Lean Product Development Case Study of Harley Davidson

Lean Product Development Case Study of Harley Davidson Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Professor Date Lean Product Development Case Study of Harley Davidson With an increasing focus on the international economy, businesses are seeking new ways to enhance their market share. Many large firms have learned how to beat their competitors through innovative management, marketing, and new approaches to manufacturing their products. Harley Davidson is one of these companies that have challenged the traditional ideas of marketing through the adoption of lean product development. Established in 1903, the company has a rich tradition and committed customer base, which has ensured its continuity and evolvement in practices to remain competitive in this developing international market. This case study aims to explore Harley Davidson's investment in Lean principles to revive its product development process, examining its approaches and initiatives that have been crucial in their success. Industry and Company Overview Industry Overview Harley Davidson is in the motorcycle industry, characterized by high competition, rapid growth in technology and evolving consumer preferences. Businesses in this sector are facing significant and consistent innovations to provide products that meet the evolving needs of customers, stringent safety measures, unique styling, and exclusive performance (GlobalData, n.d.). The company operates in such a dynamic setting, catering mostly to the premium motorcycle segment. Company Overview Harley Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. This company manufactures premium motorcycles. It designs, assembles, and markets motorcycles and their parts and accessories. Harley Davidson also provides general merchandise associated to motorcycles on a wholesale base. It offers insurance plans to its traders and clients in the U.S. and Canada (GlobalData, n.d.). The business engages in e-commerce practices, selling parts, accessories, and related products and services. Regardless of the successes since its establishment, Harley Davidson received significant challenges in the late 200s, comprising the decline in sales and an ageing customer demographic (Del Marmol, 2017). To address such issues, the company introduced a novel approach known as Lean Product Development, utilizing its principle to revamp its product development process. Product Development Process Traditional Process Historically, the process of product development at Harley-Davidson was characterized by long lead times, higher costs, and a siloed approach (Del Marmol, 2017). Such a strategy led to significant problems within the company because they faced difficulties in responding swiftly to market changes and incorporating customer feedback into new models. Lean Transformation Reports show that after facing such difficulties, Harley Davidson opted to establish Lean Product Development principles (Johansson, 2022). Such transformation was necessary to decrease waste, improve teamwork, and enhance efficiency across the product development Lifecyle. At first, the company understood that lean management and innovations could hardly coexist, finding it difficult to streamline and reduce costs and variations, especially in an ever-evolv...