Deciding what the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation are, as well as assessing the impact and probability of opportunities and threats, is far more complex than first appears.

However, while the elements can appear deceptively simple and easy to apply, experience shows that to do a SWOT analysis thatвЂ™s both effective and meaningful, requires time and a significant resource.

This flexibility is one of the factors that has contributed to its success. The methodology has the advantage of being used as both a 'quick and dirty' tool or a comprehensive management tool, and that one (the quick) can lead to the other (the comprehensive). The value of SWOT lies mainly in the fact that it offers self-assessment for management. SWOT is often used as part of a strategic or planning process, but can be applied to help understand an organisation or a situation, and also for decision-making for many different scenarios. It involves stating the objective of the organisation or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are either supportive or unfavourable to achieving that objective.

The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from leading companies involved in long range planning processes.ДЄ SWOT analysis is a planning tool used to understand key factors - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats - involved in a project or in an organisation. Occasionally, it may also be found as a вЂWOTS upвЂ™ analysis or the TOWS analysis. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.

Definition of swot analysis pdf