SWOT Analysis

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)

Have you ever heard about SWOT/SLOT analysis?

According to Wikipedia:

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a convention at the Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International) in 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies.

I heard about this for the first time when I learned about Principal of Marketing. It gives me a new thought about how to approach different situation using this analysis. Actually we can use SWOT analysis in our daily problem, from looking for a job, venturing to new business, launching a new product, even looking a life-partner (yeah seriously you can use this method :p). I would like to elaborate on this method on how to use it to our different situation and using my own example to support the explanation. I hope this will help you in understanding the method and apply it in your own problem.

Before moving to each application, it's better to understand each element in SWOT analysis. First the method is divided into two elements, internal and external. Internal means the characteristic of the subject while external means the outside forces that affect the subject. Let's start one by one:

1. Strengths

One of the internal dimension, a characteristic of the subject that gives the advantage over the others. It's like your power to strike the enemy, the weapon used in war. Our strengths could be our value, talent, education, knowledge, family, capital, friend, etc. Basically it could be anything that gives us competitive advantage over the other. It is a differentiation factor that make us better than the rest. It's like our Unique Selling Point. Think about the competitor/enemy, what do you have better than them? However don't be too subjective hence make the judgment not fair and balance. Don't be unfair unless you want to plan yourself to fail. Be objective, realistic, and fair. List down all your strengths.

2. Weaknesses/Limitations

Well everything have two side of coins, nobody is perfect. If there is power, there will be weakness. While focusing on power and strength, we need to know our weaknesses well. Don't let people to pick it up from us. We need to try to understand ourselves better than others. What could you improve? What are limitations that you face? Don't say you have none, everyone will have one. Again be realistic and objective. However don't underestimate or mark yourself down.

The first two elements help us to reflect on ourselves. Taking a mirror in front of us and describe what you see there. By knowing ourselves, we can better understand others. According to Sun Tzu on The Art of War (from Wikipedia):

知己知彼，百戰不殆。

If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win numerous (literally, "a hundred") battles without jeopardy.

 3. Opportunities

It is a external dimension to look around which give us advantage and more value. Come in a form external chances to improve performance in the environment.  Changes that happen in society can give you added value, from example social media booming. If we can use it right, it can be a weapon for us to hold our ground. List all changes happening in society that you can use for your advantage. Don't limit yourself, be wide and imaginative. Think globally and internationally.

4. Threats

Again everything comes in good and bad effect. While opportunities give more advantage, threats give us trouble and headache :p. It could be the external obstacles; such as laws, regulations, technology, etc.

Everything is linked together and can turn to one another. Our weakness can be an opportunity for us. We should think how to make it our strengths by mitigate/solving the problem. Again threat can be another opportunity for us to think big. If we let our guard down, our strength can backfire us. Hence we need to always think and analyze fairly, objectively, and equally. Remember each element is connected together.

After having so much explanation and theory, let's use them in our real life problem and application. I will try use 3 different situation to apply SWOT analysis; looking for job, launching product, and looking for lifetime partner. Let's start from the first:

1. Looking For Job

Objective:  to prepare ourselves in this tight competition on getting job.

For this we need to prepare ourselves to get ready for interview. Get ready to be asked about our strengths and weaknesses, hence to prepare beforehand is a good practice. Let's see how to apply SWOT analysis:

Strengths: Our education background, personal skills, work experiences, language, leadership, organization involvement, group discussion, etc. Asked ourselves what makes us different?

Weaknesses: What could we improve? What should we avoid? What other factors hinder yourself from others? For example lack of time management, heavy laziness, over pride, etc.

Opportunities: What are current booming industry? Easy access for company information and job online, network and connection with industry player, etc.

Threats: Other students with higher grade, competitive market, government regulation, company policy on hiring, etc.

We can ask and think about some of these pointers. Be prepared and get ready, be different like a  red rose in the middle of white ones. Show your self above and higher than other. Remember to turn your weakness and threat to your opportunity to improve and get better.

