This year at SAMIBC2020 we are pleased to announce another of our presenters, Hendrikus van Bulck from the University of South Carolina – Sumter. Dr. van Bulck will be presenting the paper Windmill analysis: A comprehensive strategic review technique.
Presentation Abstract: Businesses of all sizes must continuously assess their strategic decisions. Common frameworks used for such analysis may include strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (S.W.O.T.) analysis, the Boston Consulting Group (B.G.S.) quadrant, the GE-McKinsey nine-box matrix, Porter’s five competitive forces diamond, benchmarking, core competency and a balance scorecard. These tools are widely accepted but their usefulness is limited because of a narrow focus.
This conceptual paper proposes a more comprehensive yet easy to use analytical frame work. This model can be used by large and small organizations. This framework uses the elements and functionalities of traditional Dutch windmills to guide the analyst through the strategic review process. The flexibility of this model allows integration of traditional strategy analysis tools. The paper includes case examples of the application of windmill analysis and provides a summary matrix. This matrix connects the elements of the windmill to strategic questions and outcomes.
Dutch windmills have been around for seven centuries. There are many different types of windmills such as grain mills, water mills, lumber mills, textile and paper mills. Although they all serve a different purpose, they all work with the same principles. The most striking part of the mill are the four wings. The elements that make up this analytical model are the wind, the mill’s purpose and structure, the four wings (“wieken”) and sails (“zeilen”), the axle or shaft, the cap, internal shafts and gears, elevation, windows and doors, the tail (“staart”), wheel (“kruirad”), chains and posts, the brake (“vang”), the lightning rod and the sounds of the windmill.
The windmill analysis has four cornerstones. (1) Wind represents opportunity, but wind is variable. It changes in strength and direction. (2) The windmill’s wings and sails that capture the wind represent the company’s marketing mix, centered around the target market or customers (the axle or shaft). (3) The internal gears and mechanism transfer the torque of the axle into purpose and operations. (4) The windmill uses principles of leverage to turn (position) the mill toward the wind. These four cornerstones are integrally connected to projecting and forecasting, compliance, supply-chains, platform, competition and risk management.
Join us in Nashville, Tennessee to see this great paper and many more March 19 – 21, 2020. For registration information visit www.samnational.org/conference.