SWOT analysis is a highly powerful tool for decision-making since it illuminates one’s both external and internal elements. In the case of project management, the usefulness of SWOT can be high or low on the basis of a situation, whereas SWOT is universally useful in other managerial endeavors. Projects differ from organizational management since the former has a set completion date and primarily a fixed amount of time and resources. Therefore, SWOT, which is highly useful for organizational management, might occasionally be inapplicable to project management due to the lack of prioritization.
One of the major flaws of SWOT analysis is the lack of hierarchy and prioritization. When identifying strengths and weakness or opportunities or threats, SWOT does not factor in which one of the boxes require the most immediate attention (Frue, 2018). Although prioritization is always relevant, it is critical importance is elevated in regard to projects since timelines are short and rigid. For example, a company can have more freedom in addressing several problems at once since an organization is equivalent to a long-term project with no definite deadline. However, a project has a fixed deadline and fixed amount of resources, which is why SWOT’s lack of prioritization is a problem.
In conclusion, it should be noted that SWOT analysis is an outstanding tool for decision making, which can show the full picture of an organization, but projects are time restricted and resource-restricted, which is why prioritization is critical for project management. However, SWOT does not have plausible methods of problem hierarchy, which is why the given analytical tool might not show a full picture of a project.
Reference
Frue, K. (2018). 5 surprising disadvantages of SWOT analysis. PESTLE Analysis. Web.