A SWOT analysis is used to assess a company’s strengths and weaknesses found within the company, as well as opportunities and threats that emerge from the external environment. In this analysis, the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the Ford Motor Company will be discussed to provide a powerful analysis tool that supports the planning process for marketers. Ford’s research and development capabilities act as strength to the company as customer wants and needs constantly change. Ford currently operates fifty-six research and development centers focused on improving the quality of Ford’s vehicles. Also, Ford invests billions of dollars every year to improve quality, performance, and overall customer satisfaction. …show more content…
Ford competes with other automobile industries on many factors such as price, quality, reliability, appearance, available features, and fuel economy just to name a few. Such intense competition within the automobile industry tends to put downwards pressure on prices, making it harder for Ford to put a price on vehicles that are similar to other cars produced by competitors. The challenging price environment puts pressure on Ford to increase value to customers while trying to dramatically reduce costs to achieve the similar pricing of competitors. Ford must be able to reasonably price vehicles so that customers still feel as if they are getting the best car for their money. Competitive pricing is a threat to Ford because it must increasingly rely on customer perceived value to differentiate its car quality from its competitors. Ford must be able to justify its pricing in an industry where resembling cars have similar pricing and nearly identical features. Ford’s pricing objectives must somehow be achieved as other competitors are cutting costs and improving their vehicles. Negative pricing pressure threatens Ford’s ability to provide outstanding value to its customers for smaller or comparable pricing within the competitive automobile
Amtrak is a state-owned, for profit, national railroad Company that provides efficient rail service both long and short distance transportation services. Being the primary provider of passenger-rail service in the U.S has a network that connects more than 500 cities and towns in 46 states. It offers long-distance and short-distance service corridors throughout nationwide operating daily, offering several choice of service class – first class sleeping car, custom class and economic services for different age groups with different travel needs. Amtrak receives federal funds to be used for their operating expenses. Its ridership and revenue growth have progressively increased in the past five-year successfully building relationships with the public and customers, recreating branding, and improving new services/quality, and it projects a continued growth in passenger revenue at about 4% per year with modest growth in passenger ridership (Exhibit C4.1, Page 245).
The SWOT analysis: The study of the firm's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats called SWOT analysis, a key step in flushing out known performance issues that are important to the growth of the organization addressed in the corporation strategic plan. The issues identified in the SWOT analysis help leadership to come up with a plan and strategy to achieve the overall mission of the company (Strategic Planning, n, d). Target Corporation is one of the largest public retailing company in the US having more than 1700 stores serving guests nationwide. Target group and its brand position are evaluated in the market using SWOT analysis.--
Ford uses a global area division organization design, setting up subsidiary companies for the different countries/regions that it is operating in....
The SWOT analysis involves four steps. They are strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats. This will assist you to ident...
A SWOT analysis is an examination of an organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses, its opportunities for growth and improvement, and the threats the external environment presents to its survival (Harrison, 2010). Generally, the information gathered for the analysis is organized into matrix form, howe...
By the end of 1998 though, there was evidence of a crisis occurring. Customers and media pulled together to assist senior management partake in an internal audit to identify the problems and see if they could come to a solution. The purpose of this assignment is to construct a SWOT analysis, highlighting each of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that were highlighted in the internal audit. The SWOT analysis is contained within the marketing plan and is the third step in the marketing planning process, coming after the Marketing audit and before any assumptions. (Joisce, Ted (2002), Marketing Planning Lecture Notes – 14/10/02, Mission, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics)
line, built a company upon those unique foundations that pushed through one of America’s hardest financial times. As of 2014 Ford Motor Company ran into another dip in profit due to the competitive market. However, the company is investing into its future by looking into multiple aspects that have high potential in paying off. As of the end of 2015, the company’s total Revenue equated to $149.5 Billion compared to $135 Billion in 2014. The company’s insight on using start up companies and awareness of sustainability could push Ford Motor Company into a much brighter future.
Many economic factors exist that impact the development of Ford Motor Company's strategic plan and it’s no small task to project how some of these factors might change as the strategy is being realized. Consider the prospect of expansion into a new market like China or Mexico. Economic changes like currency devaluation will make Ford’s product more expensive to their target market potentially reducing overall sales revenue. Oil prices as we’ve seen in the U.S. economy can also play a big factor as large vehicles become less desirable and more fuel efficient compact cars gain market share.
With about 187,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and
So the discussion on internal and external analysis clearly defines that where the competitive advantage of Ford Motors is and where it is lacking. People who have durability as their first priority will go for Ford but they lack in some of their strategies which the management should consider and work on it. We also came to know that Ford is an innovative company from the very first and also serves local demands with the help of related and supporting industry. But in some points they have taken wrong decisions which compel them to sell some of their brands to others. The good news is they are doing hard job to maintain their performance regarding their star and cash cow products to remain in the competition.
Qualitative research provides insight into developing phenomena or offers a new perspective on current trends. Prior to the creation of a dynamic strategic plan, the SWOT analysis offers a critical assessment of an organization’s competitive position, though the four areas of assessment are not weighted, nor does the utilization of the tool provide specific direction for the organization and requires subjective interpretation of the data. Input from stakeholders brings validity to the information gathered while conducting a SWOT
Some would argue that its mistakes prove that with the right strategy, any company can overcome the blunders it may have made. The Ford Pinto and Ringwood, New Jersey incidents coupled with the Firestone Tire recall in the recent decade may have impacted Ford Motor Company’s daily operation. However, despite the shortcomings of some of its products and short sightedness of the owner, Ford Motor Company still manufactures high quality products. Ford Mustang, Ford F-150, and the Ford Explorer are some examples of the quality of vehicles that Ford Motor Company can assemble. Ford Motor Company has utilized the value-chain to perfection, exploited an effective corporate strategy, used strategy implementation and control to varying degrees of success, applied an efficient evaluation and control system, and improved its social responsibility with different innovative
SWOT analysis A SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture or in any other situation of an organization or individual requiring a decision in pursuit of an objective. It involves monitoring the marketing environment internal and external to the organization or individual. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from the Fortune 500 companies. 1 Performing the SWOT Analysis 2 Internal and External Factors 3 Examples 3.1 Strengths and Weaknesses 3.2 Opportunities and Threats 4 Errors to Be Avoided 5 Additional Uses of SWOT Analysis 6 References 7 External links Performing the SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is part of the Harvard Policy Model, which has been developed as part of the business policy courses taught at the Harvard Business School since the 1920s.
The SWOT analysis is used to gauge a company’s strengths and weaknesses. It also outlines opportunities for tapping and presents possible threats that could affect a company’s operations.
Today Ford continues to produce passenger cars and commercial trucks. The company continues to sell cars through the Ford and Lincoln brand, but has recently discontinued the Mercury brand (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Ford operates in North and South America, Europe, China, Korea and Africa. Ford continues to be one of the largest American car manufacturers alongside its longtime domestic competitors Chrysler and General Motors (“Ford Motor Company