Preview

Harley Davidson Case Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
866 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Harley Davidson Case Analysis
The core problems that Harley Davidson faces on an ongoing basis are maintaining their market position in North America while expanding their market segments to a younger and broader scope of riding enthusiasts and their ability to expand their market position in international markets.
Due to the longevity of Harley Davidson’s existence they are faced with numerous challenges. Over the years it have become quite difficult for Harley Davidson to maintain their position of high profitability within the United States. The company that once marketed their motorcycles to higher end leisure riders which included a vast majority of baby boomers are now seeking ways to expand their offerings (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2015). Problems continues to
…show more content…
New generation riders that exists in Asian markets is more attracted to sleeker, less costly and a more swift motorcycles. Although there is a high potential for Harley Davidson to be profitable in Asian markets they are faced with barriers to trade. Such barriers includes government regulations and trade guidelines which limits foreign manufacturer’s ability to penetrate the market. Additionally one of Harley Davidson’s biggest competitors in the Asian market is Yamaha which is a Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. Due to this Harley Davison is confronted with arduous rivalry. Yamaha targets customers that are at the lower end market and focuses their manufacturing on affordable motorcycles with smaller engines, electronic capabilities and lighter reinforcement in contrast to Harley Davidson’s heavy steel frames.
Harley Davidson’s competitive advantage is represented in their ability to produce top quality motorcycles and also provide full service after their products are sold which enables them to maintain their brand
…show more content…
This is represented in the different engine models such as the evolution, twin cam and the revolution engine. Harley Davidson is also able to maintain their competitive advantage by executing the just-in-time inventory method into their process design which enables them to eradicate inventory cost. Additionally, Harley Davidson also implemented a level management structure where management is based on team work and promotion inspiration. This was implemented to reduce costs associated with upper level management and heighten continued excellence throughout the company. Harley Davidson also maintain a competitive advantage by their assurance to design motorcycles conventionally. By implementing this method of designing Harley Davidson is able to maintain simplicity during

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Harley Davidson Case

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Location – Harley-Davidson operates two main facilities: The Capitol Drive plant produces engines and transmissions while the York plant performs all final assembly. Management is reluctant to construct new greenfield plants due to high risk.…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Arrowood Times Case

    • 3253 Words
    • 14 Pages

    |Harley-Davidson The iconic American motorcycle sustains a proud history, enduring product quality and a high price point. In | | |…

    • 3253 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    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 goods, such as apparel and related accessories. Now a publicly owned company, Harley has scored double digit growth for eighteen consecutive years. Harley transformed itself into a strong marketing company with a focus on lifestyle image and product quality.…

    • 2396 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Questions on Harley-Davidson

    • 161568 Words
    • 545 Pages

    What are challenges facing Harley-Davidson as it enters the 21st century? What is your evaluation of their current strategy? What specific recommendations do you have for Jeff Bluestein? Short-term? Long-term??…

    • 161568 Words
    • 545 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Module 1 CA MGT499

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Harley Davidson’s strategic vision is the delivery of unique motorcycling experiences, as individual as are their customers. The experiences could be as basic as a Sunday morning coffee, or a full moon beach ride. This corporate passion of delivering unique customer experiences is the core of their strategy and the primary reason for their competitive edge. Since the employees of Harley Davidson are almost all motorcyclists themselves, their commitment to delivering an unforgettable motorcycling experience is the reason for the competitive advantage the company enjoys with a distinctive and innovative legendary motorcycling product line. Harley Davidson customers are a cult. They are as unique as the motorcycles they ride. The passions of their experiences as bikers have made permanent inroads in the landscape of the United States. They are a part of Americana popular culture. They have inspired rock…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Yes. The corporation’s strategies, policies, programs, and the international operations corresponds to Harley Davidson’s present geographic area structure.…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The company focuses on the design, manufacturing, selling and service of heavyweight (engine displacement of 651+cc) performing motorcycles, in addition to touring and custom bikes. Within the last five years the company has also moved into a wide range of motorcycle parts, accessories, clothing and collectibles. What is remarkable about Harley-Davidson is their ability to consistently be the market share leader in heavy motorcycles. As of 2004, based on retail sales of new motorcycles their market share was 49.5% in the US alone. The US is Harley-Davidson’s largest geographical market, accounting for 81.7% of revenues in 2004, followed by Europe (9.5% of revenues), Japan (3.8%), Canada (2.7%), and other countries (2.2%). The US recorded annual growth of 7.6% in 2004. Growth rates in other geographies were as follows: Europe (14%), Japan (11.1%), Canada (1.8%), and other countries (22.7%) according to DataMonitor (2005).…

    • 5980 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Currently, Harley Davidson holds 56% of the market share for heavyweight motorcycles, defined as those motorcycles that displace more than 650cc. To some this may be an impenetrable advantage in the market, to other, a source of vulnerability (Taylor III, 2012). For years, Harley has been the undisputed king of the “bad boys”, but in recent years up and coming companies such as Polaris are trying to muscle in to the motorcycle arena. Polaris, a company known for its snow mobiles has only recently begun selling motorcycles 14 years ago (Taylor III, 2012). Polaris has shown that it understands what its…

