Assignment 2: LASA 1

Business Unit Analysis

Directions: Create a Feasibility Study for Harley-Davidson using the following outline:

Part I: Differentiation Strategies

The analysis of current strategy and competitor analysis you conducted last module impressed the senior vice president. She now needs you to delve into the brands and analyze them by conducting a business unit analysis and presenting your findings in a three-part PowerPoint presentation.

Research the Harley-Davidson (H-D) Web site for each brand, and review the annual report for relevant details of the size, scope, target market, services and amenities, and other salient points of differentiation. Include these details in Part I of your PowerPoint presentation.

From the research and analysis of the business units, identify:

• A description of each brand or business unit that provides a clear picture of the brand and its place in the overall portfolio of Harley-Davidson.

 

• The target market of each brand.

 

• How the brands are alike and how they differ.

 

• A preliminary analysis of any gaps that exist in the portfolio that might lead to opportunities to add to the brands.

 

• Your analysis of possible merger/acquisition/joint venture possibilities and what would be achieved or accomplished through the merger/acquisition/joint venture.

Part II: SWOT Analysis

Perform a SWOT analysis for Harley-Davidson and include this information in Part II of your PowerPoint presentation.

• Based on the internal analyses of the SWOT analysis, assess the functional areas, resources, capabilities, and strengths H-D possesses. Please be sure to cover the following functional areas in your assessment:
  • Marketing: New product development, integrated marketing planning, marketing communications, and building customer loyalty.
  • Operations: Quality, service, and consistent execution.
  • Human Resources: Hiring, training, developing talent, and performance planning. Avoided lawsuits and bad PR due to its hiring practices. Is ethical in its HR practices.
  • Executive Leadership: Industry knowledge and experience, vision about where the industry is heading, and strategy execution.
  • Supply Chain Optimization: Strategic sourcing of input, vendor management, integrated IS, and joint forecasting with suppliers.
  • Corporate Responsibility and Ethics: Concern for corporate citizenship and the environment. Present any potential ethical concerns as well.
  • Safety and Quality: How the motorcycle industry is dealing with safety and quality issues.

Part III: Growth and Profitability Strategies

In addition, the executive board is interested in your ideas about bold strategies for the future. The strategies you recommend will have to contribute to growth and profitability, as outlined in the Annual Report.

You will want to pay special attention to exploring vertical integration, strategic alliances, and the internal growth of new brands entering new geographic markets, and/or additional acquisitions.

Consider the following:

• Is Harley-Davidson, Inc., (H-D) competing in the right businesses, given the opportunities and threats present in the external environment? If not, how can H-D realign its diversification strategy to achieve a competitive advantage?
  This may include additional diversification to take advantage of opportunities such as further vertical integration.

 

• Is the corporation managing its portfolio in a way that creates synergy among its businesses? If so, what additional businesses should it consider adding to its portfolio?

After you have reviewed the growth and profitability strategies, create a list of possible strategies to present a full range of ideas.

Part III of your presentation should include your complete list—all potential ideas—for the senior vice president. This is your chance to be creative.

Next, rank your ideas from best to worst. To do this, keep in mind several things such as fit with current strategy, resources and capabilities, and difficulty of execution.

For each of your top five ideas, add the following:

• Briefly describe the strategy.

 

• Why you picked it as one of the top five.

Think about such things as:

• Does the strategy build on current competencies and foster horizontal relationships among brands? In other words, what can be leveraged or shared? What are the pros and cons of this strategy?

Your PowerPoint Feasibility Study presentation will also include slides pertaining to the following assessments:

• Part I: Identification of size, scope, target market, services, amenities, and points of differentiation.

 

• Part II: SWOT analysis that includes marketing, operations, human resources, executive leadership, supply chain optimization, corporate responsibility, ethics, safety, and quality.

 

• Part III: Growth and profitability strategies, including your top five strategic ideas and support.

Submit the PowerPoint Feasibility Study presentation to the senior vice president so that she can review the alternatives and provide you with feedback about your ideas.

Submit your presentation to the M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox by Wednesday, August 6, 2014.  

