Evaluation of Library and Information Centres: CPM/PERT and SWOT Analysis

Evaluation of Library and
Information Centres:
CPM/PERT and SWOT
Analysis
Dr. Khaisar Muneebulla Khan
Mangalore University
SWOT Analysis
Identifying
internal strengths (S)
and weaknesses (W)
and also examining
external opportunities (O)
and threats (T)
SWOT Analysis
It is a basic, straightforward model that
provides direction and serves as a
basis for the development of marketing
plans. It accomplishes this by
assessing an organizations strengths
(what an organization can do) and
weaknesses (what an organization
cannot do) in addition to opportunities
(potential favourable conditions for an
organization) and threats (potential
unfavourable
conditions
for
an
organization).
SWOT analysis is an important step in
planning and its value is often
underestimated. SWOT analysis role is
to take the information from the
environmental analysis and separate it
into internal issues (strengths and
weaknesses)
and
external
issues
(opportunities and threats). Its analysis
determines if the information indicates
something that will assist the firm in
accomplishing its objectives (a strength
or opportunity), or if it indicates an
obstacle that must be overcome or
minimized to achieve desired results
(weakness or threat).
• Creative Use of SWOTs: Generating
Strategies
• By asking and answering each of the
following four questions, many times:
• How can we Use each Strength?
• How can we Improve each Weakness?
• How can we Exploit each Opportunity?
• How can we Mitigate each Threat?
• Ideally a cross-functional team or a task force
that represents a broad range of perspectives
should carry out the SWOT analysis. For
example, a SWOT team may include persons
from all the three levels of management.
• Matching and converting
• Another way of utilizing SWOT is matching and
converting.
• Matching is used to find competitive
advantages by matching the strengths to
opportunities.
• Converting is to apply conversion strategies to
convert threats or weaknesses into strengths
or opportunities.
• An example of conversion strategy is to find
new markets.
• If the threats or weaknesses cannot be
converted a LIC should try to minimize or avoid
them.
• Use of SWOT Analysis
• The usefulness of SWOT analysis is not
limited to profit-seeking organizations.
• SWOT analysis may be used in any
decision-making situation including LIC’s
when a desired end-state (objective) has
been defined. Examples include: non-profit
organizations, (LIC’s, Hospitals, Educational
institutions, etc.) governmental units, and
individuals.
• SWOT analysis may also be used in precrisis planning and preventive crisis
management.
S.W.O.T ANALYSIS
INTERNAL
FOCUS
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
What do we do well?
What is wrong now?
• What are your advantages?
• What do you do well?
• What relevant resources do
you have?
• What do other people see as
your strengths?
OPPORTUNITIES
EXTERNAL
FOCUS
What possibilities exist?
• Where are the good opportunities facing
you?
• What are the interesting trends you are
aware of?
• Useful opportunities can come from such
things as:
• Changes in technology
• Changes in government policy
• Changes in organizational structure
• Changes in business priorities?
• What could you improve?
• What do you do badly?
• What should you avoid?
THREATS
What can go wrong?
•
•
•
•
What obstacles do you face?
What are other companies doing?
Is the playing field changing?
Is changing technology, trends,
directions threatening your position?
• Could any of your weaknesses
seriously threaten your business?
STRENGTHS
What do we do well?
•What are your advantages?
•What do you do well?
•What relevant resources do you
have?
•What do other people see as your
strengths?
WEAKNESSES
What is wrong now?
•What could you improve?
•What do you do badly?
•What should you avoid?
OPPORTUNITIES
What possibilities exist?
• Where are the good opportunities
facing you?
• What are the interesting trends
you are aware of?
• Useful opportunities can come
from such things as:
 Changes in technology
 Changes in government policy
 Changes in organizational
structure
THREATS
What can go wrong?
•
•
•
•
•
What obstacles do you face?
What are other companies doing?
Is the playing field changing?
Is changing technology, trends, directions
threatening your position?
Could any of your weaknesses seriously
threaten your business?
