Ford Motor milestones

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Running head: FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY

Ford Motor Automated Car Capability
Natalia Cardona
Southern New Hampshire University

FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY

Key Assumptions in Business Implementation Plan Development
In the development of the implementation plan for Ford, various assumptions have been
made. These assumptions have been made as the foundation for the development of the plan
which shows the roadmap that will be used in the development of the automated car capability
for the company. One key assumption that has been made in the development of the business
implementation plan is the fact technology is already being applied in the development of
automated cars. Lipson & Kurman, (2016) argues that this is already an industry standard and
many other companies in the industry have developed highly automated cars. One aspect that
may affect the implementation of the project is the technological advancement of competitors
and complementing industries technological advancements. Given that these technologies can
help in the improvement of the technology being developed, the company will ensure that
policies and structures are created to accommodate such advancements.
Another assumption that has been made is the fact the current distribution channels that
the company has already established will be used in the distribution of the cars to the market.
This will ensure that fewer costs are incurred in the creation of new channels of distribution. This
will also ensure that the market penetration process is not complicated. In markets that the
company is looking at penetrating into, new marketing and distribution strategies will have been
developed to ensure that this is achieved.
Given that various types of skills will be required in the management of the innovation
and production process, another assumption made during the development of the business
implementation plan is the fact that the company already has the necessary skills that are
required to achieve the set goals and objectives. In cases where such skills are not available, the
company already has well-established structures and policies to manage the recruitment process.

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This ensures that the right skills and resources are available to achieve high-quality
production. One factor that may affect the success of the project is when employees quit
in the middle of the project. To mitigate this a proper resource management plan, which
will include how resources are replaced if they do leave in the middle of the project will
be implemented.
One aspect that affects the production process is available of the various raw
materials that are used in the construction process. Given that the only thing that changes
in terms of innovation is the technology that will be integrated, most of the raw materials
that will be required are readily supplied by already established suppliers. This hence
means that one assumption made is that there is already an established procurement
process which will be used in the implementation of the project. One factor that may
affect the procurement process is when the supplier does not deliver the needed materials
on time. Also, factor is the warehousing requirements that may be needed when storing
these materials until they are needed for the production process. To mitigate this, the
procurement manager will ensure that more than one supplier is shortlisted to supply the
raw materials. Just in time delivery of supplies will be used to ensure that there are no
warehousing headaches.
Cross-Cultural, Economic and Geopolitical Factors Affecting the business
environment and concept
Cross-Cultural Factors
Given that the production process will involve the purchase of materials from
various sources in different parts of the world, one cross-cultural issue that will affect the
business operations of the company is effective communication. Ibrahim & Primiana,

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FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY
(2015) argues the success of business operations that are being carried out by the company is
highly dependent on effective communication. Cross-cultural effective communication can only
be achieved by ensuring that cross-cultural translation is correct and various non-verbal cues that
may affect communication are considered.
Attitudes towards the management and organizational hierarchy is another cultural issue
that may affect the business environment and concepts. One aspect that must be considered is the
fact that the company will be targeting a global market and dealing with different cultures and
different perceptions that employees have towards the management. This includes aspects such
as communication in meetings, asking senior management questions and how decisions are made
within the organization. As the roles and responsibilities are being defined in the organization,
the attitudes towards the management and the organization structure must be considered.
Economic Factors
One economic factor that may affect the business environment and concepts is economic
growth and development. Ibrahim & Primiana, (2015) argues that the economic development of
the country that the company is operating in means that the business environment in which the
company is operating has the necessary infrastructure in place. This also affects the bargaining
power of customers in that country as highly developed economies have customers with strong
purchasing power as compared to those in less economically developed countries.
Demand and supply also affect the business operations of the company. According to
Ibrahim & Primiana, (2015) the company has to consider the demand for the new cars that are
being developed. This is because this determines the quantities that are produced and the
distribution channels that are used to ensure that the cars reach the market within the shortest
time possible. Supply of the raw materials that are used in the production process is another

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FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY
factor that affects the production processes for the company. If raw materials are readily
available, then the production process can be easily managed and the company can ensure
that the process is streamlined. In case the raw materials are not readily available, then
the production process may be affected.
Geo-Political Factors
Fatmanur, (2016) argues that geopolitical factors are the various geographical
aspects of an environment, of political phenomena. One geopolitical factor that affects
business operations are the various issues that occurred after the cold war like the
collapse of the Soviet Union and the creation of various democracies in Eastern Europe.
These factors meant that new markets were created in these nations and these are markets
that Ford can currently sell their products to. Also, end of the cold war had an impact on
developing countries as they started attracting investors to their countries. This meant that
new markets were opened which the company can maximize on to increase their
revenues and expand their market reach.
Another geopolitical factor that affects the operations the company is the
relationships among various countries which helps in determining the strategic value that
the company undertakes. Fatmanur, (2016) argues that for example, the geographical
location of countries like South America countries and Canada have a strategic value on
Ford due to the location of the countries in proximity to The United States of America.
How to Ensure that the Project Operates Legally and Ethically
Mihailovic, Cvijanovic, & Simonovic, (2015) argues that business ethics is one
aspect which integrates various ethical practices with the different business activities that
are carried out by the company. Through business ethics organizations are able to ensure

