Ford has suffered with sinking share prices, negative sales volumes, high structural costs, high contribution costs, and stalled growth that is negatively impacting the company’s overall operating profits. Operating margins dropped in Ford’s major markets which includes, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and North America during its first quarter of 2017. Debt crisis, higher pension costs, seismic shifts in buying behavior, political crisis, currency fluctuations and deteriorating economies are all rationales that hinder Ford’s return to profitability (Aluise, 2014). As profit margins continue to weaken, investors are seeking in other directions. Fields, Ford’s 2014 past CEO, spent billions on planning, while also showing …show more content…
The SWOT analysis identifies Ford’s developed strengths that can be used in tackling any weaknesses, opportunities, and chances to address any threats that the company is facing that will help maximize their practice. In order to be successful in becoming one of the top company’s in the automotive industry, Ford must be capable in addressing the company’s main issues, so that performance is enhanced.
It is obvious in this analysis that Ford suffers in the amount of time it takes to implement strategies, more global production efficiency, and competition with existing rivals and those new firms entering the market. Improving investments in areas such as research and developments will allow for products to be more efficient and up-to-date. Ford can attack competitive rivals and new entrants in the market, by speeding up their production and innovation process. Global production efficiency should be addressed through production network expansion, which will increase economies of scale. Ford will become ahead in the automotive industry, with more attractive cost efficient products, allowing more feasible ways to “execute sustainability strategies” (Ford Motor Company, n.d.) as planned from 2018 to