying reasons that give rise to the company’s failures, or points to promising directions for its growth. Simply put, it is on the basis of information obtained through strategic analysis that a rational choice of strategy should occur from a possible set of alternatives. So, strategic analysis will answer the following questions:

What is the company's level of competitiveness today? What are the company's most important problems? What are the macroeconomic trends and their impact on the future of the company? What are the trends in the market in which the company operates and their impact on the future of the company? What are the opportunities for the company's growth, taking into account the trends in the development of the external environment? What restrictions and risks are obstacles to the development of the company, and what is the likelihood of its successful development, taking into account the existing prerequisites and trends in the field? What strategic goals of the company can be formed taking into account various development scenarios? What strategic goals and ways to achieve them are possible? What should the company structure be?

Goals and objectives of strategic analysis

There are different points of view on the main goal pursued by strategic analysis. But, of course, all these views are of a related nature, and they differ from each other only in a certain emphasis on certain areas. Most generally, it can be stated that the main goal of strategic analysis is to develop an understanding of the key factors that influence the present and future well-being of a business and ultimately determine the choice of strategy. Simply put, the search for factors of strategic success of the company. This setting is the essence of strategic analysis; it, in fact, acts as a fundamental methodological setting of strategic analysis. In the course of the study, strategic analysis faces several tasks that are of a more applied nature. The analysis touches on the most significant aspects of the company's life. Thus, the tasks of strategic analysis can be divided into groups that concentrate around key problems.

Main tasks of strategic analysis

Of course, one of the main tasks of strategic analysis is to determine the level of competitiveness of the company. When performing this task, it is very important to form a comprehensive understanding of the competitive advantages the company has today. Also, strategic analysis should identify the problems that the company faces and establish the reasons for their occurrence. In addition, it is necessary to create a hierarchy of problems, that is, to identify the most pressing ones. Thereby predetermining the algorithm for their resolution. The task of strategic analysis is to conduct a comprehensive audit of the company’s internal resources, form a clear idea of ​​the company’s personnel potential, describe the company’s structure and ways of transforming it. No less important is the block of tasks related to the analysis of the external environment. Among them, the most important tasks that should be highlighted are: identifying macroeconomic trends and their likely impact on the future of the company. It is necessary to establish development trends in the industry in which the company operates. Taking into account the above trends, calculate the conditions and prerequisites necessary for the growth of the company. A specific task of strategic analysis is forecasting. In essence, this is a modeling of the future of the company, using current trends and environmental conditions in which the company is located. Completing this task helps, in part, to develop an understanding of the company's current strategic platform.

When conducting a strategic analysis, the internal and external environment of the company is studied. The company that the researcher “subjects” to strategic analysis is considered by him as a phenomenon of a dual nature. Firstly, the company is conceived as a kind of closed system with individual, distinctive features: it has its own structure, its own potential, a certain limited amount of specific resources, and some financial indicators. In this case, strategic analysis operates with the sphere "internal environment" companies. With this approach, the main result should be an understanding of the organization of management and planning processes within the company, and the general mechanisms of its (the company’s) existence. Secondly, in strategic analysis, a company is understood as an integral element of a macrosystem (cluster, regional, national or global market) - here the nature of its industry connections, macroeconomic indicators of the location in which the company is located, the structure and state of markets, the business environment, etc. p. That is, we are touching upon the sphere "external environment" life of the company. It is important for us to understand the conditions in which the company has to operate, and how its relationships with this environment, partners, suppliers and competitors are established. At the same time, strategic analysis should be aimed primarily at identifying aspects of the macrosystem that are significant for a particular business. Thus, a manufacturer of women's clothing is unlikely to be interested in material about trends in changes in ratios in the state's defense order. Priority areas of research should be implied a priori, that is, they should be identified even before the start of strategic analysis - on the basis of common entrepreneurial sense and basic economic literacy and understanding of business.

There are 4 stages of strategic analysis.

