Competitive Capacity Scorecard® | Features

Classic Economic Development SWOT Analysis

The SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a core task of economic development strategic planning and marketing. Self-directed as well as consultant-managed SWOT analysis have a common set of problems:

• Reliance on published historical data which is 3-5 years old at best
  
• Published data is sketchy for small communities
  
• Analysis of available data requires judgment by the analyst
  
• The analyst must extrapolate the future from the past

The basic problem with a SWOT, is "expert opinion is only one opinion." Everyone has an opinion. Opinions are easily challenged.

SWOT Analysis: A New Approach

A Competitive Capacity Scorecard® removes the debate. It is not about opinion. It is about the facts. Competitive Capacity Scorecard uses a proprietary set of national benchmarks to provide a context for evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. Competitive Capacity supplements the data driven SWOT analysis to add critical new dimensions essential to understanding a community’s competitive position and setting a strategic course of action.

Benchmarks built on years of research objectively determine strengths and weaknesses… not one expert’s judgment.

Business Perspective separates noise from real business decision drivers.

Predictive Information highlights opportunities and threats previously invisible.

Economic Performance Forecast underscores existing employer’s future role.

Fresh Data instead of 3-5 year old government data.