Case Study on Ford and Motor Car Industry
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW FORMAT AND QUESTIONS Congratulations on making it to the Telephone Interview stage of the selection process. The telephone interview will last around 20-30 minutes. The questions will be around the following areas: • Knowledge of Ford and the function to which you are applying • Working effectively with other people • Results Focus • Customer Focus You will need to make sure that you are in a location where the interview can be completed (e. g. ot whilst travelling using a mobile) You will need to confirm some of the details provided on your application form. The interviewer will go through each question and the extent of detail required from the answers (e. g. will be asking about past experiences, need to know context, specific detail about what you did and the outcome) The interview does not look at your ability to respond quickly. We understand you may need some time to come up with an answer and that is fine. You are welcome to ask questions. Below are some helpful hints for telephone interviewing: Be specific – describe exactly what you did or said • Talk about your contribution (not what other people have done) • Give examples of the skills that you demonstrated in the particular situation • You can choose examples from work / college / voluntary work / out of work activities. • Make sure you take some time to find out about Ford and the area to which you are applying KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FORD AND THE COMPANY Ford Motor Company is a global industry leader that manufactures and distributes automobiles on six continents. Based in
Dearborn, Michigan, with approximately 246,000 employees and 95 plants worldwide, its core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. Ford will discontinue the Mercury brand at the end of 2010. Its automotive financing business is Ford Motor Credit Company. The company operates as a globally integrated worldwide team with four key priorities: aggressively restructuring to operate profitably at the current demand and changing mix, accelerating development of new products customers want and value, financing its plan and improving its balance sheet, ndworking together effectively as a global team. The Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK. Ford’s former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008. In 2010 Ford sold Volvo to Geely Automobile. [5] Ford will discontinue the Mercury brand at the end of 2010.
Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford’s methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Ford is currently the second largest automaker in the U. S. and the fourth-largest in the world based on number of vehicles sold annually, directly behind Volkswagen Group. [6] In 2007, Ford fell from second to third in US annual vehicle sales for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota.
However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). By the end of 2009, Ford was the third largest automaker in Europe (behind Volkswagen and PSA Peugeot Citroen). [7] Ford is the seventh-ranked overall American-based company in the 2008 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2008 of $146. 3 billion. [8] In 2008, Ford produced 5. 532 million automobiles[9] and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. During the automotive crisis, Ford’s worldwide unit volume dropped to 4. 17 million in 2009. Despite the adverse conditions, Ford ended 2009 with a net profit of $2. 7 billion. [10] Starting in 2007, Ford received more initial quality survey awards from J. D. Power and Associates than any other automaker. Five of Ford’s vehicles ranked at the top of their categories[11] and fourteen vehicles ranked in the top three. [12] Revenue US$ 118. 308 billion (2009) [1] Operating income US$ 2. 957 billion (2009)[2] Net income US$ 2. 717 billion (2009)[1] Total assets US$ 197. 890 billion (2009) [3] Total equity US$ -6. 515 billion (2009) [3] Employees 176,000 (2010 [4] Divisions Ford Credit Ford division Lincoln Mercury Subsidiaries Automotive Components Holdings Troller Top Ford Motor Company Competitors * Chrysler Group LLC * General Motors Company * Toyota Motor Corporation As a result of these ongoing efforts Ford Motor Company has been recognised as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere Institute, a leading business think tank. Ford is one of only a 100 global companies – and the only automotive manufacturer – to be included in the list. * * We call them ‘our vision’, ‘our mission’ and ‘our values’. Our vision: to become the world’s leading company for automotive products and services. * * Our mission: we are a globally diverse family, with a proud heritage, that’s passionately committed to providing outstanding products and services. * * Our values: we do the right thing for our people, our environment and our society, but above all for our customers. Ford is the biggest motor company in the UK, with seven locations and over 550 Dealerships. We also have several large plants, where we manufacture vehicles, engines and transmissions, as well as parts and components.
In total, Ford of Britain and its dealers employ around 35,000 people in product development, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and service roles. Sales We’ve been Britain’s best-selling car brands for over 30 years, and our commercial vehicles have been market leaders since 1965. We currently sell around 440,000 cars and commercial vehicles each year. And one of our biggest success stories has been the Ford Focus: it’s been the UK’s most popular car each year since its launch in 1998. Product development Our Research and Development Centre in Essex works on new engines, commercial vehicles and transmissions.
It’s home to over 3,000 engineers and extensive R&D facilities, including high speed and special surface tracks. There are also indoor laboratories including rolling roads, crash simulators and test cells that can house up to 15 vehicles and 100 engines. All of this means we can really put prototype engines and vehicles through severe testing regimes. That way we can ensure they meet our stringent quality standards, long before they reach you. Manufacturing We have four major manufacturing sites around the UK, employing thousands of people.
Looking out for local communities and environmental issues You’re our customer but, in the global community, you’re also our neighbour. Being a good corporate citizen is an essential part of how we do business. Both globally and locally, we have an ongoing commitment to helping and supporting the communities we operate in, better understanding environmental issues and investing in our people. We define corporate social responsibility as being willing to help others, being environmentally conscious and socially tolerant.
With those guiding principles in mind, we’ve designed a special programme to promote tolerance and equal opportunities, and actively support social and environmental protection programmes. Through our Ford Britain Trust, we provide grants to fund local education and other not-for-profit projects. We were also the first car manufacturer to obtain ISO 14040 certification, an international environmental standard, for all of our facilities worldwide. Our Skills for Life strategy aims to develop a skilled workforce committed to improving the business whilst maintaining employment opportunities now and for the future.
The programme has been recognised by Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence as a strategy that is both sustainable and highly effective, something we are very proud of. As a result of these ongoing efforts Ford Motor Company has been recognised as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere Institute, a leading business think tank. Ford is one of only a 100 global companies – and the only automotive manufacturer – to be included in the list. The function to which you are applying Marketing, Sales and Service: The breadth of opportunities within Ford’s Marketing, Sales and Service functions is extensive.
The right high-calibre graduates could find themselves working as Ford’s next Product Specialists or Consumer Insights Specialists For as part of our Field Sales or Programming & Distribution teams, For even as Inventory and Dealer Margins Co-ordinators For Fleet Aftermarket Business Managers. Our Marketing, Products & Corporate Affairs teams are here to help the various FORD businesses meet their goals and objectives by championing the customer across the organisation. Our aim is to attract more customers to do more business with us.
To achieve this we need people with deep empathy of our customers and markets, a curiosity about the external environment and those with an appetite to be creative and drive change. Our work covers a broad range of disciplines: * Customer & Competitive Insight * Brand Management * Customer Marketing * Innovation, Product Management & Development * Corporate Affairs In recent years, we’ve been recognised as leaders in our field and have won a string of awards for our communication campaigns and other marketing activities. . . Working effectively with other people- TEAMWORK
