Strategic Alternatives HD

Strategic Alternatives
There are many ways in which Harley-Davidson can improve its operations, all of which can be found through conducting a thorough analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats the company is presently facing. The executives of Harley-Davidson considered the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses by completing an internal factor analysis summary (IFAS). Next, the external opportunities and threats were analyzed by completing an external factor analysis summary (EFAS). The analysis of these two summaries in turn produced the viable strategic alternatives outlined in the company’s strategic factor analysis summary (SFAS). The resources, capabilities and diverse leadership team of Harley-Davidson have provided the foundation for the company’s continuing ability to be both versatile in its product offerings as well as adaptive to consumer desires. The strategies of adjusting pricing, refocusing the company’s corporate culture and targeting a new consumer market will assist the company in fine tuning its operations over the next several years to ensure Harley-Davidson maintains its position as the leader in the motorcycle industry.
The first strategic alternative for Harley-Davidson (HD) to address is that of adjusting pricing. Throughout the years HD has been known for its ability to provide high quality motorcycles to its customers, however this quality comes at a high price. To those customers who are willing and able to pay HD’s higher price for quality the present pricing schedule is acceptable. Unfortunately, to those unable to pay this higher price HD’s motorcycles are unattainable making competitor bike financially more appealing. In order to increase HD’s sales, and consequently in...

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...competitors in the motorcycle industry.
These same sorts of systems could easily be added to, or modified as needed, to track the new motorcycle lines HD will produce to attract both women and young adults. These systems have been an invaluable means for HD to reevaluate itself in the past and thus are ‘tried and true’ making it a moot point to replace them. HD, however, needs to concentrate some effort on implementing a system to determine the most appropriate locations for future dealerships. This new evaluation system will aid HD in determining effective locations for new dealerships and assist in providing further market share penetration for the company in essentially ‘untapped’ consumer areas.

Works Cited

Wheelen, Thomas L. and J. David Hunger. Strategic Management and Business Policy, 13th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. Print.