What is the PEST model?? PEST is a useful analytical tool used by many companies. The main purpose of this model is to help companies identify objective factors outside the company, such as economic, political, social factors and technological change. So What is PEST?? What factors are included in the PEST model? For more information on this model, see Johnson's Blog Read the article below
What is PEST?
PEST is a framework used in strategic analysis to assess external macro-environmental factors that can affect an organization. It stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors.
PEST consists of 4 elements:
- Political factors refer to the influence of government policies, laws and regulations on businesses. These factors may include tax policy, trade regulations and political stability.
- Economic factors include macroeconomic conditions such as interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and economic growth. These factors can have a significant impact on the demand for goods and services and on the profitability of the business.
- Social factors refer to cultural, demographic and social trends that can influence consumer behavior and preferences. These factors may include population demographics, changing lifestyles, and social attitudes.
- Technological factors refer to the impact of new technology on businesses and industries. These factors may include advances in automation, data analytics, and communication technology.
By analyzing these four factors, organizations can better understand the external environment in which they operate and identify opportunities and threats that may arise.
>>> See more: Steps to make a professional and methodical business plan
Learn the factors included in the PEST model
Political and legal factors
Business is subject to the laws and policies that govern the company's business regardless of country or region, and is a factor that has a significant influence on all of its business.
So what are the political and legal factors that companies look for in PEST tools?
Political factors are one of four types of external macro-environmental factors in the PEST framework. These factors refer to the influence of government policies, laws and regulations on businesses. Some examples of political factors are:
- Government stability: Government stability can have a significant impact on businesses operating within a country. Uncertainty can create uncertainty, which can deter investors and harm businesses.
- Policy of taxTax policies such as corporate tax rates, income tax rates, and sales taxes can affect a business' profits and competitiveness.
- Trade regulationsTrade regulations, such as tariffs and quotas, can affect international businesses' ability to enter new markets and trade goods and services.
- Labor LawLabor law, such as minimum wage laws, employment regulations, and health and safety standards, can affect a business' operations and costs.
- Environmental regulations: Environmental regulations, such as emission standards and waste disposal regulations, can affect business operations and sustainable practices.
- Political risk: Political risk refers to the potential negative impact on a business due to political instability, terrorism, and war.
By analyzing political factors, businesses can better understand the political context in which they operate and identify potential risks and opportunities.
>>> See more: Ansoff's Matrix what? Strategies and uses of the Ansoff . matrix
Economic factors (Economic)
Economic factors are one of four types of external macro-environmental factors in the PEST framework. These factors refer to broader economic conditions that can affect a business' operations, growth, and profitability. Some examples of economic factors are:
- Economic growth: The overall growth of the economy can impact business demand for goods and services, profits, and investment opportunities.
- Inflationary: Inflation refers to the overall increase in prices over time, which can affect the costs and prices of a business's goods and services.
- Interest rateInterest rates can affect the cost of borrowing, investment, and consumer spending by businesses.
- Exchange rateExchange rate: The exchange rate refers to the value of one currency against another, which can affect a business' international trade and investment.
- Unemployment rate: The unemployment rate can affect business labor costs, consumer spending, and demand for goods and services.
- Consumer confidence: Consumer confidence refers to consumers' overall sentiment and outlook on the economy, which can affect a business's sales and profits.
See more: Blue ocean Strategy what? Right time to adjust
Social factors (Social)
The third factor that influences PEST tools is sociocultural. Each country, region, region and location has unique socio-cultural characteristics that strongly influence consumer trends, behaviors and desires.
Spiritual culture and long-standing culture in particular are very closely and widely protected by the state, most noticeable especially in areas that want to penetrate the market.
Here, social factors are also related to the demographic, sociological and psychological factors of the consumer, such as age distribution, birth rate, and behavioral tendencies of children. People.
These factors refer to broader social trends and cultural values that can impact business operations and success. Some examples of social factors are:
- DemographicDemographics: Demographics such as age, gender, income, and education can impact a business's target market and consumer behavior.
- Cultural trends: Cultural trends such as fashion, music, and food preferences can impact a business' marketing and product development strategies.
- Health and wellness: Health and wellness trends like organic food and fitness can impact your marketing and product development strategies.
- Lifestyle change: Changes in lifestyle patterns such as work-life balance, urbanization, and single-person households can impact businesses' products and services.
- Attitudes and values: Attitudes and values such as environmental protection, social responsibility and ethical consumerism can affect reputation and image trademark of the enterprise.
- Tech-savvy: A consumer's level of technology savvy can influence businesses' adoption of new technologies and digital marketing strategies.
Technological factors (Technological)
If your business does not keep up to date with the latest technological advancements to survive and develop sustainably in the long run, your business may fall behind or be "kicked" out of the market.
If technological advances in manufacturing improve day by day, your competitors are far ahead of you in terms of their ability to produce 3-5 times as many products as you, thus yielding more products. to consumers who can co-sell. Employees have access to new business models. New technology can make employees more productive than the company.
These factors refer to the impact of technological advances on a business's operations, processes, and products. Some examples of technological elements are:
- Research and development: The extent to which investments in research and development can affect a firm's ability to innovate and remain competitive.
- Automation: The adoption of automation technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence can impact labor costs, productivity, and business efficiency.
- Communication technology: The emergence of new communication technologies such as social networks and instant messaging can impact a business's marketing and customer acquisition strategies.
- Protect intellectual property: The degree of intellectual property protection can affect an enterprise's ability to protect innovations and technologies.
