Overview/Description
Trends in the automotive industry are considered a barometer of a mature economy. The industry has been going through some dramatic changes in the last few years, and major manufacturers, including the Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler) and their suppliers, are reorganizing to be competitive in the global marketplace. In the unrelenting push for lower costs, operational efficiency, and innovation, automotive companies are challenged to deliver higher value more efficiently than ever before. This dynamic automotive environment is also characterized by increasingly sophisticated consumers and redefined supplier relationships. Although regions such as South and Central Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe present enormous opportunities for the automotive industry, it is very true that North America is still the largest market for the industry as a whole. Understanding the industry environment and dynamics is vital to all those who have an interest in the automotive industry. This course provides a high-level view of the automotive industry environment, including its key players, business model, and structure, and navigates learners through relevant business and regulatory issues. A report on the state of affairs and insights on the automotive industry are also presented. The course reflects on issues and challenges that the industry is facing in North America and other parts of the world, and examines strategic solutions the industry is using to overcome them. The overall purpose of this course is not to make learners industry experts, but to help them get a feel for the industry and discover some of the successful strategies the key players are applying.
Target Audience
Consulting houses, corporations, and small-to-medium-sized enterprises that sell products or services to other sectors and industries; companies looking for knowledge and key business information in these particular industries