As this example illustrates, a SWOT analysis can be used to evaluate entire companies or individual operations within an organization. All companies' competitive advantages can erode over time if internal strengths eventually become weaknesses. Consequently, an analysis of an organization's internal environment, that is, a company's strengths and weaknesses, often begins with an assessment of its distinctive competencies and core capabilities. A distinctive competence is something that a company can make, do, or perform better than its competitors.