    • 2717 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Harley-Davidson, Inc. is a company over 105 years old that designs, manufactures, and markets heavy weight motorcycles, motorcycle parts, and accessories, as well as collectibles and riding apparel. The world wide area of Harley-Davidson incorporate is a large area with a world wide network of more than 2,000 dealers. The company has a low to moderate level of diversification where seventy-five to ninety percent of the revenue comes from a single business (Hitt, 2010, p.160). The company has firm control over the market, and has many competitors in the United States as well as other parts of the world. The competitive strategy used by Harley-Davidson is a highly differentiated range of products combined with a build-to order manufacturing capability. Harley-Davidson also attributes their success to their loyal company base, and a long-term strategy of building the perfect workforce in their company. By obtaining a diversified work force, Harley-Davidson will bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table in hopes of uncovering techniques to charm and interest future…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The industry continues to face the threat of adverse regulation relating to the safety of motorcycles. Also, the lack of growth in Europe may be signaling a change of preferences away from motorcycles to other forms transportation and recreation. This is particularly troubling for Ducati because most of their sales are to riders in European markets. Also, the industry faces the constant threat of negative exchange rate movements, especially related to the dollar, which devastated Ducati and other European manufacturers in recent years.…

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Harley Davidson name has been shattered into pieces. The loss of customer’s demand for their products proves a problem probably too much to handle for the present managers/owners of the company. The product quality mainly has deteriorated significantly that leads to the low demand for the Harley Davidson choppers. Problems always do arise that need immediate actions to take place. What can be done in order to resolve this? Who do we have to replace for proper management of this company? How do we improve the product quality? What designs do we have to change in order to make it more appealing to customers? Who do we approach for these new designs? What do the customers yearn for, more power or comfort? How do we get the customers back? How do we get them to trust the Harley Davidson name again? What should be done overall in order to make us rise back to where we were in the past? All these questions were the problems that the Harley Davidson Company was searching for in the hard times of the company. It really makes you wonder though if they would be able to overcome this, what do you think?…

    • 2906 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Harley Davidson

    • 6990 Words
    • 28 Pages

    The market for motorcycles has a few competitors that have become a rival competition for Harley Davidson. These competitors include Honda, BMW, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. Harley Davidson has been a dominant factor in the industry, and has increased its’ productivity. (www.management.stir.ac.uk). The industry will be confronted with problems where consumers will consider the cost and comparison between motorcycles, but the brand name “Harley Davidson” is one of the main strategies that has been used to differentiate itself from other competitors. Based on supply and demand, the industry has to produce products that consumers will purchase and the level of output which means that the market will ensure to have limited amount of production. This will ensure for the products to remain in high demand. This is proven by manufacturers distinguishing the quality, style, and designs of each product. Loyalty among consumers is an important factor. For example, the market has the extended popularity with “motorcycle enthusiasts” in the market.…

    • 6990 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    make it ‘their own’. They are community members who take pride in their creation and/or…

    • 951 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Harley Davidson Case Study

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Harley Davidson, established in 1903, is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the United States. While Harley Davidson dominates the moto market in the United States, it is very small compared to the international market which is infiltrated with large Japanese firms such as Kawasaki, Honda and Yamaha who produce various categories of motorcycles. Harley Davidson has deep rooted brand equity in the United States and remains loyal in it’s style. It has also remained consistent in manufacturing only heavyweight motorcycles. By showcasing only a single model type, Harley Davidson has established itself as a leader in the United States market. Other international markets, especially Europe and Asia, produce many lines of sports motorcycles (street bikes, scooters etc), as this meets the demands of these markets. Harley Davidson classifies their bikes into three main heavyweight categories (1) Touring Bikes, (2) Custom Bikes, and (3) Sportster Bikes. More than half of Harley Davidson’s revenue is generated from sales from within the United States, with a much smaller presence in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Harley Davidson has tried unsuccessfully to acquire additional motorycle companies twice since its origination but ultimately has continued to keep its product lines simple and focused around a few primary products.…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Harley-Davidson should consider modernizing the technology used in its motorcycles while at the same time maintaining their retro look. Harley’s lack of innovation has tarnished the brand’s image, especially to younger consumers. The Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Mustang have all revived classic body styles in their latest model redesign. However, modern technology was incorporated into these models, so while they look similar to classic automobiles of the past, they have all the bells and whistles of a modern car. Harley has emphasized having its motorcycles resembled those of the company’s storied past, however they have done so by not updating certain components of the bikes, and by keeping old technologies in their new bikes. Although the vintage look and feel is appealing to its loyal followers, Harley should modernize the technology used in its bikes in order better compete with its Japanese competitors. If Harley can do this without affecting the retro look and distinct sound that a Harley exhaust makes, then Harley would be able to attract new customers that value performance and modern technology, while not alienating its current customer base.…

    • 516 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays