| Re: Harley's main plant lives on - but with 50% job cuts
I have very deep and sincere empathy for the workers as well.
HD management dropped the ball on this many years ago. Whenever it reaches a point of significant lay-offs, you can guarantee that management was not doing it's job, Sales and Marketing folks along with Strategic Planning folks failed miserably, but you can bet they are still employed, and propbaly thinking about what to do with this years bonus packet!
Why, you may ask, does it have to come to this before management says: "Major restructuring". Those thoughts should be addressed daily, as in "Kaizan", or constant improvement programs.
A "Major review of the... operations" ??? Where the manufacturing folks sitting on their hands or playing tiddly winks all these years?
Where are the lower priced, i.e., < $10,000 bread and butter bikes to sustain the organisation through tough times.
A good lesson to many: When you are convinced that the upper management folks - or those folks that have a hand on the tiller - don't have a clue, you are probably 100% correct, and it's time to get out before this type of activity happens.
Yes, agreed, the quality of the HD bikes has improved significantly, and the old chestnuts about unreliable, slow, and oil-leaking etc., are passe. But at what cost? True Engineering and Design expertise contains value, and attractive pricing to the consumer. Any fool can make an expensive, over-priced, over-done bike, true genius' lies in the inclusion of affordability, and practicality to the consumer market.
Hope and trust that the very unfortunate 1000 folks laid off find a new path in life.
Ride Safe!
Bob
__________________ - A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
- Motorcyles are not my whole life, but they make my life whole. ` me
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Harley's main plant lives on - but with 50% job cuts
