Sample IE matrix · Tala Provisions, Inc.
The Internal-External matrix places a company on a 3 × 3 grid from its IFE total across and its EFE total up. There is nothing to type here. It reads Tala Provisions' totals from the EFE and IFE samples, so change either one and the point moves. How it's scored
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How the IE matrix is scored
- Take the IFE total (horizontal axis) and the EFE total (vertical axis). Both must be valid.
- Band each: 3.0 to 4.0 high or strong, 2.0 to 2.99 medium or average, 1.0 to 1.99 low or weak. A total between two bands is placed in the lower one.
- The two bands give one of nine cells.
- Cells I, II and IV mean grow and build. Cells III, V and VII mean hold and maintain. Cells VI, VIII and IX mean harvest or divest.
Worked example: Tala Provisions
With an IFE of 2.65 and an EFE of 2.90, Tala lands in cell V: hold and maintain. Both totals sit in the middle band: an average internal position, and an average-to-good response to the outside world.
| Measure | Total | Band |
|---|---|---|
| IFE (across) | 2.65 | Average |
| EFE (up) | 2.90 | Medium |
| Cell | V | Hold and maintain |
In David's method, hold and maintain points to market penetration and product development rather than bold expansion. That fits a company with loyal customers and little spare roasting capacity.
Check how close the point sits to a band line. The EFE of 2.90 is just under the 3.0 line, so a slightly better response to two or three external factors would lift Tala into cell II, grow and build. The IFE is further from its line. Raise a rating in the EFE sample, come back, and watch the point move. IE is the only matching tool here with nothing to type: every change starts upstream.
Where it fits
IE depends on the EFE and IFE samples. If either is not valid, the IE shows why and offers to use the sample's completed values. Its reading sits alongside SPACE and Grand Strategy when you decide which TOWS strategies to score in the QSPM.
Common mistakes
- Swapping the axes. IFE runs across, EFE runs up.
- Plotting an invalid total. If the weights don't sum to 1.000, the total isn't valid, and the IE won't place it.
- Reading a cell as a single strategy. Each group of cells points to a family of strategies; TOWS supplies the specific ones.
FAQs
Is the IE matrix the same as the GE-McKinsey matrix?
They look alike. The IE uses IFE and EFE totals; GE-McKinsey uses its own attractiveness and strength measures.
Why does a total of 2.995 count as average?
The published bands leave a gap between 2.99 and 3.0. A total in the gap is placed in the lower band and flagged.
Can the IE plot several divisions?
David's method allows it. This sample, like a single-company capstone, plots the company as one point.
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