what are the limitations of swot analysis 
while swot analysis is a powerful tool it does have some limitations it can sometimes oversimplify complex situations and is susceptible to the subjectivity and bias of participants the analysis also doesn t provide specific guidance on how to address identified issues and can lead to analysis paralysis if not followed by concrete action the bottom linea swot analysis is a great way to guide business strategy meetings it s powerful to have everyone in the room discuss the company s core strengths and weaknesses define the opportunities and threats and brainstorm ideas oftentimes the swot analysis you envision before the session changes throughout to reflect factors you were unaware of and would never have captured if not for the group s input a company can use a swot for overall business strategy sessions or for a specific segment such as marketing production or sales this way you can see how the overall strategy developed from the swot analysis will filter down to the segments below before committing to it you can also work in reverse with a segment specific swot analysis that feeds into an overall swot analysis although a useful planning tool swot has limitations it is one of several business planning techniques to consider and should not be used alone also each point listed within the categories is not prioritized the same swot does not account for the differences in weight therefore a deeper analysis is needed using another planning technique 