2. Launching A New Product

Objective: to launch a new product into market.

Strengths: What is Unique Selling Point of our product? What makes it better than our competitor; the taste, the shape, the color, the quality, etc? What makes is stand out from other its kind product?

Weaknesses: What are the bad side of our product? What makes us lesser value than our competitor; the higher price, small production, small capital, lack of manpower, etc?

Opportunities: How to use current social media in promoting our product; Facebook page, Twitter, web promotion, etc? Can we make an event to promote this product?

Threats: How will our competitor react to our product? Is there any substitute to our product, especially cheaper one?

We need a deeper analysis to make sure the product will be a great success. We need to combine with deep market research, market test, business plan, execution plan, market test, prototype, etc. SWOT analysis is just a small part to give early understanding about our new product.

3. Looking for lifetime partner

Objective: to find special someone whom we will spend our life with.

Strengths: What is our higher value; higher education, high social status, our family wealth, our personality, etc? What gives us the upper hand than other man/woman?

Weaknesses: What can turn us down, our boring talk, over protective, heavy jealousy, too talkative, stingy, etc? What could we improve on our bad side?

Opportunities: Having taller height could give more advantage, especially for man. Joining different club in school or university will widen our social network. Attending mix school also will help us in make social connection. What other opportunity that will help you in finding the right one? Thousands Facebook friends perhaps :) 

Threats: Better man/woman around with higher social status or wealth. Different religion may also limit our potential lifetime partner. And number of people with different "preference" may also affect your future partner.

It's how you "market" ourselves; either looking for job or future lifetime partner. But don't oversell yourself. Again remember to keep your analysis fairly, objectively, and equally. Don't underestimate and mark yourself down also. Everything must be balance on the scale. At the end SWOT analysis is just a method to help you to prepare yourself. However the result will depend on your execution. How well you make the thing happen will determine your  result. Be positive thinker and hard worker. A method is just a way to achieve the goal but the process will determine the far you will go. Be prepared but also be surprised.

~Wilson Wijaya, Lee/21 July 2012~

Abstract of My Final Year Paper

ABSTRACT

Today most of business-to-business (B2B) collaborations are becoming short term and dynamic. It is unavoidable that business process be effective and efficient. Hence it is important to have system to select and rank business partners using multi criteria decision making (MCDM) method.

There are many methods proposed to solve MCDM problem. The two well known methods are Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE). Both AHP and PROMETHEE can be easily used and understood by decision maker.

\AHP is widely used because it makes possible to include judgment on intangible qualitative criteria and tangible quantitative criteria. In addition it doesn’t involve difficult mathematic equation. Moreover it provides consistency check for all pairwise comparison made.

On the other hand PROMETHEE is a modified approach from ELECTRE. PROMETHEE belongs to outranking method. It is based on the natural notion of criterion and intensity of preference, and need only two parameters. At present, there are six types of PROMETHEE methods to accommodate different types of MCDM problem.

The combination of these two methods provides a systematic approach for MCDM problem. One of the advantages of this method is that the decision maker can easily obtain information. However the subjectivity of result is still questionable since there is no strict limit to decision maker’s preference.

 

The application of MCDM method is widely spread in many areas. This report will only focus in one of the area, i.e. supplier selection. It will discuss on how to rank and select suppliers based on specific criteria and/or subjected to some constraints. These methods provide the company to be able decide the best option for business partner based on some criteria.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background

Today’s business environment is changing with rapid speed. With the increase in technology and information exchange, traditional means of collaboration among enterprise such as phone, fax, email, etc are no longer adequate and efficient. Companies today operate in value chains, through both collaboration and competition [1]. The use of infocomm technologies such as the Internet, email, etc is important, in particular for business-to-business (B2B) collaborations. Most of B2B collaborations are becoming short term and dynamic [2]. It is unavoidable that business process be effective and efficient.

