Strategic analytical research of future market potentials of a specific product segment in the automotive industry

Abstract

The examined topic "Strategic Analytical Research of Future Market Potentials of a Specific Product Segment in the Automotive Industry" looks rather closely with the product segment of automotive carpet and acoustic parts. The expected result is the preparation of different business case scenarios to give assistance for future decisions to build up a sustainable profitable business. To enable a study of this business field it is necessary to analyze the customer, the competitors and the existing manufacturing footprint in detail to assume future trends. The customer analysis contains a detailed future business evaluation and considers different possibilities of potential new future business. These numbers are reflected in a case study with different business assumptions to represent reliable data for future decisions. By analyzing the competitor market it was necessary to pick out the main competitors, analyze its footprint, its product portfolio and the executed manufacturing process technology. Deeper analysis of existing and future programs is the most difficult task which needs to be done in the preparation of different business plans. Here it is necessary to analyze actual cost structures of existing plants, identify potentials to improve material and overhead costs and assume continuously improvements.In this thesis are two main cases considered. On the one hand to keep the actual footprint and to restructure or optimize existing plants and on the other hand to move the business to another European Eastern country. These two main cases are broken down into different sub-cases which are considering the feasibility to award new business.After developing different business cases it will be possible to have a more detailed future outlook for the support to make decisions of the future carpet and acoustic strategy. This study should give the reader an overview about the actual situation in this product sector and will transfer solutions to restructure this business back to profitability. Therefore this thesis includes a case study which will show a practical example of an unprofitable business unit which will be restructured and turned back to profitability.