Business Strategy Task 2

B- SWOT Analysis
1- The significance of a SWOT analysis in the strategic planning process of
EZ-Pleeze:
Carrying out SWOT analysis of company is very important as it provides complete
information about company’s strengths, weaknesses to be eliminated, opportunities in
which company can move forward and threats that company has to face to operate in
the market. SWOT analysis of EZ-Pleeze helps it to find out the threats being faced due
to competitors and the opportunities available in production of chicken and beef
products. In strategic planning process SWOT analysis is very important as according to
Pashiardis (1996) “for effective planning, environmental scanning is important”. To get
competitive advantage over competitors like Yellow down Food and Beefchix Industries
is the main goal to be achieved by EZ-Pleeze. So it is necessary for EZ-Pleeze to build
strong strategic plan with more advantages and less disadvantages. So for strong
strategic plan it is important to do complete SWOT analysis in order to know internal
strengths and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities of EZ-Pleeze
Company. The data of SWOT analysis must be actual and not based on facts, must be
able to give present strengths and weaknesses not the future data (Horn, Niemann et
al., 1994). SWOT analysis is linked to powerful strategic growth approach that combines
internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats. EZ-Pleeze
must use its strengths effectively to reduce weaknesses and eliminate threats from the
company. EZ-Pleeze Company will maximize their opportunities to overcome the threats
and reduce the weaknesses (Speth and Probert, 2015). The company tries to achieve all
its goals and reach to next level to competitors. So the SWOT analysis provides complete
support to build strong and effective strategic plan because for business planning,
marketing development, research reports and strategic planning, SWOT analysis is
conducted (Quincy, Lu and Huang, 2012).

2- Internal Strengths for EZ-Pleeze:

“A strength is something an organization is good at doing or a characteristic the
organization has that gives it an important capability” (Thompson and Strickland, 1989).
 According to SWOT analysis the strength of EZ-Pleeze Company is its innovation and
creativity, customer service, technology and employment support. The company also
focuses on how to improve its chicken and beef products to get competitive edge. The
company also uses new technology for production of new products rather than
customized products. To carry out operations of company by using new technology it
can enable the company to meet customer needs as the taste of consumers change
rapidly so company has to forecast this also and use technology which can meet those
standards. Apparently, “In the United States, we lead the industry in research and
development (R&D) focused on nutrition, genetic modification, and technologies related
to meat products processing”. This helps a lot to company in providing best chicken as
well as beef products also. Strengths may exist with regard to financial resources,
image, market leadership, buyer/supplier relations, and other factors” (Pearce and
Robinson, 1991).
Another strength shown by the company is the ability to ensure that all customers’
needs have been met. Frequent communication with the customers ensures that they
always provide the best. Additionally, employees are constantly reminded of customer
service as the main concern in the company as it has also been added to the mission
statement. This enables the provision of products with high quality. Apart from
considering the customers as an asset. EZ-Pleeze considers the employees as their
greatest asset. They provide them with all privileges that will enable them increase their
productivity including health privileges. Employees are also provided with the chance to
make contributions on creative ideas which makes them fell included in decision making
efforts in the company. These are the strengths that are making the company have a
competitive advantage over the rest in the market. Therefore, the company needs to
note them and improve on them more.

3- Internal Weaknesses for EZ-Pleeze:

“A weakness is something an organization lacks or does poorly -in comparison to others- or a
condition that puts it at a disadvantage” (Thompson and Strickland, 1989). The weaknesses of
any company can be advantage for its competitors. The weaknesses of any company
include many factors that act as hindrance for the company in achieving its goals. High
labor costs are the big weakness of any company like EZ-Pleeze. If you have to pay to
many people then you have to increase the price of the products same is the case with
the EZ-Pleeze a lot of labor is required to in the meat and chicken industry making it
hard to moderate the pricing of their products. High labor costs results the high product
prices. Therefore, these higher prices always drag EZ-Pleeze behind as compared to
cheaper products from their competitors such as Yellow Down Foods. Customers tend
to shift to where the prices are lower and at times do not consider the quality. Facilities,
financial resources, management capabilities, marketing skills, and brand image can be sources
of weaknesses” (Pearce and Robinson, 1991).
 Other weakness of the company is that there is no strong planning for growth and
directions to move on. Financial stability is the other important weakness of EZ-Pleeze
Company. The company is not so financially strong as it has to pay more on
advertisement as well as technology also. Because of low finances the come file to
bankruptcy and lay off the employees to survive.