In order to support such short-term and dynamic collaborations, it is vital to be able to identify and rank suitable business partner quickly based on some selection criteria, with minimal human interference [2]. The selection criteria will be vary among companies and even within company itself , depending on the goal and objective that the company wants to achieve from the collaboration and the prevailing business conditions such as distances, available lead time, and costs for example. The importance of each selection criteria can also vary [3].

Hence it is important to have a system to select and rank business partners. With ease to get information from internet and/or the company itself, the ranking system can be easily adopted using multi criteria decision making (MCDM). The report discusses two MCDM methods, i.e. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE); PROMETHEE I, PROMETHEE II, and PROMETHEE V, and applications of these two methods through case studies.

Golden Rule; Still Applicable?

The Golden Rule

From the Wikipedia, the GOLDEN RULE or ethic reciprocity is either of the following:

• (Positive form): One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.
• (Negative/prohibitive form, also called the Silver Rule): One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated.

And in the Bible, the Greatest Commandment stated by Jesus, said (Luke10:25-28):

²⁵And one day an authority on the law stood up to put Jesus to the test. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

²⁶What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you understand it?” ²⁷He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.’(Deuteronomy 6:5) And, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ”

²⁸“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do that, and you will live.”.

So all great teachers/philosophers/thinker/spiritual leaders/guru taught all almost the same thing, DO GOOD TO OTHERS, DON'T HURT OTHER AND YOU WILL GET NO HURT.

I would like to ask you this question: Do you agree with this view? Have you applied it in your life? Some will say that indeed they believe in it and that's the reason they are doing good deeds.

Others will say they never mind about it. They just don't give a damn and live they life as they would. There are so many critics arise from this rules, stating that it doesn't always follow the rule.

As far as we concern, didn't rule make to be disobeyed? Is there such thing as KARMA.

Let's discuss about this in my entry today. I found it interesting to talk about. Before that please kindly read the quotes on the picture above. Give a thought for a minute.

When I see my life it always follow the standard pattern, life is so unexpected.

I gave hard effort in my difficult subject but I ended up getting low mark.

I gave helps to my friends who are in most need but when I faced problem there no one there to listen.

I gave much donation to society but my family was scattered.

Maybe these some examples that you faced currently and made you have the conclusion:

THE RULE DON'T EXIST. 

It just don't work for me, what have I done to end up in this situation? Didn't I follow the rule?

You are not the only one facing this problem, I and thousands more people face the same issue.

Sometimes it is not right to uphold any faith and believe when we are facing the problem.

Should we give up on humanity then? Should we just break free and do anything?

My friend hold on for a moment. Close your eyes, take a deep breathe, and relax.

Life is not simple and don't follow any 'rules'. It's a surprise moment for you.

Just because one person hurt you doesn't mean the whole world go against you.

Don't give up your life just because one person who doesn't understand you at all.

Your life is much more worthy than that. Yes this person failed you, so what, move on with your life.

Just have a thought that one day he will pay price double than what person did to you.

For example your partner cheated on you. You loved him/her so much till the point you will give up your life for that person. However you found out that this person backstab you. Much worst, the person did it with your super duper best friend. Then you feel that you have lost everything. No one can be trusted. You end up hating others and yourself. Then reckless decision you made is to end your life. You gave everything but why this happened to you. Don't you deserve something much better? YES, you deserve the BEST. That's why life turns you to this pitch black condition. Life is the hardest teacher, he use our fear to stroke us. It feels more painful than rod stick. But it will not kill you, instead it will strengthen you. Don't take my words, think about past experience that you had. If you are currently having the problem, close your eyes and take the bitter medicine as it is. One day you will get heal and thanking the 'drug'.

Doing a good deed while expecting others to do the same will lead you nowhere. Trust me it won't gain you everything. But doing good deed for the sake of it and yourself will give you inner peace. Giving a bread to a hungry homeless beggar and receive a warm smile and thanking for him, this is just a heavenly moment. Don't your heart get flustered when doing so much more than meeting your boyfriend/girlfriend.  I think this is why we all want to do good, regardless of our religion doctrine. It's just our calling deep inside, a fulfillment for our heart most desire. I remembered the conversation between a murderer and detective on Detective Conan manga when the detective helps the murderer from falling:

Murderer: Why do you help me, don't you know who I am?

