In a project to improve customer satisfaction, a team uses SWOT Analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses, Stakeholder Analysis to understand the expectations of key stakeholders, and a Fishbone Diagram to find potential causes of customer dissatisfaction. Which combination of these techniques is most effective in developing a comprehensive strategy for improvement?

The best approach is to use all three techniques together. First, a SWOT analysis gives a clear picture of the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats. Second, stakeholder analysis pulls in the needs and concerns of customers, managers, suppliers and other key parties, ensuring the plan addresses the right expectations. Third, a Fishbone diagram digs into the root causes of the dissatisfaction that the SWOT and stakeholder insights have highlighted. Together, these tools create a strategy that is internally grounded, externally responsive, and causally focused, so the improvement plan is both realistic and targeted.