...revenues, and more, the SWOT analysis looks at the company from a different angle. SWOT stands for Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. What are Harley-Davidson’s SWOT, specifically the opportunities and threats external to the organization and under consideration of the fact that they are looking to expand overseas? First we must define SWOT. The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to analyze the company from four key strategic areas to better determine what changes they should make. SWOT first looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the organization; these are internal factors to the company. This is to help the company get a firm grasp on its core market advantages and areas that competitors may criticize the company for. Companies typically make core strengths their focal point for marketing. The purpose of identifying and defining the organizations weaknesses is not only to bring them to light, but to understand them so that they can decide what areas to improve and what areas are inherent in their business. Opportunities and threats are factors external to the organization. Identifying opportunities will hopefully point out untapped opportunities organizational leaders should consider capitalizing on. Threats identify external factors like changes in government regulations, costs, environmental standards or any other condition change that can affect the company external to the company itself. The threats to Harley-Davidson are considerable. For starters...
Words: 973 - Pages: 4
...College 12-10-2010 Harley-Davidson, Inc.: A Strategic Audit Sheila Lenz Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses Part of the Accounting Commons, Sales and Merchandising Commons, and the Strategic Management Policy Commons Recommended Citation Lenz, Sheila, "Harley-Davidson, Inc.: A Strategic Audit" (2010). Honors Theses. Paper 1853. This Honors Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Lee Honors College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu. WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY Harley-Davidson, Inc.: A Strategic Audit Sheila Lenz December 10, 2010 LEE HONORS COLLEGE - CAPSTONE THESIS 2 Table of Contents Analysis Business 3 Mission Statement Analysis 3 Porter's Exercise 4 Marketing Strategy 5 Financial Analysis 5 IFAS Summary 9 EFAS Summary 10 SFAS Summary 11 Recommendations SWOT Analysis 12 Portfolio Analysis 16 Corporate Strategy 16 Business Competitive Strategy 18 Business Cooperative Strategy 18 Conclusion 19 Works Cited 20 Harley-Davidson, Inc.: A Strategic Audit Analysis Business Harley-Davidson, Inc., known for its famous bar and shield trademark, is based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is currently a public company with over 100 years of experience producing motorcycles. Harley consists of two...
Words: 4515 - Pages: 19
...Question 1 SWOT Analysis Harley- Davidson being the largest motorcycle manufacturing company should set their goals and objectives and put them into action this is by carrying out a SWOT analysis on the their product. The SWOT analysis allows for the organizations achievable goals to be reached. Identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable to achieving the objectives is very important to businesses. The SWOT analysis is made up of Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths are the characteristics that give a business a competitive advantage over other businesses. The case of Harley-Davidson has based its marketing strategy on not only selling the motorbikes but also the lifestyle whereas its competitors only concentrate on selling their products. Since the price of motorcycles is expensive, Harley has been able to create value by keeping the value of motorcycles below demand, this enables the business to compete with the other manufacturers whose prices are low. Harley developed a strategy of value over price that is offered through customization options and niches. Weaknesses is an internal characteristic that places the business at a disadvantage with others, the fact that Harley is a large manufacturer worldwide means that more resources should be used in ensuring that quality products are taken to the market hence the motorcycle prices would be higher than those of its competitors. Opportunities involves all the elements that a project could...
Words: 525 - Pages: 3
...STRATEGIC AUDIT HARLEY DAVIDSON Inc Audit Team: Graeme Eldridge Enya Gu Areeya Ongmongkonkun John Gao CONTENTS |Case Abstract |3 | |History |4 | |Current Situation | | |Performance |5 | |Strategic Position | | |Mission |5 | |Objectives |5 | |Strategy |6 | |Policies |6 | |Corporate Governance | ...