Detective: I don't know your reason for killing but do you need a reason to help others?

 I think all of us need to reflect on this: DO WE NEED A REASON TO HELP OTHERS?

Life will not kill you if you don't let your guard down. Remember what Kelly Clarkson said: What doesn't kill kill you make you stronger (listen to the music below). It's not the end of everything though it seems so dark and nowhere to go. This is the hope of humanity, the reason of doing good just because of nothing. Don't expect back and do give wholeheartedly. Maybe we can say LOVE is the reason behind. Golden Rule will just go around as it is and it still will be the big reason of what people doing now. Whatever the cause, the important thing is the mean and process. Though you get back what you give, think that life pay back its debt to you. If life pay you back double, just take it a bonus and reason to give more to others. Don't you think the world will go slightly better in time?

Make a decision for you now. Either you follow the rule or not, believe or not, you have no reason to do good deeds. Just do it like Nike said on their shoes logo. But do think about it cause sometimes good deed can turn out to be bad result. For example you want to help poor by giving donation, but it turns out that the donation go to personal wealth. Don't take hard on it. I know it will be difficult. It's money we are talking about, the hard earn money. How come this people cheat you for personal gain? Well I don't know the reason but I believe you will get back much more for your good intention. As long as you keep the good intention and trust to other, life will not disappoint you twice (or may be three times :p). Follow your heart inner desire and calling. At the end the payment due will come to you either in good way or bad way. Let the life take its own course.

~Wilson Wijaya,Lee/12 July 2012~

I am an IDOL

I AM AN IDOL

Before you go on with the entry, I would like to say:

Congrats to Regina Ivanova for winning INDONESIAN IDOL 2012 and to Kamasean Y. Matthews for being great contender to Regina. Both of you are the winner. Battle is not over yet, it is just started.

For those who didn't know who they are, both are grand finalist for INDONESIAN IDOL 2012.

Watch this YouTube video to listen to her voice:

I hope that you like what you heard. Regina won the title of INDONESIAN IDOL 2012.

Now it made me thought: WHAT IS IDOL? WHO IS IDOL?

If we see from the dictionary.com, then the meaning of IDOL will be:

"any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion: Madame Curie had been her childhood idol."

If you see the title, then you will conclude that I'm so full of myself stated: I AM AN IDOL.

Actually you are right, I think myself as an IDOL, not just a mere blind admiration/adoration/devotion but a full impact to others people life. As you can see from my previous entries, I believe that people who read them can at least gain something. With this in mind, I want to call myself an IDOL then. Not a celebrity or popular figure, but a mere boy with motivation to touch people's lives. No, I don't want to be like a famous public figure. i just want to share my thoughts. If you like it, it's good enough for me. If you disagree with me, I love to hear from you.

I personally believe that everyone should be an IDOL. Yes we ought to be a role model for others. Not saying that we are all mighty but knowing that we are imperfect and accept the nature of it. Like my entry: NOTHING IS PERFECT, I'm sorry to say you can't find any "perfect" things in the world. There must be flaw somewhere, though it's just a small little one. But what I like is, our effort to be perfect, to achieve what is IMPOSSIBLE and finally can find the answer of our questions. This is what I would like you to have in mind. We are a social being, affected by others. Hence we need to see, learn, and adapt from our environment. And this is for me an IDOL is being a good example (not necessarily perfect).