The first two stages of strategic analysis are identifying the mission and goals, the next three are studying the company’s environment. Here practitioners face methodological difficulties. A number of books that have the nature of textbooks on strategic management suggest analyzing first the external environment, then the internal one in two stages.

Tools. Each stage of strategic analysis requires appropriate methodological support.

Legend: ZhCIzd, ZhCTov, ZhCTekh, ZhTsOrg, ZhTsOtr - diagrams of the life cycles of products, goods, technologies, organizations, industries. BFR - Business processes of products - Functions by life cycle stages - Resources for performing functions. SHC - identification of strategic economic centers (Business units, Strategic production units). Porter's graph of profitability versus firm's relative market share. Analysis of the “field of forces” according to Ansoff. STEP-analysis (STEP) - analysis of the spheres of the macroenvironment: Social, Technical, Economic, Political. Ansoff's strategic zones: structuring the microenvironment of a company, its industry, its immediate environment into strategic zones of management (SZH), resources (SZR), capital investments (SZK), technologies (NWT), strategic influence groups (SGV). BCG - Boston Consulting Group. DEMK matrix - General Electric - McKinsey matrix ("competitive status of the company - market attractiveness." KP - competitive advantages.

Technology of strategic analysis on first stage includes the development of mission and goals, assessment of the potential, climate (conditions), position and competitive advantage of the company.

Second stage consists of preparing alternative and a catalog of basic (reference) strategies, as well as selecting and adopting a preferred goal (usually a combination of different types and levels of tasks).

Third stage provides organizational measures for the implementation of the chosen strategy: development of a project and plan, restructuring, control (monitoring) of the analytical process, implementation of decisions.

External environment, its components, types. Methods of responding to changes in the external environment.

When choosing a company's strategy, the most significant characteristics of the company, external and internal conditions of its development are analyzed. In a market economy, much attention should be paid to assessing the external environment. Environment is a collection of all objects whose properties change affects the system.

The external environment is divided into business (operational) And background (general).

Business represents the company's direct contacts (for example, supplier A, seller B, etc.). The business environment can be directly influenced.

On background environment The company cannot have a direct impact, but must be prepared for its influence.

The external environment (business environment) consists of two parts:

macroenvironment (or remote environment);

microenvironment (industry or immediate environment). Until relatively recently, the industry environment usually included suppliers of raw materials, buyers of the enterprise's products, competitors and resellers. However, as strategic marketing develops, which is focused not only on researching consumers and competitors, but on everything interest groups (stakeholders), the composition of the industry environment has expanded. It is believed that microenvironment includes all interest groups that directly influence or are directly influenced by the core activities of the enterprise. These include shareholders, suppliers, local organizations, competitors, customers, creditors, trade unions, trade and other organizations.

The macroenvironment includes general factors that do not directly affect the short-term activities of an enterprise, but can influence its long-term decisions. Strategic factors of the macroenvironment are considered to be those directions of its development that, firstly, have a high probability of implementation and, secondly, a high probability of influencing the functioning of the enterprise.

Rice. Business environment

Changes in the macroenvironment affect the strategic position of the enterprise in the market, affecting elements of the microenvironment. Therefore, the purpose of macroenvironment analysis is to track (monitor) and analyze trends/events beyond the control of the enterprise that may affect the potential effectiveness of its strategy. To analyze and forecast the development of the macroenvironment, a variety of methods are used: forecasting individual trends and events, scenario analysis, simulation modeling, factor analysis, and expert methods are widely used. Unfortunately, these methods have not yet become widespread in Russian practice for various reasons, including the lack of a reliable information base.

Main types of external environment

The following main types of external environment are distinguished:

1. Changing environment which is characterized by rapid change. These could be technical innovations, economic changes (changes in the inflation rate), changes in legislation, innovations in the policies of competitors, etc. Such an unstable environment, which creates great difficulties for management, is inherent in the Russian market.

2. Hostile environment created by fierce competition, the struggle for consumers and markets. This environment is typical, for example, of the automotive industry in the USA and Western European countries, the USA and Japan.

