Swot Analysis as a Tool for Formulating Quality Strategy

Quality strategies more often than not focus on satisfying the customers’ needs and vow to make and implement policies aiming at fulfilling expectations of customers and other interested parties. While generally a Quality Strategy addresses all the variables of Internal Environment; the extent to which the current generic models (of making Quality Strategy) address External Environment is limited. A quality strategy that takes into account the External Environment beyond the customer and other interested parties will be much more practical as it would address quality in a broader perspective “with speed and cost” and not in isolation. A tool of situation analysis, SWOT is used in the preliminary stage of strategic decision-making where it provides the basic framework for strategic analysis. SWOT generates lists, or inventories, of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Organizations use these inventories to generate strategies that fit their particular anticipated situation, their capabilities and objectives. These inventories can form a basis of making a Quality Strategy. This paper proposes a generic model of making the Quality Strategy of a company on the basis of a comprehensive SWOT analysis of that company.