Question

SnowSports Interactive: A Global Start-up’s Challenges

overview

Australia-based SnowSports Interactive’s core intellectual property combined the latest positioning, wireless, and identification technologies with proprietary tracking and analysis software. SSI identified the company’s business activities as subject to relatively high risk factors, risks that were related to its business activities and were also of a general business nature. These risks included: limited operating history and forecasted losses, intellectual property, national and international regulations, specific country laws, dependence on third -party suppliers, schedule delays, seasonal market fluctuations, and competition. To manage such risks, SSI managers prepared a risk management plan detailing both preventive and contingency actions.

CASE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Assess the company as a potential investor. Use a thorough SWOT analysis as a basis for your assessment. Utilize RBV and VRIO analytical tools to assess SSI’s core competences.

Answer 1

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis
Strengths	SSI Company
What are your business advantages?	intellectual property
What are your core competencies?	analysing software
Where are you making the most money?	not yet
What are you doing well?	not much
Weaknesses
What areas are you avoiding?	innovation and marketing
Where do you lack resources?	dependence on third -party suppliers
What are you doing poorly?	handling management
Where are you losing money?	might be
What needs improvement?	updating technologies
Opportunities
Any beneficial trends?	Exploring new technologies
Niches that competitors are missing?	already big brand companies
New technologies?	exploring stage
New needs of customers?	updated with what customers want
Threats
Obstacles to overcome?	dependence on third -party suppliers/ limited operating history
Aggressive competitors?	forecasted losses
Successful competitors?	competition
Negative economic conditions?	schedule delays
Government regulation?	specific country laws/national and international regulations
Changing business climate?	seasonal market fluctuations
Vulnerabilities?	intellectual property