3. Diverse environment typical of global business. A typical example of a global business is a company McDonalds, operating in many countries (hence servicing numerous clients speaking different languages), with diverse cultures and consumer gastronomic tastes. This diverse environment influences the company's activities and its policy of influencing consumers.

4. Technically challenging environment. In such an environment, electronics, computer technology, and telecommunications are developing, which require complex information and highly qualified service personnel. Strategic management of enterprises in a technically complex environment must be focused on innovation, since products in this case quickly become obsolete.

Methods of responding to changes in the external environment

In practical activities, various methods of responding to changes in environmental factors are used. The most common among them are the following approaches:

1. “fighting fire”, or reactive management style. This management approach after making changes is still common in many Russian enterprises;

2. expansion of areas of activity, or diversification of production and capital as a means of possibly reducing commercial risk when environmental factors change;

3. improving the organizational structure of management to increase its flexibility. In this case, the enterprise can create profit centers, strategic business units and other flexible structures , results-oriented;

4. strategic management.

It is a means of transforming the knowledge base obtained from environmental analysis into an organization's strategic plan. The tools of strategic analysis include formal models, quantitative methods, and analysis that takes into account the specifics of the organization.

Strategic analysis can be divided into two main stages:

1. comparison of the benchmarks outlined by the company and the real opportunities offered by the environment, analysis of the gap between them;

2. analysis of possible options for the future of the company, identification of strategic alternatives.

Once strategic alternatives have been identified, the firm enters the final stage of strategy development - choosing a specific strategy option and preparing a strategic plan.

Gap Analysis

Gap analysis is a simple but effective method of analysis. Its purpose is to determine whether there is a gap between the firm's goals and its capabilities and, if so, to determine how to “fill” it.

Gap analysis algorithm:

Determining the company's main interest, expressed in terms of strategic planning (for example, increasing the number of sales);

Finding out the real capabilities of the company in terms of the current state of the environment and the expected future state (in 3, 5 years);

Determination of specific indicators of the strategic plan that correspond to the main interest of the company;

Establishing the difference between the indicators of the strategic plan and the opportunities dictated by the real situation of the company;

Development of special programs and methods of action necessary to fill the gap.

Another way to use gap analysis is to determine the difference between the highest expectations and the most modest forecasts. For example, if senior management expects a realistic rate of return on invested capital of 20%, but analysis shows that 15% is the most realistic figure, discussion and action is required to close the 5% gap.

Filling can be done in several ways, for example:

Due to productivity growth and achieving the desired 20%;

By abandoning more ambitious plans in favor of 15%;

The following methods of strategic analysis are usually used to identify strategic alternatives, possible options for a strategic plan.

Cost Analysis and Experience Curve

One of the classic strategy models was developed in 1926. It links strategy definition to achieving cost advantage.

Reducing costs while increasing production volume is due to a combination of the following factors:

1. advantages in technology that arise with the expansion of production;

2. learning from experience in the most effective way to organize production;

3. the effect of economies of scale.

According to the experience curve, the main focus of a firm's strategy should be to gain the largest market share, since it is the largest competitor that has the opportunity to achieve the lowest unit costs and, therefore, the highest profits.

The application of the experience curve is possible in industries of material production.

In modern conditions, achieving cost leadership is not necessarily associated with increasing production scale. The current high-tech equipment is designed not only for large productions, but also for small ones. Today, even a small company can use computers, modular equipment that provide high performance and customization capabilities to solve various specific problems. The main disadvantage of the model is that it takes into account only one of the internal problems of the organization and inattention to the external environment (primarily the needs of customers).

Market dynamics analysis, life cycle model

The analysis of the market dynamics of a given product is based on the well-known model of the product life cycle, which is an analogy of the life cycle of a biological creature.

The life of a product on the market is divided into several main stages, each of which has its own level of sales and other marketing characteristics:

• birth and market introduction - small distribution and growth-oriented strategy;
• growth stage - significant increase in sales and rapid growth strategy;
• maturity stage - sustainable sales and stability-oriented strategy;
• stage of market saturation and decline - sales decline and reduction strategy.