Words: 6565 - Pages: 27
...Sales at Harley-Davidson”, pages 75-76 and “Delta Air Lines plays Catch-Up”, pages 77-79. This paper combines both case studies in one document, depicting business driven information systems used and strategic decision making from both well known businesses. Case Study 1 Chapter 2, Closing Case Two (Revving Up Sales at Harley-Davidson), pages 75-76 1. How does Talon help Harley-Davidson employees improve their decision-making capabilities? Talon is the information system that Harley-Davidson uses. It handles the inventory, vehicle registration, warranties and point-of-sale transactions for all Harley-Davidson dealerships. “The system checks dealers’ inventory, generates parts orders, and analyzes global organization information” (Phillips, 2009). Talon has been one of Harley-Davidson most successful informational systems used. Talon has provided Harley-Davidson employee the information needed to earn more revenue. Harley-Davidsons’ $50 million is more than 2 percent of its revenue and far above the manufacting industry average. “Talon gives Harley-Davidson managers’ a 360-degree view into enterprisewide information that supports strategic goal setting and decision making throughout all levels of the organization” (Phillips, 2009). 2. Identify a few key metrics a Harley-Davidson marketing executive might want to monitor on a digital dashboard. Marketing executive may want to monitor their performance, internal and external. This will show Harley-Davidson is keeping...
Words: 1177 - Pages: 5
...HARLEY-DAVIDSON STRATEGIC PLAN Submitted by Stacey Wagner Prepared for Professor Don Looney Business Policies and Strategies Spring 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS VISION STATEMENT .................................................................................................... 3 MISSION STATEMENT ................................................................................................. 3 EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................... 3 External Audit ................................................................................................................. 3 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis ......................................................................................... 7 External Factor Matrix .................................................................................................... 8 Table 1 ................................................................................................................ 8 Competitive Profile Matrix ............................................................................................. 9 Table 2 ................................................................................................................ 9 INTERNAL ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 10 Key Internal Forces ........................................................................................................
Words: 5581 - Pages: 23
...BUSINESS STRETEGY | HARLEY DAVIDSON | | SUBMITTED BY- MANISHA YADAV(IB/05/04) | | SUBMITTED TO-MR. AMIT SAREEN | 9/14/2013 | | Table of content Chapters | Page No | Introduction | | History | | Value | | Vision,Mission | | Product Extension | | Intensive Strategies | | Organizational Chart | | Management | | İnternal & External Forces | | Micheal Porter Analysis | | Market Share | | Human Resource | | Strategic mix | | Competitive Profile Mix | | Internal Analysis Factor Mix | | SWOT & SWOT Matrix | | BCG | | Conclusion | | Possible Strategies | | Introduction Harley-Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer with a rich history and cultural tradition. Founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, WI, Harley just celebrated its 100th anniversary with a series of events around the world that culminated in hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists rallying last summer on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1929, there were 241 motorcycle manufacturers in the US. After the Depression, only two remained: Harley and Indian. By 1953, Indian went out of business, leaving Harley-Davidson as the only American motorcycle manufacturer. Financial difficulties in the 1970’s led to the parent company, AMF putting the motorcycle division up for sale. Without a buyer, a group of Harley managers bought out the company and rescued it with a business turnaround that included brand extensions into licensed...
Words: 2820 - Pages: 12
...Case Study: Harley-Davidson -Analyse Harley-Davidson resources and capabilities, and identify its key strengths and weaknesses - Analyse the international competitive environment in which Harley-Davidson is operating to identify its main threats and opportunities. Recommend a forward strategy for Harley-Davidson, which addresses these issues. International Management Individual Assignment Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Harley Davidson Overview 4 2.1. Harley-Davidson Current Strategy 4 2.2. Resources And Capabilities 5 3. Industry Analysis 6 3.1. Porter’s Five Forces Model 6 3.2. International Competitive Environment 7 4. SWOT Analysis 9 5. Forward strategy recommendation for Harley-Davidson 10 6. Conclusions 12 6. References 13 1. Introduction This report is based on Harley-Davidson, Inc., case study. The aim of this report is to analyse industry and international competitive environment where Harley-Davidson is operating in. One must apply and fully analyse theoretical concepts and frameworks in order to fully comprehend how Harley-Davidson is differentiate itself in the international competitive environment and what strategies is using to achieve higher market share. The empirical material is being analysed by exploring the general information of Harley-Davidson company itself, following by the industry and competitive environment analysis, review of SWOT theoretical framework. Finalising with the recommendations of forward...
