For Ann Harris

 Assignment OverviewType: Discussion BoardUnit:  SWOT Analysis & NPVDue Date:  Tue, 1/30/18Grading Type: NumericPoints Possible:  75Points Earned:  0Deliverable Length:  Primary Task: 600–800 words; Secondary Task: 150–200 wordsView objectives for this assignmentGo To:

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Assignment Details
Assignment Description
Reminder: Initial Discussion Board posts due by Friday, responses due by Tuesday
Students will be expected to post their first initial discussion board posting by Friday of each week. Discussion posts will be graded and late submissions will be assigned a late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.
Students are expected to post their responses to peers by Tuesday. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.
Primary Task Response: Respond to the following scenario with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. Be substantive and clear, and use research to reinforce your ideas.
Now is the time to make a decision about relocating the manufacturing operation to the United States is fast-approaching. AutoEdge, like most companies, uses a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analysis to facilitate its decision making.
You have just completed your first monthly activity report for the board when Lester calls.
“Hi,” you say. “I just finished my monthly report for the board. I’ll e-mail it to you when we get done talking.”
“Sounds good,” he says. “I’m calling because we need your expertise again for another facet of our investigation into the manufacturing operation. This time, I want you to conduct a detailed SWOT analysis for AutoEdge, and provide a brief summary of your analysis.”
“I was expecting this,” you say. “Some of the research I’ve done over the past 4 weeks will be useful as I put this analysis together for you.”
“Yes, I thought you were in a good position to do this work,” he says. “Your analysis may be different from other people who have been at the company longer, but your fresh perspective on the components will be helpful in moving the debate forward.”
“That’s a good point,” you say. “I’ll keep that in mind as I go through the information.”
The materials found in the M.U.S.E. may help you with this assignment. Additional information is also provided in the Lessons from Experience series found at the following link:

Forecasting With Numbers

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.
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AutoEdge is a leading national automotive supply company located in Detroit, Michigan. Founded by Jonathan McAlister in 1976, the company specializes in engines and transmission parts and has been supplying products to the three largest U.S.-based automakers for over 30 years. AutoEdge’s name is known by customers and leaders in the automotive industry for quality, dependability, and reliable products. In fact, despite the extra cost that is added to the automobiles, consumers appreciate the AutoEdge brand name and often make purchases because of it.
In 2005, AutoEdge’s board of directors decided that the company needed to make some drastic changes because of the high cost of labor, rigid American regulations, and increased competition from other engine and transmission part suppliers. Their solution was to gradually close all manufacturing operations in Detroit and begin outsourcing to a well-known factory in South Korea. The board reasoned that this change would allow the company to compete with the growing industry, meet the automotive manufacturing demands, and increase company profits. Some board members were skeptical about the move, however, because AutoEdge had built a reputation for high-quality, detailed craftsmanship, and they feared that transitioning the manufacturing operations overseas would cause quality to diminish.
For the next 5 years, this strategy proved successful. The company showed signs of financial growth and company profit.
However, in 2010, the company was found guilty of supplying products that failed quality tests. As a result, millions of automobiles had to be recalled. The recall was highly publicized, and the issue of poor quality products impacted negatively on American automotive companies. AutoEdge’s $51 per-share stock has fallen to $4 per share, and brand acceptance has come under scrutiny among even its most loyal customers. Although some economists blame these negative effects on the products, others believe that it had to do with the termination of AutoEdge’s Chief Executive Officer, Fred McFadden.
Lester Scholl, Chairman of the Board of Directors, has called an emergency meeting to discuss AutoEdge’s short-term and long-term strategies. Among other things, they need to discuss the possibility of continuing production overseas or returning it to the United States. Lester and others on the board are well-known for being financially conservative and risk-averse. Because the American economy is experiencing high unemployment, low interest rates, low GDP, and low inflation, it might be sensible to make the change. To some extent, they believe that these macroeconomic factors can be used to their advantage. They realize the immediate challenges such as the brand damage, the growing competition, and the financial challenges the company is facing require immediate action. A new strategy must be formulated quickly to save the company from bankruptcy.
You have been hired by AutoEdge’s board of directors as a research analyst. Primarily, your job is to list and describe some of the legal, cultural, financial, and economic factors that AutoEdge needs to consider when deciding to either stay in South Korea or return to the United States. Because Fred McFadden was recently terminated, you will work directly with the board until a new CEO is named.