4- External Opportunities for EZ-Pleeze:

“Opportunities are conditions in the external environment that allow an organization to
take advantage of organizational strengths, overcome organizational weaknesses or
neutralize environmental threats” (Harrison and St. John, 2004). Company can take
these as advantages present for the company in the market. The first opportunity is that
some companies are closing their companies. This is an opportunity that must be
manipulated by EZ-Pleeze by taking advantage of the market that was being served by
the other companies. This could increase their clients, increasing their returns.

Another opportunity that the company has is on the differentiation of their products.
The company wants to be among the leading companies in the production of poultry
and beef meat. Other opportunity for the EZ-Pleeze is that it has chance to do marketing
worldwide as at present it is running business in United States only. EZ-Pleeze can
expands its business to other countries as well.

5- External Threats for EZ-Pleeze:

Threats are the situations that come out as a result of the changes in the distant or the
immediate environment that would prevent the organization from maintaining its
existence or lose its superiority in competition, and that are not favorable for the
organization (Ülgen and Mirze, 2010). For EZ-Pleeze strong competitors are the threat
for it to maintain its position in the market.
Another threat to EZ-Pleeze since the process is involving and expensive, which may
make the company to incur significant losses as it tries to conform to the instituted
regulations.
Lastly, changing customer preferences pose a threat to EZ-Pleeze; this in regard to the
fact that when customers change their preferences, then the former product loses
consumers and hence sales decreased.

6- Recommendations for Strategic Plan at EZ-Pleeze:

(I).EZ-Pleeze should from a technology working group to guide staffs responsible for economic
development on latest technological issues and opportunities on a quarterly basis. Owing to the
fact that changes in technology are inevitable, it is not possible for a static strategy document
to monitor the new developments. Availability of a team to keep track of the changes in
technology will enable EZ-PLeeze’s employees to be continue getting products the healthiest
chicken and meat products in the market.

(II).Continue to comply with state and federal laws and regulation on various matters such as
food safety standard, processing, storage and distribution.

(III). Assess the strengths weakness opportunities and thread that EZ-Pleeze has. This would
help the company to take advantage of its strengths and available opportunities and at the
same time devise ways how to best handle is weakness and deal with threats in the market.

References:

1- Pashiardis, P. (1996). Environmental scanning in educational organizations: uses, approaches,

sources and methodologies. The International Journal of Educational Management, 10(3), 5-9.

2- Horn, L., Niemann, F., et al. (1994). SWOT analysis and strategic planning. Hamburg:
GFAConsulting Group

3- Quincy , R., Lu, S. and Huang ,C.C.(2012) .SWOT Analysis Raising Capacity of Your Organization.

4- Speth, C., & Probert, C. (2015). The SWOT analysis: Develop strengths to decrease the
weaknesses of your business.
5- THOMPSON, A. A. & STRICKLAND, A. J. (1989). Strategy Formulation and
Implementation, (4th Edition), USA: Irwin, Inc.
6- PEARCE, J. A. & ROBINSON, R. B. (1991). Strategic Management, (4th Edition), USA:
Irwin, Inc.
7- HARRISON, J. S. & St. JOHN, C. H. (2004). Foundations in Strategic Management, (3.Baskı), USA:
South Western
8- ÜLGEN, H. & MİRZE, S. K. (2010). İşletmelerde Stratejik Yönetim, (5. Baskı), İstanbul: Beta Basım
Yayım.