The purpose of the life cycle model is to correctly determine the business strategy for each stage of a product’s life on the market. There are a large number of life cycle modifications depending on the types of products. However, strategy should not be tied too closely to the life cycle model.

The "experience curve" and "life cycle" models are the simplest methods of strategic analysis, since they relate the development of strategy to only one of the factors of the company's activity. The methods described below are more comprehensive in nature and follow the path of linking various components of the internal and external environment of the organization.

Product-market model

Suggested by A.J. Steiner in 1975. It is a matrix that includes a classification of markets and a classification of products into existing, new but related to existing, and completely new products.

Rice. 1. Market-product matrix

The matrix shows the levels of risk and, accordingly, the degree of probability of success for various market-product combinations. The model is used for:

1. determining the probability of successful activity when choosing a particular type of business;

2. choice between different types of business, including when determining the ratio of investments for different business units, that is, when forming a company’s securities portfolio.

Portfolio models of strategy analysis

Portfolio models determine the present and future position of a business in terms of the attractiveness of the market and the ability of the business to compete within it. The original, classic portfolio model is the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix.

The matrix indicates four main business positions:

1. highly competitive business in fast-growing markets - an ideal “star” position;

2. highly competitive business in mature, saturated, stagnant markets ("cash cows" or "money bags" that bring sustainable profits) is a good source of cash for the company;

3. do not have good competitive positions, but are “question marks” operating in promising markets, whose future is uncertain;

The combination of weak competitive positions with markets in a state of stagnation - the “dogs” are the outcasts of the business world.

The BCG model is used:

To determine interrelated conclusions about the position of the business unit (business) included in the organization and its strategic prospects;

Using the BCG matrix, the company forms the composition of its portfolio (that is, it determines the combination of capital investments in various industries, various business units).

Within the framework of the BCG matrix, the following strategy options can be proposed:

1. Growth and increase in market share - turning a question mark into a star (aggressive question marks are sometimes called wild cats).

2. Maintaining market share is a strategy for “cash cows” whose income is important for growing businesses and financial innovation.

3. “Harvesting”, that is, obtaining a short-term share of profit in the maximum possible size, even at the expense of reducing market share, is a strategy for weak “cows”, deprived of a future, unlucky “question marks” and “dogs”.

4. Liquidation of a business or abandonment of it and the use of the resulting funds in other industries is a strategy for “dogs” and “question marks” who no longer have the opportunity to invest to improve their positions.

The BCG model has the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

The model is used to examine the relationship between the business units within an organization as well as their long-term goals;

The model can be the basis for analyzing different stages of development of a business unit (business);

It is a simple, easy-to-understand approach to organizing an organization’s business portfolio (securities portfolio).

Flaws:

Does not always correctly assess business opportunities. A unit identified as a "dog" may recommend exiting the market, while external and internal changes may change the position of the business. Thus, a small farm supplying vegetable products could be assessed as a “dog” in the 70s, but by the 90s the deterioration of the environmental situation and a special attitude towards “clean” products created new prospects for this business;

Overly focused on cash flow when the organization's focus is on investment performance. It is aimed at super growth and ignores the possibilities of improving the business and applying the best management methods.

A more complex version of the portfolio model is the multifactor McKinsey matrix of the company, which is developing it for General Electric.

Evaluation of a multi-industry portfolio model:

Its advantage compared to a simple portfolio model is that it takes into account the largest number of significant factors in the internal and external environment of the company;

There are limitations in the application of this model, which include the lack of specific recommendations for behavior in a particular market, as well as the possibility of a subjective, distorted assessment by the company of its position.

Source - I.A.PODELINSKAYA, M.V. BYANKIN STRATEGIC PLANNING Textbook. – Ulan-Ude: Publishing House of the All-Russian State Technical University, 2005. - 55 p.

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

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