STRENGTHS: (Internal)
• Collection
• Knowledgeable staff
• Library as a pivotal point in the
institution
• Efficient searching; cost-effective
searching
• Well organized information
• Quality information
• New technologies
STRENGTHS: (Internal)
• Outstanding customer service
• Responds to customer (the
organization’s staff)
• Knowledge and understanding of
information
• organization and structure
• Networking librarians
WEAKNESSES: (Internal)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Perceived gaps in the collection
Financial crunch
Position in the organizational chart
Reports to the wrong supervisor
Librarian need to learn a new things
Doesn’t investigate customers’ needs
Ignorant of what we do, among the
staff
• Librarian makes assumptions
• Librarian focuses on the wrong
problems
THREATS: (External)
• The Internet “has all the information for
free” and is convenient; don’t have to
go to the library
• Publication costs increases ever
• The library needs an identity
• Library staffing levels
• Administrations’ lack of understanding
of the library and has different priorities
• Information access and decisionmaking
• Lack of standardization
OPPORTUNITIES: (External)
• Digitization, Internet availability
• Weekend/evening access; after-hours
service
• Network access; wireless
• Newsletter articles; editing
• Open access movement
• Teaching/Learning – Online
• Library web site, Self-service
• Desktop delivery of information
• Any time, any place library
• Table of contents via email
• Cooperative purchasing, Market research
SWOT ANALYSIS
I
N
T
E
R
N
A
L
College Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A distinctive competence?
Adequate financial resources?
Good contacts/relations
Good competitive skills?
Special expertise?
An acknowledge academic leader?
Innovative programs/services?
Good overall reputation?
SWOT ANALYSIS
College Weaknesses
I
N
T
E
R
N
A
L
•
•
•
•
No clear strategic direction
A deteriorating competitive position?
Lack of managerial depth and talent?
Internal operating problems and
Vulnerable to competitive pressures?
• Competitive disadvantages?
• Unable to finance needed changes in
strategy?
SWOT ANALYSIS
E
X
T
E
R
N
A
L
Opportunities
• Enter new markets or segments?
• Expand services to meet broader
range of student needs?
• Diversity into related services?
• Fast market growth?
• Weak competitors?
SWOT ANALYSIS
E
X
T
E
R
N
A
L
Threats
•
•
•
•
Slow market growth?
Adverse management policies?
Growing competitive pressures?
Vulnerability to recession and
business cycle?
• Adverse demographic changes?
• Other?
CPM/PERT
The Critical Path Method, abbreviated
CPM, or critical path analysis, is a
planning and control techniques that
involve the display the of a complex
project as a network with one time
estimate used for each step in the
project.
It was developed in the 1950s by the
US Navy
The essential technique for using CPM are
• Listing activities required to complete the
project (also known as Work breakdown
structure),
• The time (duration) that each activity will
take for completion.
• Using these values, CPM calculates the
longest path of planned activities to the end
of the project, and the earliest and latest that
each activity can start and finish without
making the project longer.
• This process determines which activities
are "critical" (i.e., on the longest path)
Program Evaluation and Review
Technique (PERT)
PERT deals with the problem of
uncertainty in the activity time. It helps
to co-ordinate the activities successfully
to accomplish the objectives of a project
on time. It acts as a effective tool for
decision making In pert the activity time
usually expressed in calendar weeks.
Advantages
• This technique helps management to plan the
best possible use of resources to a given goal
within the time and cost limitations.
• It helps management to handle the
uncertainties involved in the program.
• It process for the right action at right time
• Provides information on existence slack period
of activities & what activities are crucial.
• Provides basis, facts for decision-making.
• It allows data/information to be presented in a
well-organized diagram, network from which
both the executor and customer can make joint
decisions.
Limitations
• The basic difficulty comes in the way of time
estimate for the completion as activities are nonrepetitive type.
• The technique does not consider resources
required at various stages of the project.
• Use of this technique for active control requires
frequent updating, PERT calculations this proves
quite a costly affair.
• When PERT applied properly it helps to cut
project cost and reduce time.
• Coordinate, expedite planning, eliminate slack time.
• Cut time required for routine decisions, but allow
more time for critical decision-makings.
Thank You