Abstract:
SWOT analysis is a useful, popular (especially among consulting companies) and widely used tool of strategic planning, which should not be used alone or self-sufficiently. Failure to verify and prioritize the elements of internal and external environment of the company which are included in SWOT, as well as the absence of any use of them subsequently, make the tool ineffective. On the other hand strategy specification of a company based mainly on the use of SWOT analysis (by disregarding tools supplementary to that technique), given its nature and the problems associated with its application, renders the result unwarranted. Despite the problems, the SWOT framework should continue to be regarded as an essential element of strategic planning, especially if it is supported by an analytical approach.
(EN)
