“SWOT Analysis is a Strategic Planning tool used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threatsinvolved in a project or in a business venture or in any other situation requiring a decision”.Getting StartedThe required first step in SWOT analysis is the definition of the desired end state or objective.The definition of objective must be explicit and approved by all participants in the process.ALTERNATIVE VIEWPOINTTypically seen by managers as being the most useful planning tool of all, SWOT groups some of the keypieces of information into two main categories (internal factors and external factors) and then by their dualpositive and negative aspects (Strengths and Opportunities, as the former aspects, with Weaknesses andThreats representing the latter):• Internal factors - The 'strengths' and 'weaknesses' internal to the organization, its strategies and itsposition in relation to its competitors.• External factors - The 'opportunities' and 'threats' presented by the external environment and thecompetition.STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES• Resources: financial, intellectual, locational• Customer Service• Efficiency• Competitive Advantages• Infrastructure• Quality• Staff• Management• Price• Distribution Channels and Hours of operations• After sales service and Sales promotion techniques• Transportation and Delivery time• Diversified fields, Product line and multiple services/offers (Technical, Commercial, Designing &Turnkey Projects etc )OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS• Competitors' actions• Economic conditions• Interest rates• Increasing market saturation• Changes in laws and regulationsERRORS TO BE AVOIDEDThe following errors have been observed in published accounts of SWOT Analysis. Making these errors canresult in serious losses.1. Conducting a SWOT Analysis before defining and agreeing upon an objective (desired end state). Amoment of reflection will reveal an indisputable truth: SWOTs cannot exist in the abstract. They can existonly with reference to an objective. If the desired end state is not openly defined and agreed upon, eachparticipant may have a different end state in mind and the outcome is confusion.2. Opportunities [external to the company] are often confused with strengths [internal to the company].Keep them separate.3. Another error is to confuse SWOTs with possible strategies. This error is made especially with reference