Harley Davidson Strategic Case Analysis
My presentation of the analysis of this case would be very specific and to the point. I would relate to certain broad strategy areas and describe them in enough depth to help understand the concept, without going into the complete details.
Post analysis of the Harley Davidson turn-around, I see the activities and planning involved by the entire management team, to be somewhat as highlighted below. I would also link these aspects with an (I) Internal and (E) External stakeholder sign, for the purpose of understanding the relationships involved in this re-engineering process.
Educate (I+E) -> Create Need (E) -> Supply (E) -> Post-Sales (I+E) -> Promote Loyalty(E) -> Best Practices (E) -> Educate (I+E)
Harley Davidsons (HD) entire turnaround effort since 1981 can be bulleted within these critical areas of improvement. More specifically, we could categorize all these above initiatives and more, within three functional areas of priority.
Create Demand, Produce Product & Provide Support.
Create Demand-
Branding (E)- The HD leadership embarked on a mission to re-brand their image, and successfully did so with their Ford Truck Initiative and the Diverse Customer Base product positioning. They appealed to a larger population base, than the company had ever done in its history.
Customer Loyalty (E)- HD had a strong customer base, but with a rapidly ageing customer population the company took some initiatives in developing customer loyalty- to further their brand rep and sales. These initiatives included creation of H.O.G, Special customer treatment, and customised produces for women.
Marketing (E)- The marketing campaign included representation of the brand at top shows, Education classes (customers and dealers) to spread awareness and knowledge, and segmented advertising to target focus group of customers.
Dealership (E)- Speaking more about dealership, beyond the Education classes offered to dealers, HD also provided free management consulting on dealer setup.
All these initiatives together, helped bolster the organizations demand. But there was more to be considered-
Producing the Product-
Suppliers (E)- A key part of the supply chain, they management forced their suppliers to improve their game with higher standards for quality, delivery and costs. They also invested time in improving the production techniques of their suppliers and provided knowledge resources where possible.
Triad Production Technique (I)- This included JIT / EI and SOC. These concepts put together greatly enhanced the organizations production capability. Glitches