A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis.
The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm's resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. The following diagram shows how a SWOT analysis fits into an environmental scan:
SWOT Analysis Framework
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Strengths
A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage. Examples of such strengths include:
Weaknesses
The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a weakness. For example, each of the following may be considered weaknesses:
In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength. Take the case in which a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity. While this capacity may be considered a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be a considered a weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity prevents the firm from reacting quickly to changes in the strategic environment.
Opportunities
The external environmental analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and growth. Some examples of such opportunities include:
Threats
Changes in the external environmental also may present threats to the firm. Some examples of such threats include:
The SWOT Matrix
A firm should not necessarily pursue the more lucrative opportunities. Rather, it may have a better chance at developing a competitive advantage by identifying a fit between the firm's strengths and upcoming opportunities. In some cases, the firm can overcome a weakness in order to prepare itself to pursue a compelling opportunity.
To develop strategies that take into account the SWOT profile, a matrix of these factors can be constructed. The SWOT matrix (also known as a TOWS Matrix) is shown below:
SWOT / TOWS Matrix
Opportunities | S-O strategies | W-O strategies |
Threats | S-T strategies | W-T strategies |
S-O strategies pursue opportunities that are a good fit to the company's strengths.
W-O strategies overcome weaknesses to pursue opportunities.
S-T strategies identify ways that the firm can use its strengths to reduce its vulnerability to external threats.
W-T strategies establish a defensive plan to prevent the firm's weaknesses from making it highly susceptible to external threats.
【明報專訊】中式嫁喜禮餅在八、九十年代曾有一段低迷時期，幾乎被西餅打得抬不起頭。然而，奇華的嫁喜禮餅近幾年卻成功「翻新」，在銷售、包裝和廣告手法上擺脫「老餅」形象，不但避過式微危機，銷售額每年更有雙位數字的增長！
奇華有限公司董事總經理黃錫祥表示，中式嫁喜禮餅以往的式微是由多個原因造成，包括：西餅卡的售價比唐餅卡低一截；連鎖西餅店分店眾多，方便持卡換餅；唐餅在年輕人的滲透率很低，即使訂購，多數也只是父母要訂，而且極可能只是親戚派唐餅、朋友派西餅，只佔到一小部分生意。
一卡可換中西餅 增客選擇
所以，奇華便針對這些弱勢地方來做工夫。首先，是讓顧客可以持奇華的嫁喜餅卡換取店內的任何食品。除了那些中式嫁喜禮盒和約30款中式嫁喜禮餅之 外，還可以換取逾百款中西餅食。換言之，既可以換蛋黃蓮蓉酥、金華火腿酥、欖仁合桃酥等唐餅；也可以換蛋卷、馬仔、老婆餅、鳳梨酥、月餅、粽、茶葉等；更 可以換瑞士 卷、咖啡卷、綠茶卷、低脂蛋白蛋糕、提子蛋糕、雪芳蛋糕等，甚至隨意混合！
由於奇華一向亦有生產西餅，只是不生產表面有忌廉者，這做法實際上是打破了中西餅卡的界限，令一張餅卡兼具兩種「功能」，這可以大大減低新人訂購奇華餅卡的顧慮（不怕親友不合用），也可免卻要訂兩種餅卡。
推廉價餅卡 密食當三番
唐餅卡以往的一大劣勢是價錢比西餅卡貴一截。這是因為唐餅少用發粉，所以生產成本較高。為了爭回市場佔有率，黃錫祥不惜削減邊際利潤，在年前推出售 價四十多元（與西式餅卡相若）的「金盈喜」餅卡。他承認，以這價錢來銷售一盒中式嫁喜禮餅，邊際利潤會有所降低，但卻可以薄利多銷、密食當三番。當然，盒 內的唐餅也是迷你版的，以降低生產成本。
現時奇華共有三款嫁喜餅卡，售價分別是48元、62元和102元，以分割市場，適應不同預算的新人。奇華更可以免費借出過大禮用的禮金盒和過禮盒，作為增值服務。
另一方面，奇華又開拓席上喜餅市場，讓新人為婚宴的每名賓客提供一個心形的迷你蛋黃金黃蓮蓉酥。新人更可在席上喜餅的盒上印上名字，以增添紀念價值。此外，奇華還與幾間五星級酒店合作，提供折扣優惠給訂下酒席的新人。
分店網絡廣 換餅便利
最後一招則是增加分店，以令顧客換餅時更方便。現時奇華已有66間分店，分別是香港40間、台灣 13間、內地2間（深圳 和廣州）、澳門 1間、美國 6間、日本 4間。而為了方便內地顧客，現時亦有提供香港訂購、內地提貨的服務。未來還會繼續增加分店，內地方面，計劃在上海 、北京 等大城市開設分店。但短期內則不會在內地設廠，以維持香港製造的形象。奇華現正於大埔 工業邨籌備新廠房，將於兩年後落成。新廠房的產能上限，至少可以比荔枝角的現有廠房大一兩倍。
MOR=)
奇華一句"香港終於有手信"，
即時令整個品牌有了新形象，
定位很清楚，就如澳門咀香園一樣，
是一種中式食物的標纖，
儘管不知有否即時奏效，
在今個新年也看到不少人會以奇華的禮盒作為禮物，
至少在認受性上更加大大提高了。
