CAPSTONE PROJECT

Capstone Project: Whirlpool

Abstract

Whirlpool is a marketer and manufacturer of home appliances. Whirlpool's main products include; refrigerators & freezers, laundry appliances, dishwashers, cooking appliances, portable household appliances and mixers. Mission: “Everyone, Passionately Creating Loyal Customers for Life” The performance of the company clearly demonstrates the Mission of the company. The strategic goals achieved and pursued by the company directly links to the company's mission and vision. As part of the company's cost reduction strategy, manufacturing in the US was impacted by challenging economic conditions. The company's differentiation strategy will surely maximize the organization's return to shareholders. Whirlpool holds a strong position in nearly all major appliances categories: in 2012 the company maintained the leading position in dishwashers, home laundry appliances and refrigeration appliances, and was second in large cooking appliances. The company also held the leading position in mixers. The company's current strategy supports ethical business behaviors in its all operations. In the US, the company should continue to focus on water- and energy-efficient design, as this is expected to be a lasting trend. Whirlpool has been continuously investing on various research and development (R&D) initiatives to develop innovations that address specific consumer needs. The company follows a plan of design quality.

Abstract2

Introduction4

Discussion4

Mission and Vision Statement4

Relation of Whirlpool's Performance with its Mission5

Relation of Whirlpool's Strategic Goals with its Mission6

Relation of Whirlpool's Financial Performance with its Strategic Goals, Strategy7

Competitive and Marketing Analysis8

Scale8

Geographic Diversity8

Low Margins9

India9

Low Cost Producers9

Economic Uncertainty10

Appropriate Strategy10

Merger or Acquisition as a Viable Strategy11

Rewards to Motivate Employees13

Ethical Business Behaviors13

Conclusion and Recommendations14

Recommendations15

References17

Appendix19

Whirlpool

Introduction

Whirlpool is a marketer and manufacturer of home appliances. Whirlpool's main products include; refrigerators & freezers, laundry appliances, dishwashers, cooking appliances, portable household appliances and mixers. The Whirlpool has twelve industrial services in Mexico and the USA to serve its North American markets. In the US, Whirlpool's manufacturing facilities are located in Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Ohio and Tennessee; in Mexico, its manufacturing locations are spread across Celaya, Monterrey and Ramos Arizpe.

Discussion

Whirlpool markets and manufactures a complete field of main products and appliances, mainly for domestic works. Whirlpool enjoys a leading market position. A strong corporate reputation helps Whirlpool in faster acceptance of its new product launches, and further strengthens its market position. However, the ongoing Euro-zone crisis and a weak economic outlook could lead to operational and financial challenges in Europe for Whirlpool. (Andrew, 2012)

Mission and Vision Statement

Mission: “Everyone, Passionately Creating Loyal Customers for Life”

Vision: “Every Home… Everywhere… with Pride, Passion and Performance”

Values:

Diversity and Inclusion

Integrity

Respect

Spirit of Winning

Teamwork

Relation of Whirlpool's Performance with its Mission

The performance of the company clearly demonstrates the Mission of the company. The company lives out its mission and vision statement very well. Whirlpool, unlike some of its competitors, such as Electrolux, has not consolidated its various products under one brand but has maintained those brands as separate entities. This may complicate distribution and marketing, leading to increased costs, but it also has the advantage of allowing Whirlpool to offer various price points and cater to a wider group of consumers without ...