SWOT Analysis: Assignment Overview

 

 

Discussion with students about the Week 2 SWOT assignment and other course questions (1 Hour)

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson you will learn:

  • What electronic commerce is and how it has evolved in three waves of development
  • Why companies concentrate on revenue models and the analysis of business processes instead of business models when they undertake electronic commerce initiatives
  • How to identify opportunities for and barriers to electronic commerce initiatives
  • How economic forces have led to the development and continued growth of electronic commerce
  • How businesses use value chains and SWOT analysis to identify electronic commerce opportunities
  • How the international nature of electronic commerce affects its growth and development

Reading

Electronic Commerce 12e: Chapter 1
Chapter Links

Quizzes

Chapter 1 Quiz on Canvas

Assignment/Discussion

SWOT Analysis
Choose an e-commerce business that you might like to use for your course project this semester. This business can be real or fictitious, for-profit or nonprofit. To help you decide if your proposed business can be viable, you need to do a SWOT Analysis (SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).

See below for some great SWOT examples.

For this assignment you will be use an E-commerce Plan template. Download it here.

  • After dowloading, change the file name by replacing "lastname" with your last name.
  • You will be turning this completed E-Commerce Plan in at the end of the semester.
  • Feel free to customize this plan in any way you like.

Steps:

  1. For your final project you will be creating a Web site for an e-commerce business or non-profit (real or fictitious). Use that business or non-profit for this assignment. You are not stuck with this choice. You can change your mind later.
  2. Copy and paste the questions below into the E-commerce plan, and answer them to the best of your ability (1-2 sentences per question)
  3. After answering the questions, write a paragraph summarizing your analysis and explain why your analysis leads you to believe your e-commerce business would be viable -- or not
  4. Check your spelling and grammar
  5. Submit your full report in the E-commerce Plan Word Document the Week 2 Discussion on Canvas
  6. In the Discussion:
    • Paste your summary paragraph into a thread in Week 2 discussion.
    • Provide thoughtful comments on two other student's summaries (3 sentence minimum).

Answer these questions in your SWOT Analysis


Type of Business:
What kind of business or non-profit organization is this?

Strengths:
1. What does your business do well?
2. Is your business strong in its market? (do research and support with evidence)
3. Does your business have a strong sense of purpose and the culture to support that purpose?

Weaknesses:
1. What does your business do poorly?
2. What problems could be avoided?
3. Are there any potential financial difficulties?

Opportunities:
1. Are industry tends moving upward? (do research, support with evidence, provide sources)
2. Do new markets exist for your products or services? (do research, support with evidence, provide sources)
3. Are there any new technologies you can exploit? (think about web-based or computer-based technologies)

Threats:
1. Who are your competitors? (be specific for your marketplace)
2. What are competitors doing well?
3. What obstacles do you face?
4. Are there troubling changes in your business environment such as technologies, laws, and regulations? (do research, support with evidence, provide sources)

Example SWOT Assignments:

Additional Reading:

Rubric for SWOT Assignment = 30 pts.

Rubric for SWOT Assignment