Artifact: Threats and Opportunities Analysis
This artifact captures the external environmental conditions, threats, and opportunities that might affect the portfolio.
Domains: Portfolio Management
Relationships
Description
Main Description

As part of the competitive analysis activities conducted during portfolio monitoring activity, a set of tasks should be focused on understanding external environmental conditions and considerations that can impact the selection or prioritization of the work within the portfolio.

This artifact serves to capture the result of this competitive analysis work by summarizing the results of findings and providing recommendations for the portfolio stakeholders and decision-makers. The intention of such recommendations should be to exploit benefits and opportunities while mitigating risks and threats.

The external factors often include (but are not limited to) these considerations:

  • Macroeconomic matters
  • Technological change
  • Legislation
  • Socio-cultural changes
  • Changes in the marketplace or competitive position

Examples of opportunities and threats include, but are not limited to, these possibilities:

  • Competitor's vulnerabilities
  • Industry or lifestyle trend changes
  • Joint partnerships and distributions
  • Economies of scale
  • Technological innovations
  • Niche target markets
  • Political or legislative changes
  • Changes to market demands
  • Supplier and buyer concentrations
  • Critical skills movement
  • Seasonality and weather effects
Tailoring
Representation Options

The results of the Threats and Opportunities Analysis are often presented in the form of a matrix. This artifact can be maintained by using a text document, spreadsheet, or a portfolio management application, such as IBM Rational Focal Point.