Strengths
When considering the factors that will help propel an organization to the top of the Pakistani apparel market, one will have to give the local companies credit for creating all premises for the identified industry to flourish. Textile production is currently the largest manufacturing industry in the state. Therefore, the availability of raw materials, as well as the services of numerous suppliers, allows creating an impressive supply management chain. The fact that the state is currently among the top producers of cotton also deserves to be mentioned among the primary success factors.
Furthermore, Pakistan has a unique culture and traditions that still define the lifestyles of its residents. Thus, the clothes created by the company that takes the specifics of the local culture into account are bound to be unique and authentic to the members of the global community. Thus, the organization cooperating with the Pakistani suppliers will be capable of creating a memorable and easily recognizable brand image and brand product. Consequently, the foundation for developing a strong competitive advantage in the global market and establishing itself among the target audiences will be possible (Sanchez-Triana et al. 18).
Weaknesses
Unfortunately, Pakistan has some weaknesses as a garment manufacturing country, and these weaknesses can become barriers to the successful entry of the companies operating in the target industry. First and most obvious, the issues associated with the R&D options need to be addressed. Because of the lack of emphasis on the significance of innovative approaches and products, the country does not provide extensive opportunities for R&D actions. Thus, it will be quite complicated to come up with an original idea that will serve as the groundbreaking concept in the garment manufacturing industry.
Furthermore, the fact that cotton remains one of the most common raw materials causes suppliers to neglect the opportunities for producing other types of fabric. Hence, product diversity is likely to be very low for a garment manufacturing company operating in Pakistan. The lack of quality standards is also likely to affect the firm’s chances to succeed. Consequently, building a substantial competitive advantage is bound to be rather difficult (Qi et al. 81).
Opportunities
Low costs and the opportunity to reduce the expenses to an even greater degree may become the basis for investing in marketing. Thus, a wider range of customers can be attracted. Furthermore, the chances for creating a brand product that will attract prospective customers’ attention and stand out from a range of similar products will emerge.
In addition, by reducing costs, the company working in the Pakistani environment will be able to invest in the quality of the end product. The identified step can be accomplished in a variety of ways, from establishing tighter control over the production processes to purchasing raw materials of the highest quality. As long as the organization applies a sustainable approach toward the allocation of its financial resources, success is guaranteed (Bhatti et al. 1178).
Threats
The possibility of being affected by the political instability of the region and, therefore, failing to use the available financial resources in a sustainable and adequate way should be deemed as the primary threat that Pakistan as the environment for building a garment manufacturing organization poses to entrepreneurs. In addition to the political confrontations that may hamper business development, new entries in the garment manufacturing industry should be viewed as a significant threat. Seeing that new company often incorporate innovative technologies into the set of their techniques and design unique brand products, establishing a presence in the identified environment may become a problem. In other words, there is a threat that new entries will oust the company from the market (Ghafoor and Zafar 79).
Works Cited
Bhatti, Muhammad Sultan, et al. “Current Trends and Identification of Critical Factors that are Hindrance in the Progress of Leather Industry in Pakistan.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary and Current Research, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1176-1180.
Ghafoor, Abdul, and Mehboob Zafar. “Determinants of Leather Exports from Pakistan: A Time Series Analysis.” VFAST Transactions on Education and Social Sciences, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 77-86.
Qi, Ershi, et al. Proceedings of the 5th International Asia Conference on Industrial Engineering and Management Innovation (IEMI2014). Springer, 2014.
Sanchez-Triana, Ernesto, et al. Revitalizing Industrial Growth in Pakistan: Trade, Infrastructure, and Environmental Performance. World Bank Publications, 2014.