If we only care about outside appearance, then celebrity or famous people can be IDOL. But I don't think their appearance that defines IDOL. Remember my notes about Susan Boyle (What's wrong with SusanBoyle?). I would like to share the story of Regina now. She has been a cafe singer for some years. Her dream was to be next INDONESIAN IDOL or at least famous singer. She tried to go for the very first INDONESIAN IDOL. Unfortunately she didn't make it to finalist. She tried again the next year and again she failed. Maybe she was not that good at that time. Maybe her appearance affected the result or any other reasons. She tried 6 times to enter INDONESIAN IDOL. And again she got disappointed. But she tried one more time. Yes this year, she made it to be one of 12 finalists. And amazingly she won the title. After 6/7 years disappointment, she made it to the end and achieved a great result by winning the competition. This is for me an IDOL.

 For me this is what defines an IDOL, their effort and story. And I believe all of them have their own story to be told. Even people like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Madonna, or even Michael Jackson. They seem to enjoy world as celebrity but trust me there are some price to pay for that. Everything comes with no "free money". Hence I don't need to be famous/rich/glamour/handsome/celebrity to be an IDOL. I’m IDOL for myself and people around me. So I proudly say that I AM AN IDOL.

Can you be the next IDOL like me? The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES. You can be an IDOL and role model for others. A teacher is IDOL for students. Student will learn and take from their teacher. So be responsible teacher for them. You will DEFINITELY affect your student future. Parent is IDOL for their family. They are the first IDOL their children ever met. Unfortunately many of them didn't realize it. They act as they like and don't care about the children. They think money is the source of happiness. They run catching money and forget the family. Remember dad and mom, what you did will be the reflection of your child future and behaviour. It's just a simple example and all sort of life can be IDOL. Whether you are rich/poor, boos/employee, President/servant, religious/lay person, you can be one. It doesn't matter if you are a doctor/lawyer/teacher/housewife/trader/maid or anything else. What you need is a seed of "IDOL" in your heart. Every time you think, speak, and act, remember that you are an IDOL. Repeat the mantra "I AM AN IDOL". If you are ready to do it, do it right and responsibly.

You, yes you, the one reading this blog now. You are an IDOL for people around you even people you haven't met before. Like me, there is high possibility that I don't even know you but thanks for reading my blog. Thanks to spare your precious time to read my entry. And I hope and pray that you will get something out of my blog. I have faith in this. And I hope you can share and continue to be a blessing for others by starting your own blog for example. Or share motivational words through Facebook or Twitter or others social media. Share this entry if you feel benefited from it. There is no such thing as little action. The small step that you take will lead you to endless possibility. And be surprised to find out that you are an IDOL for someone else. BE AN IDOL.

~Wilson Wijaya, Lee/8 July 2012~

Where Does Inspiration Come From?

According to dictionary.com in World English Dictionary, inspiration is:

1. stimulation or arousal of mind, feeling, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity
2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused
3. someone or something that cause this state
4. an idea or action resulting from such a state
5. the act or process of inhaling;  breathing in

When we talk about inspiration, we often talks about idea, imagination, dream, person, or story.

Inspiration comes in many ways and forms.

But then the question asked where it comes from? How to get inspiration?

Well based on my experience I would like to share where to find inspiration in your life.

You must know what I'm talking about, just take it as reminder.

Sometimes what you truly need is not far away from you. Just look around.

~Wilson Wijaya,Lee/4 July 2012~

1.  Dream and Imagination

I know you will say,"I KNOW THAT!" but the question is DID YOU REALIZE IT?

Most of the time what or where do you want is just as far as dream and imagination. When we truly want to have something, our brain somehow manages to tell us. Dream more than just a flower, nice thought, or imagination.

Everything great we had now started from a simple dream and imagination. Imagine if Wright brothers didn't dream that human can fly, there will be no air plane. It's so simple to the point people tend to ignore it. Unfortunately children are forced not to dream big. Before you make it, you have to dream it, imagine it, want it. Don't let people make you down. Have faith and give your very best.

My experience:

When I was in secondary school, I imagined to study abroad. I even dreamed to enter Harvard or Oxford (I know you will tell me it's too BIG for a dream). But that's point, dream BIG enough till people tell you it's impossible. Although I didn't attend neither of them, I ended up at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. It's BIG enough for me to be able to graduate from there.