- Digital Transformation: Transforming business processes and operations through the adoption of digital technologies such as cloud computing and blockchain can impact business efficiency and competitiveness.
- Network security: The extent of the cybersecurity threat and adoption of cybersecurity technologies that can affect an enterprise's reputation and ability to protect data and assets.
>>> See more: Learn about ASK model and the benefits of the model in business
Benefits of PEST
Other than SWOT model, in the PEST analysis, the focus is solely on external factors, such as current and future regulations, taxes, political issues, environmental and labor laws. Benefits of using PEST analysis include:
- Comprehensive view of the external environment: PEST analysis helps organizations take a broad and holistic view of the external environment by analyzing political, economic, social and technological factors that can impact their business .
- Business Continuity Planning (BCP) better: PEST analysis enables organizations to identify potential opportunities and threats in the external environment and develop strategies to take advantage of opportunities and mitigate threats.
- Make informed decisions: PEST analysis provides organizations with information and insights that can help them make informed decisions about their operations, strategy and investments.
- Improve risk management: PEST analysis helps organizations identify potential risks in the external environment and develop risk management strategies to mitigate them.
- Competitive advantage: PEST analysis can help organizations stay competitive by providing insights into the broader industry and competitive landscape.
- Better market research: PEST analysis can be used to gather information on broader macro-environmental factors that may impact a particular market or industry, improving market research.
PEST analysis is a valuable tool that can help organizations better understand the external macro-environmental factors that may impact their business and develop strategies to maintain the integrity of their business. competitive and successful.
Limitations of PEST
Although PEST analysis can provide valuable insights into the external macro-environmental factors that can impact an organization, it also has some limitations. Some of these limitations include:
- Lack of specificity: PEST analysis provides a broad view of the external environment, which can be too general and lack specificity, making it difficult to apply to specific business situations.
- Static analysis: PEST analysis provides a snapshot of the external environment at a specific point in time and does not take into account changes that may occur over time.
- Too much focus on external factors: PEST analysis only focuses on external macro-environmental factors and does not take into account internal factors such as organizational culture, resources and capabilities.
- Limited analysis of interdependence: PEST analysis does not consider interdependencies between various external factors, which may lead to oversimplification of the external environment.
- Reliance on subjective judgment: PEST analysis relies on subjective judgment to explain external factors and their potential impact on the organization, which can be influenced by personal biases and limited knowledge.
How to analyze PEST
Follow these steps to analyze PEST:
Identify political and legal factors
Conduct research to identify laws or policies that affect the business. These factors may include:
- Documentation regarding the source of the material or product (import quotas, tariffs, subsidies and subsidies, and incentives)
- Documents related to human resources (visa, EEOC request, vaccine request)
- Documents related to production and operation
- Documents related to accounting and finance (tax increases, reductions and deductions, ...)
- Documents related to marketing and customer needs (online business, ecommerce, promotions, ..)
>>>See more: Understand and apply 80 20 principle How to get the best results?
Identify economic factors
Conduct research to identify economic factors affecting businesses. These factors may include:
- Consumer price indexes, inflation, employment, consumer confidence, income and wages.
- Financial indicators, interest rates.
- Indicators of unemployment rate and measures to combat recession.
- Supply chain and tariff indicators.
- Salary and employment metrics to see if you need a raise to attract talent.
>>> See more: Canvas Business Model ?
Identify social factors
Conduct research to identify social factors affecting businesses. These factors may include:
- Perception and demographics of the customer or target market.
- Feedback from customers about why they bought and why they returned or canceled.
- Factors involved in regional market analysis to understand your potential customers.
>>> See more: Business strategy model what? How to design a business model?
Identify technological factors
This is especially important if you work in the technology industry, factors that may include:
- New programming languages and methods can make your product or service faster, more precise, more specific.
- The new app helps deliver your business' product or service in a variety of ways.
- New technology or process to make your product stronger, smarter, cheaper, more convenient, easier to deliver.
>>> See more: What is strategy?? Business strategy planning tips
Applications of PEST . analysis
PEST analysis is a useful tool to help organizations identify external macro-environmental factors that may affect their business, strategy and decision-making. Some common applications of PEST analysis are:
- Strategic planning: PEST analysis can help organizations identify potential risks and opportunities in the external environment and develop strategies to address them.
- Market research: PEST analysis can be used to gather information about broader macro-environmental factors that may impact a particular market or industry.
- Investment analysis: PEST analysis can help investors identify potential risks and opportunities in the external environment and make informed investment decisions.
- Product development: PEST analysis can provide insights into consumer trends and preferences, allowing organizations to develop products that meet market needs.
- Risk management: PEST analysis can help organizations identify potential risks in the external environment and develop risk management strategies to mitigate them.
- Competitive analysis: PEST analysis can help organizations better understand the industry and competitive landscape, and develop strategies to stay competitive.
Overall, PEST analysis can be a useful tool for organizations to better understand the external macro-environmental factors that may impact their business and develop strategies to maintain their business performance. stay competitive and successful.
Epilogue
Analysis of PEST is a useful tool for organizations to assess external macro-environmental factors that may affect their business, strategy and decision-making. By analyzing the political, economic, social and technological factors that can impact their business, organizations can gain a holistic view of the external environment and develop new strategies. Strategies to take advantage of opportunities and minimize risks. Through this article, Johnson's Blog provided information about PEST . concept and the essentials for the PEST model. Hope the above information is useful to you. If you want more information do not hesitate to contact us.
See more: Management model for business