Words: 3108 - Pages: 13
...Executive Summary- Analysis and Conclusion BUS499- Business Policy & Strategic Solutions Executive Summary – Environmental Analysis The motorcycle industry is a consolidated industry. The U.S. and international heavyweight motorcycle markets are highly competitive. The major players, such as Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda, generally have financial and marketing resources that are substantially greater than the non-major players. Competitions in the heavyweight motorcycle market are based on several factors; price, quality, reliability, styling, product features, customer preference, and warranties. Harley’s first segment is the motorcycle and related products business. It included designing, manufacturing, and selling primarily heavyweight touring and custom motorcycles and offering a broad range of related products that included motorcycle parts and accessories and riding apparel. The custom products charge a higher price because of its features, styling, and high resale value. Their target market is mainly in US. By the end of 1997, they have an approximate 48.3% share in the US market, 6.1% share in European, and 16.5% share in Asia/Pacific. New competitors have entered the marketplace because demand for the motorcycles has exceeded production. The demand is prospected to grow in the future, and the switching cost is low. A host of internal and external factors influence a firm's choice of direction and action and, ultimately, its organizational structure and internal...
Words: 903 - Pages: 4
...Our report handles the problem of how Harley Davidson which produces traditional bikes can maintain its position in this changing environment. Company Information: Harley Davidson’s EPS has been growing at a very strong rate for the last decade. Since 1996 the company’s EPS has grown at an extremely fast 22 % annual rate. Industry Structure: Decisional Problem: Decision Alternatives: Alternative One - Continue as before / Status Quo Alternative Two – Reposition Buell Alternative Three – Renewing the Harley Davidson Brand Alternative four – Selling Buell Statements: Vision Mission Question 4 Internal and External analysis of Harley Davidson Harley Davidson appears to be doing financially sound. This company has been around over a century now and it continues to have a strong presence in the world market for heavy weight cruisers. We will perform a strategic analysis to identify HD`s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and threats. External analysis Porter’s five forces Internal Rivalry: The market for heavyweight motorcycles is fairly concentrated. There are only four major firms producing these motorcycles. In addition to HD the other three are Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki. HD has been a dominant player in the market with a market share of over 50% in the past. Today this market share has fallen to about 50% due to other manufacturing companies expanding their motorcycle production and through heavy marketing especially...
Words: 1459 - Pages: 6
...Introduction • Harley-Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer.•One of two major American motorcycle manufacturers•The company sells heavyweight (over 750cc) motorcycles•have a distinctive design and exhaust note.•especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization•Harley-Davidson sustains a loyal brand community History William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson make available to the public the first productionHarley-Davidson® motorcycle. The bike was built to be a racer, with a 3-1/8 inch boreand 3-1/2 inch stroke. The factory in which they worked was a 10 x 15-footwooden shedwith the words "Harley-Davidson Motor Company" crudely scrawled on the door.Arthur's brother Walter later joins their efforts. Mission statement •We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve tocreate superior value for all of our stakeholders. Proposed Vision “To be recognized as the best motorcycle company in the world” External EnvironmentEconomic- •Confidence in economy is directly proportional to the purchasing of consumer items.•The economic crisis will hit this segment very much.•Currency fluctuation is also a big problem in this industry • Revenue from sales outside the using increased 7% from 2006 to 2007 Technological – • As technology changes, customers’ expectations increase.•Harley-Davidson is one of the main manufacturer and user of V-ENGINEconfiguration.•Harley-Davidson’s have a wide variety of products according to Standard...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, AND ADMINISTRATION VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1, 2005 Assessing A Firm’s Future Financial Health Alicia Kritsonis MBA Graduate Student California State University, Dominquez Hills ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to explain a step-by-step process that can assess whether a firm will remain in balance over the next two to three years. Various financial ratios will be discussed as a critical aspect of this process analysis. A case study of assessing the future health of the Harley Davidson, Inc. using a ratio analysis is included in the article to explain the step-by-step process used by managers to ensure a firm’s success. A great analogy comes to mind when considering the effects of assessing your firm’s future health. It is helpful to think of your firm as a three-legged stool. The legs are operations, marketing, and finance/accounting. As you, the leader, try to sit atop the stool, it must be balanced so that you can shift your position and sit comfortably. However, if one of the legs of the stool is too short or too long, then the stool is difficult to manage and unstable (http://www.thefullermangroup.com). Here is an example of an unbalanced firm. A firm borrows cash in order to expand its facility and operating capacity. However, sales remain constant resulting in a cash shortage. Consequently, the increased overhead costs diminish the working capital. Purchase discounts are missed resulting in decreased margins. The...
