Analysis of Toyota Opportunities and Threats
Toyota is the world's leading patent holder in hybrid vehicle technologies, having over 85% of all patents registered in the U.S. Patent Office, in addition to holding over forty different patents in other registries throughout Europe and Asia. This is a formidable platform for growth in this high-growth emerging line of business. Hybrid technologies can reduce carbon emissions by over 60% in the latest engine prototypes the company has produced, and can also contribute to a 45% reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for fleet care providers (Toyota Investor Relations, 2012). This has led to Toyota winning several awards for innovation and thought leadership in the areas of hybrid technology. In addition, Toyota has invested in a rapid prototyping production process that allows them to create, test and manufacture hybrid-engine-based vehicles in 35% less time that the traditional production cycles of internal combustion engines with 30% less cost (Rechtin, 2010). While the main sections of Toyota had been mired in quality management problems and challenges, the hybrid division had been setting a record pace on perfecting production and quality management systems and workflows. The net result is the world's most efficient and cost-effective series of production workflows that when combined with the TPS framework are projected to have over 80% of the global market for hybrid engine parts, aftermarket sales and service and new vehicle sales by 2015 (Rechtin, 2010). The Prius line of vehicles is the first generation to have the hybrid technologies included within them, with additional vehicle series planned for 2013, 2014 and 2015 that will have advanced hybrid and safety features never seen before in a vehicle, incouding the experiential Google self-driving mechanisms Toyota and the search engine company are partnering to produce (Toyota Investor Relations, 2012). Toyota also has potential opportunities to provide hybrid engine technology to BMW and Ford, two companies vitally interested in working with the company on creating jointly developed hybrid vehicles. The most significant opportunities for Toyota are in the area of hybrid technologies, both in their own vehicles and those of their partners.
The threats Toyota faces are sobering and challenging to deal with, even for a corporate their size. The most significant threat they have is the continual onslaught of global competition including the rise of Korean competitors Kia and others (Toyota Investor Relations, 2012). Additional threats include the Yen and its continually fluctuating nature on global financial markets. The Yen is the primary currency that Toyota relies on for its operations and accounting throughout Asia. While is operations in the U.S. are indexed to the dollar, there is very significant threats from the fluctuating nature of global currencies. This is the most uncontrollable threat the company faces as currency fluctuations can have a drastic impact on the overall performance of economics. It is not surprising that Toyota lists this as the most severely disruptive threat in their filings with the SEC in their financial reports (Toyota Investor Relations, 2012). Another...
134 -- 139) A good example of this can be seen with Toyota, where they use a modified version of SWOT analysis, as a part of their business. Commonly called Hoshin, the system that company uses involves three key elements to include: external factors, internal factors, and the company's Hoshin (long-term goals). This is significant, because the use of this kind of system; has shown to be effective at
In an attempt to compete Wii, Microsoft put together all the features from its Xbox 360 gaming platform and offered the result in the shape of a bundle of two games at the price of $279.99 in which the following were included: five family-friendly games, a wireless controller, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection enabling high-definition output (if desired) and 256 MB of memory, useful for storing games and
12. It has not been implemented in a wide enough spectrum to really gain the attention of parents on a national level. 13. Marketing towards one single brand image sometimes limits a company's capability to market its diversified product line. 14. Targeting previous customers through follow up ay waster valuable resources. T h r e a t s 1. Utilize the global Toyota presence to keep financial budgets and cash flows under control. 2. If
Toyota Analysis: Part II As detailed in Part one of the Toyota Motor Corporation case study the company faced exogenous threats to its continuing longstanding profitability: rigorous and growing competition in the automotive industry amidst a weak global economic recovery, and the hangover in trust and customer loyalty to the brand due to 10 million auto recalls since 2009 (CNNMoney.com. N.D.). Despite these threats the company has pushed forward in its
Toyota has a few strengths on which to build competitive advantage and exploit opportunities in the marketplace. The company has two strong brands in Toyota and Lexus that are internationally recognized, allowing Toyota significant leverage when entering new markets or even negotiating with suppliers. Another strength that Toyota has is a strong global distribution network. Takahashi (2010) notes that even as Japan and the U.S. saw weakness in 2010, the
Toyota is one of the world's leading automakers. For most of its existence, the company has been unassailable, but this past year has presented the company with a number of challenges. These include plant shutdowns caused by parts shortages as a result of the Japanese tsunami, Japanese consumer spending falling again because of the tsunami, competitive challenges and product quality issues that lead to recalls. As one of the world's leading
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