Starting from a small town, Baturaja (even Indonesian didn't know where it is - 4 hours from Palembang), I went to an international hub city, Singapore. I learned new thins and gained new knowledge. It's such a blessing for me and it started from a DREAM. Till today I still dream to attend Harvard and on the way to make it happen.

2. Creations

Anything that people make or create can be inspiration. Not just things made by human but also things that came by itself (or created by GOD if you believe). Music, film, poem, picture, painting, song, drama, theater, and so on, you name it.

Al these things can be inspiration in human life and they intended to be one.

Nature, sea, mountain, flower, rain, and even disaster. Tsunami became inspiration for human race to be one and united. Love became inspiration for film, drama, song, etc. They try to persuade us into some values or philosophies. So look around yourself, there are so many creation. What is the creation that  inspired you the most?

My experience:

I was so inspired by  so many songs, drama, films, and arts. Indeed I will say it proudly I was so inspired by Korean and Japan lifestyle. I go insane about Japanese life and tradition (HONESTLY). In one or other way, they have shaped me to be who I am now. Hollywood has been my inspiration for a whole life. Their movies has been my friend for better and worse. My mood can change easily by watching movie and drama. Here are some lists of drama/movie that has change my way of thinking (please check by yourself if you have time and like it):

1. The Bucket List (film)
2. 49 Days (Korean drama)
3. Scent of Woman (Korean drama)
4. Departure (Japanese film)
5. Doraemon (Japanese anime/manga)
6. Detective Conan (Japanese manga)

3. Past Experience

When I said experience, it's not just your but others also. Sharing, teaching, discussion are ways to get inspired by others. Think moment in the past that really inspired you to move on and stand strong. It could be the day when your parent passed away. Or the day when people looked down on you and your family. Or the day when you won your very first medal. Make them your motivation to walk your life now.

Actually it's hard to inspire and motivate people.

Don't think being a motivator is easy, you can just talk about good thing. No, you are wrong. It's hard to motivate people since only you that can motivate yourself. Motivator just remind or let you know about the motivation you have. At the end you are the judge which one to be your motivation. Coming to seminar of great and successful person is useless if you are not ready. You first have to be ready to be motivated, to learn, to hear, and get inspired. So if you are ready, talk to great people, share with others, and inspire you and others.

My experience:

I have met so many people that inspired my life.

Starting from my family, my mother is such an excellent example.

You have heard about her story from my past entry (read this).

Then moving on to superstar, political figures, and teachers.

They have shaped my thinking and the way I see the world.

Thanks to them I become the man who now are trying to motivate people.

Well I don't like to be called motivator, I prefer to say it as SHARING.

Through this blog, twitter, Facebook, etc I shared my thinking, story, and inspiration.

That are some inspiration sources for me and I'm sure you may have more.

The point is remember to look around yourself where you can find an inspiration.

Walk on the pathway in the afternoon, breath slowly, enjoy the moment and view.

There you may find such a wonderful "lamp" above your head.

The key to get the inspiration is LET YOURSELF BE INSPIRED.

I think there is no other way  to get inspired other than let yourself to be one.

Don't thin too much or find it far way in difficult place.

Look deep down yourself and soul to find the answer.

Besides that, I would like to remind you NOT TO LET OTHER DISTURB YOU.

As I said you are the key, filter of what you want inside you.

If you let people word inspire you, you will get it and be motivated.

If you let people word discourage you, you plan to fail yourself.

Hence it's become a sword with two edges.

It can become a strong weapon to conquer the world.

Or it can become a poison that kill you.

Before you get inspired, let yourself first to be inspired. Then the inspiration can become motivation to push you forward.

Dare to dream big. If you shoot the moon, you may end up shooting the star.

The one that can dream is the one that conquers the world.

Imagination is the door to the new world of fantasy and creativity.

~Wilson Wijaya,Lee/5 July 2012~