- Whether to mention a pregnancy in a job interview
- A possible meeting protocol
- What are an end-user's responsibilities?
- Another take on opening PCs, or not
- Getting some process going
- Selling a more open environment to management
- Running an effective meeting
- Licensing rules for virtual machines
- The ROI of metrics
- Legal challenges to virtual machines
April 20, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Strategic planning frameworks
Dear Bob
Would you briefly describe what the BCG and TOWS matrices are. Then briefly tell me which might be more useful to:-
(a) A new company which has just been set up to supply domestic cleaning services. (b) A company which employs 500 people and which only makes Christmas decorations. (c)The Managing Director of a large company which has been in business for 7 years and which manufactures frozen "complete meals" for busy people.
Thanks a lot,
- Planning
Dear Planning ...
BCG is named after the Boston Consulting Group. It directs businesses to go after opportunities where they can dominate fast-growing marketplaces.
Well, sure, although it doesn't do much to guide action. It's a magic quadrant approach useful for comparing competing ideas. I'm skeptical that it's of much real value.
TOWS isn't a matrix approach. It's my variation on the old SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). I prefer TOWS because it begins with the business model - how a company faces its marketplace and works to bring revenue in the door.
I'm not going to answer your questions directly. It sounds like I might be writing a term paper for you. If not, please forgive my suspicious nature. I will provide a bit of guidance, though: TOWS (and SWOT) are useful for established businesses that are clear about which buttons they have to push and levers they have to pull for success to happen. TOWS helps them make sense of what's changing that might affect their success.
It isn't well-suited to newer companies that are still trying to figure it out.
I hope that helps.
- Bob
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Posted by Bob Lewis on April 20, 2007 07:46 AM
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