Harley-Davidson: External and Internal Analysis

Instructions for this assignment: Perform all of the elements listed below.

This assignment has you complete two parts of a strategic business plan. To see how those parts fit into a full business plan, look at the strategic business plan outline.

Part I - Analysis of the External Environment

As part of the Strategic Business Plan, you have been asked to:

Identify and analyze the major driving forces for change in the external environment of the motorcycle industry.

Analyze the dynamics of competition using Porter's Five Forces Model of Competition. Correctly assess the dynamics of competition.

Provide at least three statistics about the size of the motorcycle industry such as revenue, growth rate, number of units sold by manufacturer/country, etc.

Summarize the strategic issues firms in this industry face and identify their biggest threats.

This section should be titled "The Analysis of H-D's External Environment."

Part II - Internal Environment Analysis

Financial

Gather the financial information necessary to do a complete ratio analysis and the Balance Score Card (BSC) key metrics information.

If you were going to create a BSC, what would be the key metrics you would measure in each of the four BSC areas:

Financial

Customer

Internal Business Process

Learning and Growth

Perform a ratio analysis using H-D's five-year financial performance. Interpret the meaning of the ratios and financial performance.

This section should be titled "The Analysis of H-D's Current Strategy: Two Views." Be sure to include the ratio analysis. You may also include other graphics to support your narrative.

Competitors

Based on your analysis, you must decide which two competitors present the biggest competitive threat to H-D.

Perform a financial ratio analysis for the competitors after looking at trends in financial performance over five years, and compare the trends to industry averages.

Be sure you have a clear ranking of the industries' competitors.

This section should be titled "Competitor Analysis." Be sure to include the financial ratio analysis. You may also include other graphics to support your narrative.

This assignment should be 4 to 8 pages in length.

Grading Criteria

External environment analysis: driving forces, dynamics of competition, and at least three statistics about the size of the industry.

Summarized strategic issues faced by the industry and identified their biggest threats.

Performed a financial ratio analysis using H-D's five-year financial performance and interpreted the ratios-see the text for which ratios to perform. Concluded how well the firm's strategy is working.

Created a hypothetical BSC for H-D after selecting which measures you believe are important in the four areas: serving customers, improving processes, learning, and growth and financial performance.

Performed a ratio analysis of the financial performance of two competitors and compared them to H-D. Developed a Word document entitled "The Analysis of H-Ds Current Strategy: Two Views," which includes analysis of your findings.

Developed the documents that include analysis of your findings. Justified ideas and responses by using appropriate examples and references from texts, Web sites, and other references or personal experience. Followed APA rules for attributing sources.