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Assignment Components
Describe Harley-Davidson’s brand, including its target market, how the brands differ, business units, and its place in the overall portfolio of H-D.	16
Identify opportunities to add to the brands based on current gaps in the portfolio.	20
Assuming H-D participates in a merger, select a strategy and discuss the benefits of the strategy for H-D.	24
Provide a SWOT analysis on H-D’s functional areas: Marketing, Operations, HR, and Executive Leadership.	32
Provide a SWOT analysis on H-D’s functional areas: Supply Chain Optimization, Corporate Responsibility & Ethics, and Safety & Quality.	32
Recommend growth and profitability strategies for H-D. Rank and describe your top five options for the Sr. VP. Include a justification.	32
Presentation Standards
Organization (12) Usage and Mechanics (12) APA Elements (16) Style (4)	44
Total:	200

 

The Final Paper, 8-10 pages (excluding title and reference pages), should demonstrate understanding of the reading assignments, class discussions, your own research, as well as the implications of new knowledge.

For your Final Paper, you will choose one of the health care organizations listed below and conduct an analysis of their strategic planning and evaluation of the organization. You should utilize any and all information available about the organization. Examples of valid resources can include but are not limited to organizational websites, annual reports, personal interviews with organizational leadership, investigative reports, government reports, and conference transcripts. Your paper should include a minimum of five of the key areas, concepts, and strategies outlined throughout the text. These should include, but are not limited to: internal and external assessments; competitive marketing analysis; identification of stakeholders; overview and assessments of services provided; competencies and resource; public entities and regulatory requirements; demographics served; strategic financial planning; financial and operational outcomes; current and future direction of the organization of choice, etc.

Health care organizations of choice are:

§ Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)

§ Tenet Health System

§ Mayo Clinic

§ Henry Ford Health System

§ Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

§ Children’s Miracle Network

§ Deborah Heart and Lung Center

§ Medtronic

§ Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

§ National Institutes of Health (NIH)

§ Planned Parenthood

§ Indian Health Service (IHS)

§ Health Markets

On February 14, 2012, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, with world headquarters in Akron, Ohio, reported on their 2011 4thquarter earnings. Their total revenue for the quarter that ended on December 31, 2011, was $5,683,000,000; cost of revenue was $4,815,000,000; giving a gross profit of $868,000,000. After subtracting all operating expenses, they reported net income of $25,000,000. The income available to common shareholders (Goodyear has some preferred shareholders that get dividends first) was $18,000,000. Goodyear has 245,000,000 common shares of stock outstanding. Goodyear also reported they have total assets of $17,629,000,000; total current liabilities of $5,929,000,000; total current assets of $9,812,000,000; inventory valued at $3,812,000,000; total liabilities of $16,880,000,000. For the entire year GT had net income of $321m for EPS of $1.32. 1. Calculate their current ratio (Current Assets/Current Liabilities)= __________ 2. Calculate their quick ratio ((Current Assets – Inventory)/Current Liabilities)=__________ 3. Calculate their gross profit margin ((Total Revenue-Cost of Revenue)/Total Revenue)= ________ 4. Calculate their net profit margin (Net Income/Total Revenue)= __________ 5. Calculate their total debt to total asset ratio (Total Debt/Total Assets)= __________ 6. If their current price per share of common stock is $13.10, calculate their market capitalization (stock price x common shares outstanding)= __________ 7. Stock analysts had estimated that Goodyear’s 4th quarter Total Revenue would be $5.9B. Explain why Goodyear’s stock price fell when the actual Total Revenue was announced on February 14th. 8. Goodyear’s sales were up 12% over the previous year’s 4th quarter, but their operating margin fell. What might explain this? 9. Most analysts are predicting Goodyear’s total revenues for the year beginning January 1, 2012, will be $24.53B. If sales for the next four quarters are the same as they have been for the past quarter, will Goodyear meet this estimate? 10. Is Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company financially healthy or sick? If you had $1400 today to invest in 100 shares of GT, would it be a good investment? What would you use to base your decision?

This is a last minute assignment, it is due tomorrow night. I need someone that understands analysis by use of the t test, ANOVA etc. The assignment is below as an attatchment and must be followed specifically how it is stated.