STRATEGIC PLAN PART II: SWOTT ANALYSIS

Irene C. Muniz University of Phoenix BUS/475 Integrated Business Topics Linda Torres-Kleinhans March 10, 2011 For those customers who have made a choice of how they want to be cared for when stricken by an illness or injury, Agape Home Healthcare Services is the best home healthcare in the region. Agape Home Healthcare Services is where you will obtain the medical care service suited for your needs. The main focus and achievement of Agape Home Healthcare Services is to be your preferred provider of quality healthcare services in the home.The 24-hour service availability is an outstanding service for your medical care needs, which is a unique outpatient home healthcare commodity.

In addition to providing you with a high quality nurses care, rehabilitative and home health aide. Through a SWOTT analysis of Agape Home Healthcare Services the internal and external analysis will identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization in relation to its relation forces and trends which are: Economic, Legal and Regulatory, Technological, Innovation, Structure, Resources, and Culture will be explained.

SWOTT Analysis

To conduct a successful and appropriate SWOTT analysis of Agape Home Healthcare Services detailed inquiry in relation to the strengths of the organization, its resources, and the pros and cons of the organization, its position and strength in the market and its competition are required to be answered. Alongside these, the company needs to assess which factors may cause a loss in its sales and revenue. Another area that needs to be looked at closely is the feedback of our customers from an internal and external perspective.In order to outline the organizations future opportunities it is essential to find out the strengths and weaknesses first.

An inquiry related to the customers’ preferences, technological changes and market trends and how the organization can deal with all these will support in assessing the opportunities of the organization. By assessing the strengths Agape Home Healthcare Services can lead to different opportunities, as well as, create new ones. More opportunities can be created by reducing various weaknesses.As a final point, through the SWOTT analysis the threats which the organization is facing or might face can be found. Moreover, a SWOTT analysis diagnosis of the organizations’ threats concerning technological changes, market trends, competition in the market, its financial status or any difficulties that may arise.

The analysis certainly will assist in the prevention of certain weaknesses to develop into threats. Economic The economic setting at Agape Home Healthcare Services is composed of the information relating to the products, services, tools and techniques.At Agape Home Healthcare Services quality home healthcare will be provided, hence the cost for the services are at minimal to our patients. We have different packages depending on the necessity of services that start at 800. 00 a month, this package includes an initial assessment fee.

Thereafter, packages of services range from 700. 00 to 500. 00 a month, in addition services are also offered on as needed basis and not necessarily on a packaged deal. Such services are billed on a per hour basis, as well as some of our durable medical equipment that we have available is sold at discounted prices.

Agape Home Healthcare Services is able to pass this great saving on to our patients, as some of the funding for our organization is awarded through state grants which allow some of the services for our program. It is highly required to monitor the economical weaknesses and threats which are faced by the organization, which makes it an essential contributing factor to the success of the organization. The current economy situation, is a major weakness at the present time. In addition, another feasible and prominent weakness for our organization is the current healthcare reform.

Legal/Regulatory

The purchasing strategy and the prices of the products and the services offered at Agape Home Healthcare Services will be subjective to the organizations’ structure.

Therefore, it is imperative to find out the legal structure of the organization. Agape Home Healthcare Services with only one stakeholder, which will be Chase, Manhattan Bank. The organization will be a Sole Proprietorship, meaning that all assets will be owned by the proprietor only. Agape Home Healthcare Services staff are required to be licensed and/or certified in the state of Texas in order to provide the level of care to the patients.In addition, there are regulatory mandates for the infrastructure. Another area that Agape Home Healthcare Services needs to comply with is a sales tax license, for the durable medical equipment available for sale to the patients.

Moreover, Agape Home Healthcare Services will have to register and obtain an employer identification number from the State Department of Revenue and Treasury. From the legal point of view, Agape Home Healthcare Services will need to obtain liability insurance for the organization. The organization will provide their employees health insurance and a retirement plan.Technological Being equipped with the latest technology in software will be a great benefit to assist in obtaining the updated information on the services we will provide to our patients, as well as, educational information for the staff and patients. Seminars and conferences are available for the staff to take advantage of and attend these educational trainings. A foreseeable weakness for Agape Home Healthcare Services would be the loss of state grant funding at the organizations’ starting point, making it difficult to purchase the latest technology in software and computers.