Words: 6632 - Pages: 27
...Final Research Paper Harley Davidson Company Name: Institution: Table of Contents Executive summary 1 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 Situation Analysis 2 2.1 Strategic pillars to ensure continued success and growth 2 2.1.1Producing environmentally suitable products 2 2.1.2Making new models and modifying existing models 3 2.1.3 Employing competent and robust leadership 3 2.1.4Ensuring sustainability in maintaining future success 3 2.2 Internal performance 4 2.3 Performance indicators 5 2.4 Industry perspectives 6 2.5 External factors 8 Problem Analysis and Description 9 Solutions, evaluations and recommendation 11 4.1 Diversify their products 11 4.2 Aggressive advertisement locally and internationally 12 4.3 Improve plant efficiency 12 4.4 Recommendations 13 Implementation Plan 13 Success Metrics 14 Bibliography 16 Appendix 18 Executive summary 1.0 Introduction Harley-Davidson Company is an American automotive company that specialises in producing motorbikes founded in 1903. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. Harley Davidson is one of the most robust and financially strong companies with over 5900 employees and sales reaching $6.23 billion (Forbes, 2015). The company manufactures and sells heavyweight motorcycles and motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise. They also offer other related services like financing retailers and insurance. 1.1 Background ...
Words: 5291 - Pages: 22
...Harley-Davidson: Strategic Profile and Case Analysis Della Shelly, Melie Solomon, Jim Tunison Misericordia University Table of Contents Section I: Introduction3 Section II: Company History3 Section IIa: The Road to Decline4 Section IIb: The Turnaround5 Section III: Porter’s 5 Forces6 Section IV: SWOT Analysis7 Section V: Looking Forward11 Section VI: Future Strategic Actions 12 Section VII: Achieving Continued Success 12 Section VII: Conclusion14 Section VII: Sources 15 ------------------------------------------------- Section I: Introduction Harley-Davidson is an American cultural and business icon. Surprisingly, it has achieved its fame and fortune by essentially relying on designing, manufacturing, selling, and servicing a relatively stable product: two wheels, a 45 V-Twin engine, and a set of handlebars. The most striking distinction about Harley is not the fact that it is successful in selling a single product for over one hundred years, but the fact that its motorcycles have maintained its attractiveness with a broad range of consumers. Outlaw bikers, investment bankers, and people in the middle of a midlife crisis, all seem to be drawn to its lure. Harley can attract such a melting pot of consumers because it is a representation of the American dream…Freedom. ------------------------------------------------- Section II: Company History Harley-Davidson enjoyed a decent amount of success soon after its inception in 1903. The founders, William...
Words: 3496 - Pages: 14
...Strategic Audit of Harley-Davidson Current Situation A. Current Performance 2008 ❖ Revenue 2008 $5.59 billion down from $5.73 billion in ❖ Net Income $654.7 million down from $933.8 million i ❖ Earnings per stock share $2.70 down from $3.74 in 20 ❖ Motorcycles sold 303,470 down from 330,619 in 2007 http://investor.harley-davidson.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=360949 B. Strategic Posture * Mission ❖ We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all of our stakeholders. * Objectives * We fulfill dreams inspired by the many roads of the world by providing extraordinary motorcycles and customer experiences. We fuel the passion for freedom in our customers to express their own individuality. * Strategies ❖ Get Cost structure correct ❖Obtain funding for Harley-Davidson Financial Services ❖Invest in the Harley-Davidson Brand ❖ Policies ❖Customers for life.... Harley-Davidson values the deep emotional connection that is created with our customers through our products, services and experiences. We are fueled by brand loyalty and trust that our customers place in us to deliver premium quality and the promise of a fulfilling lifetime ownership experience. We exemplify this commitment by embracing a culture of personal responsibility and stewardship for quality in everything we do. 2. Corporate Governance A. Bo DIRECTORS | JOB...
Words: 2610 - Pages: 11
