BMW SWOT Analysis
Module I: BMW
Augusto Avendaño
Global Strategies- IG 200
Professor Harold Wilson
January 30th, 2014.
History
1916 BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke as it is known in German, starts building engines and planes (BMW Group, n.d.).
1928 With the acquisition of Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, BMW starts building its first cars (BMW Group, n.d.).
1939 At the outbreak of the SWW, BMW is classified as an armaments manufacturer and therefore given priority in the allocation of resources. It devotes mainly to the manufacture of aircraft engines (BMW Group, n.d.).
1945 The company is stripped of most of its assets as compensation and survives only making pots and bicycles (BMW Group, n.d.).
1948 The first BMW motorcycle comes out of production line, the R24. Success is total and around 9,000 units are sold the next year (BMW Group, n.d.).
1959 By the end of this decade, number where not as good as expected so Daimler-Benz offers to buy the company. Small shareholders and the workforce strongly oppose the idea for they had faith in the eventual success of the BMW 700 model. Their tenacity convinced Herbert Quandt to buy even more shares thus preserving the company’s independence (BMW Group, n.d.).
1961 The BMW 1500 model is a commercial success and within only two years, the company would be profiting again (BMW Group, n.d.).
1973 Bob Lutz implements a new strategy of worldwide sales subsidiaries (BMW Group, n.d.).
1994 A plant is open in the U.S (BMW Group, n.d.).
1998 Acquisition of the prestigious Rolls Royce (BMW Group, n.d.).
2000 The company realigns its strategy and decides to focus only in the premium segment (BMW Group, n.d.).
2007 Strategy number ONE is pursued (BMW Group, 2012, P. 2).
Strategic Leadership
Without doubt, Herbert Quandt is the main person behind the company’s current positioning. As we saw in the timeline, he saved BMW from bankruptcy simply because he believed in the unions and their unshakeable faith in both a
Augusto Avendaño
Global Strategies- IG 200
Professor Harold Wilson
January 30th, 2014.
History
1916 BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke as it is known in German, starts building engines and planes (BMW Group, n.d.).
1928 With the acquisition of Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, BMW starts building its first cars (BMW Group, n.d.).
1939 At the outbreak of the SWW, BMW is classified as an armaments manufacturer and therefore given priority in the allocation of resources. It devotes mainly to the manufacture of aircraft engines (BMW Group, n.d.).
1945 The company is stripped of most of its assets as compensation and survives only making pots and bicycles (BMW Group, n.d.).
1948 The first BMW motorcycle comes out of production line, the R24. Success is total and around 9,000 units are sold the next year (BMW Group, n.d.).
1959 By the end of this decade, number where not as good as expected so Daimler-Benz offers to buy the company. Small shareholders and the workforce strongly oppose the idea for they had faith in the eventual success of the BMW 700 model. Their tenacity convinced Herbert Quandt to buy even more shares thus preserving the company’s independence (BMW Group, n.d.).
1961 The BMW 1500 model is a commercial success and within only two years, the company would be profiting again (BMW Group, n.d.).
1973 Bob Lutz implements a new strategy of worldwide sales subsidiaries (BMW Group, n.d.).
1994 A plant is open in the U.S (BMW Group, n.d.).
1998 Acquisition of the prestigious Rolls Royce (BMW Group, n.d.).
2000 The company realigns its strategy and decides to focus only in the premium segment (BMW Group, n.d.).
2007 Strategy number ONE is pursued (BMW Group, 2012, P. 2).
Strategic Leadership
Without doubt, Herbert Quandt is the main person behind the company’s current positioning. As we saw in the timeline, he saved BMW from bankruptcy simply because he believed in the unions and their unshakeable faith in both a
References: Adam, C., Anderson, A., Biesada, A., Bramhall, J., Bryant, J., Caione, R., Cella, J., …Woodruff, D. (2011). Hoover’s handbook of world business 2011. Austin, TX: Sycamore Productions, Inc. BMW Group. (n.d.). Company: History: Milestones. Retrieved from http://www.bmwgroup.com/e/0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/unternehmen/historie/meilensteine/meilensteine.html BMW Group. (2012). Company: Company portrait: Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.bmwgroup.com/bmwgroup_prod/e/0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/unternehmen/unternehmensprofil/strategie/strategie.html Hill, C. W. L. & Jones, G. R. (2013). Strategic Management Theory. Mason, OH: South-Western