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FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY
that all their activities are right. One aspect that will be applied to ensure that the organization
operates within the ethical limits, the company will ensure that various functional managers take
responsibility of ensuring that the actions of their employees are within the ethical limits.
The company will also implement a code of business conduct which will define how
various actions are to be carried out by the employees of the company. Sims, (2017) argues that
through the code of business conduct the organization will define their key values,
responsibilities and ethical obligations that each and every employee within the organization will
be expected to observe. This helps in ensuring that in case employees are faced with ethical
dilemmas, they have a guide that can help them handle these issues.
To ensure compliance with various legal and regulatory requirements, the company will
ensure that it has all the required licenses that will allow them to operate both within the United
States of America and to operate in the international market. The legal department will take
responsibility for ensuring that the company complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
In terms of specific operations, they must be approved by the legal department so as to ensure
that the legal requirements of the company are observed (Benedek, 2012).
In cases where the company must apply technologies that are patented by other
companies, the legal department will ensure that first, the company gets the necessary permission
to apply such technologies. Necessary research must be carried out to ensure that any time a new
technology is invented, it does not contravene any patents and copyrights of other competing
companies. For new innovations that are not yet patented, the company’s legal department will
apply for the necessary patents that cover all areas of innovation for the company (Benedek,
2012). This will ensure that competitors cannot misuse this innovation without permission and

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FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY
also ensures that this is part of the competitive advantages that are created which can help
the company increase the market share and consequently improve their profitability.
Stakeholders and Customer Diversity
The process of innovation and development and the production process involves
various stakeholders both within the organization and outside the organization. During
the planning phase of the project, all key stakeholders of the production process and the
project will be identified and their expectations documented. This will include
documenting their expected communication, their requirements, their preferred channels
of communication and various areas of the production process in which each of the
stakeholders will be involved (Eskerod & Vaagaasar, 2014). This will also be coupled
with the implementation of a stakeholder management plan which will help in ensuring
that throughout the project the expectations of the stakeholders are well managed.
The project manager will ensure that key communications with the stakeholders
are managed through the use of the communication plan which defines the channels of
communication, the kind of communication for each stakeholder and the frequency of
communication. To ensure that change requests from the stakeholders do not affect the
key constraints of the project, a change management plan and a scope management plan
will be used to ensure that the scope requirements are achieved within the set timelines
and budget (Rajablu, Marthandan, & Yusoff, 2015). All these aspects will ensure that all
stakeholders’ expectations and requirements are met within the set constraints for the
project.
Given that the company is expected to operate in an international market, the
company will deal with diverse customers from different markets and cultures. This

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FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY
means that the strategies that are applied in each of the markets must meet the expectations of
these cultures to increase the chances of success. During the development of the business
implementation plan, the company will ensure that a detailed marketing strategy is developed
which defines the specific market segments that will be targeted and the specific strategies that
will be applied to appeal to customers from these segments (Westwood, 2013). This will also
include first identifying the key markets that the company will target and then developing details
of the strategies that will be used to target these markets.
Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Implementation of the Concept
According to Moskolai, (2016) corporate social responsibility involves the various
activities that are carried out by the company must take to ensure that the needs of the society are
met. This means that the company ensures that various efforts are put to ensure that the society
moves beyond their shareholder's expectations to ensure that all stakeholders' needs are met.
During the implementation of the business concept, Ford will carry out CSR activities to ensure
that they use it as a way of also advancing the business needs of the company. Given that the
company is not obliged to carry out various CSR activities, this is an initiative that the company
takes as a way of advancing social good while at the same time ensuring that the brand image is
protected and advanced.
Through the implementation of CSR, the image of the company will be promoted. Given
that this innovation is aimed at improving the safety of the cars driven on our roads, the company
will use CSR to ensure that various non-profit projects that can promote the same cause are
supported. Valenti, Carden, & Boyd, (2014) argues that through this the various members will
feel that the company cares about their needs and this can be used as a way of ensuring that the
image of the company is perceived in a positive way among the customers.

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FORD MOTOR AUTOMATED CAR CAPABILITY
Another way that CSR will be used to ensure that the objectives of the company
are advanced is ensuring that there is increased employees’ engagement, dedication, and
loyalty. This will also offer the company a chance to attract talents as they feel they are
part of a greater cause than just making money for the company (Moskolai, 2016). This
w...


Anonymous
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