Harley Davidson Case Analysis
SIS Harley Davidson-Case 3
I. Company Profile / Summary (Brief) Harley Davidson Inc. is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Harley Davidson specializes in the sales of heavyweight motorcycles that are designed for cruising on highways. Harleys have a distinct design and exhaust sound that have appealed to a mass market of customers all over the world. Harley Davidson has relied on a strong fan base for sales of their motorcycles and apparel. They currently offer five different models of motorcycle to try and appeal to all different types of consumers. Their specialty is the “chopper” type of motorcycle. Harley Davidson has gone through numerous battles over the years to try and protect its name and reputation. Currently, Harley Davidson is thriving having revenue of $5.31 billion for the year 2011.
II. Situational Analysis
A. General External Environment (Analysis Required to Determine DFC’s, and KSF’s) • Sociocultural • Generational issues were a big factor to the success of Harley Davidson. Now that the baby-boomer generation was becoming older, they had an issue of trying to appeal to the younger generations. • Quality control was another issue that Harley Davidson encountered over the years. Following the 1981 leverage buyout, Harley’s new management introduced a total quality control program. This program relied on detection of defects earlier than the preexisting program which only detected defects prior to delivery. This new program helped transfer the responsibility of quality from the managers to the workers. • Technological • There are numerous advancements in technology in the motorcycle industry throughout the years. Harley had to deal with these changes by being innovative with their products and implementing these advancements into their motorcycles. This, in return, helped
I. Company Profile / Summary (Brief) Harley Davidson Inc. is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Harley Davidson specializes in the sales of heavyweight motorcycles that are designed for cruising on highways. Harleys have a distinct design and exhaust sound that have appealed to a mass market of customers all over the world. Harley Davidson has relied on a strong fan base for sales of their motorcycles and apparel. They currently offer five different models of motorcycle to try and appeal to all different types of consumers. Their specialty is the “chopper” type of motorcycle. Harley Davidson has gone through numerous battles over the years to try and protect its name and reputation. Currently, Harley Davidson is thriving having revenue of $5.31 billion for the year 2011.
II. Situational Analysis
A. General External Environment (Analysis Required to Determine DFC’s, and KSF’s) • Sociocultural • Generational issues were a big factor to the success of Harley Davidson. Now that the baby-boomer generation was becoming older, they had an issue of trying to appeal to the younger generations. • Quality control was another issue that Harley Davidson encountered over the years. Following the 1981 leverage buyout, Harley’s new management introduced a total quality control program. This program relied on detection of defects earlier than the preexisting program which only detected defects prior to delivery. This new program helped transfer the responsibility of quality from the managers to the workers. • Technological • There are numerous advancements in technology in the motorcycle industry throughout the years. Harley had to deal with these changes by being innovative with their products and implementing these advancements into their motorcycles. This, in return, helped