Of concern to becoming a threat for Agape Home Healthcare Services would be the competition. Innovation Regarding to strengths and opportunities related to innovation, Agape Home Healthcare Services needs to develop and offer specialty services that will attract, serve, meet the needs of the patients, yet, keeping in mind the cost as well. Educational training and self-care techniques need to be offered to the patient and their caregivers in order to expand the uniqueness from the competitors.Thus, helping the organization develop a well know position within the community. The challenge for Agape Home Healthcare Services would be marketing the products and services to everyone in the best possible manner, and this could be seen as a weakness for the organization if not done properly. If, however, Agape Home Healthcare Services does not adopt the uniqueness in regard to their specialty and quality of products and services to meet and exceed the expectations of the customers, it will become a threat to the organization.

StructureThe overall structure of an organization is the key component of a successful business. The functions that lead to the structuring of an organization would be to define the strategic management and planning; this would give you a clear understanding of why it is important to the success of the business. It will also assist you in knowing how the four functions of management are relative to creating and implementing a strategic plan. Create the organizations’ mission and vision statements, in order to have a clear definition of what the organizations values will be.In addition to strategic planning, the development of strategic objectives, organizational objectives and goals in order to guide the organizations’ direction. Conduct an internal and external environment analysis periodically to make sure that the organization is headed in the right direction and/or to make the necessary changes to the strategic plan of Agape Home Healthcare Services.

Resources The organizations’ resources are the strength of Agape Home Healthcare Services. Which can be used to the maximum potential.The resources composed of the knowledge of the employees in reference to conducting quality care for the patients. The employees are the greatest resources at Agape Home Healthcare Services. The additional resources of Agape Home Healthcare Services that help to maintain the functionability of the organization are the equipment, the products and the line of credit from Chase Manhattan Bank.

Once more, the employees besides being the strength can also be considered as a weakness if not properly trained. It is critical that the staff are always receiving new training.Another opportunity related to the organizations’ resources is finding vendors who can supply the appropriate durable medical equipment for our patients, as well as, the office equipment. Culture The region in which Agape Home Healthcare Services is located affords a multi-culture population, however, the dominant culture is the Mexican ethnicity. This poses a threat for Agape Home Healthcare Services because this ethnic group does not believe in home healthcare because, they are very reserved and do not want outsiders inside their homes.Another factor is the limitation of finances because of poor economic growth may become a hindrance to adopt and meet different cultures and customs.

This could be a weakness in which the organization will have to work on. Conclusion After an extensive SWOTT analysis of Agape Home Healthcare Services, there is enough positive information gathered to indicate that the company is well balanced strategically. The plans are to proceed and become the most successful home healthcare center in this region.The expansion of the organization continues, changes will be necessary and will need to be implemented. | |External forces and trends considerations: | | |Strength |Weakness |Opportunity |Threat |Trends | |Economic |Easily Affordable |Current economic |State Grant Funding |Slump in economy means | | | |Variety of products |situation.

|customers do not have an | | | |and services | | |abundance of disposable | | | |Adaptability |Healthcare reform | |income | | |Technological |Being equipped with |Lack of initial |Adaptability to embrace new|Competing with the | | | |the latest technology |funding will result in|technology & incorporate it|competitors offering more| | | |software |renting the equipment |into the business |advanced products, | | | |Educational | | |services and workshops | | | |information for staff | | | | | | |& atients | | | | | |Innovation |Appeal for diversified|Marketing of the |Educational training and |Bring in uniqueness in |ts | | |customer |products to the |self-care techniques |regard to their specialty| | | |Servies & Products in |diversified customers |offered to the patient and |services and quality of | | | |accordance to meet all| |their caregivers |products. | | | |the customers’ needs | | | | | |Internal forces and trends considerations: | | |Strength |Weakness |Opportunity |Threat |Trends | | | | | | | | |Resources | products & services |Updated and |Efforts to find better |Staff not properly | | | |are cutting edge |appropriate training |quality products, suppliers|trained. | | | |to use the techniques |& value-added products & | | | | | |and tools to all |services | | | | | |employees | | | | |Culture |Staff diversity |Limited finances |New product lines, |Unable to meet all the | | | | | |different techniques & |cultures | | | | |Poor economy |tools | | | | | | | | | | | | |value-oriented culture|Ability to expand culture | | | References Pearce, J. A. II, & Robinson, R B. (2009).

Strategic management: Formulation, Implemention, and control (llth ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill