About the Company

Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand, and luxury cars under its Lincoln luxury brand.

Corporate Citizenship

A Ford Corporate Citizenship Report stresses that the company sees no conflict between business goals and social and environmental needs. Leaders of the company believe that the distinction between a good company and a great one is that a good company delivers excellent products and services, while a great company delivers excellent products and services and strives to improve the world. Overall, Ford believes that the company needs leaders who can make informed business decisions and who can help the company better meet customer needs, increase shareholder value, and honor responsibilities to society.

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Training New Leaders

Ford is very serious about training new leaders who will help the company to prepare for a new business era and reach its goal of making a difference in the world. Ford provides training for its leaders in the Ford Leadership Center, where the focus in on building leaders, both men and women, who know how to get things done through the talents of their people. These leaders also learn to think "outside the box" by abandoning their comfort zones in everything from selecting a work project to working with new people.

Harnessing the Power of IT

At Ford Motor Company, Information Technology goes beyond the traditional IT or MIS departments at other companies to bring more efficient processes and systems in every area.

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→ Modern ICT-powered Value Chain

People at the IT department of the company focus on their vision, which states, "When asked, our customers, clients, suppliers, partners, employees, and stakeholders say, without hesitation, that Information Technology is a critical and competitive differentiator for Ford Motor Company." The employees hold themselves to this high standard with pride. They write in their statement, "Our work is about being a leader, a leader who applies information technology and process reengineering techniques to every part of the company, tracing the critical path through their complex business. It’s about being a consultant who understands the areas we support and helps them embrace change. Our work is with people, though our tool is the computer."

→ IT Leader: New Roles of a CIO

→ How To Create Greater Value Online

Continuous Improvement

The → 80/20 Principle is used in many corporate → quality management programs. In Ford Electronic Manufacturing Corporation's quality program that won the Shingo prize, just-in-time programs have been applied using the 80/20 rule (80% of the value is spread over 20% of the volume) and top-dollar usages are analyzed constantly. "Labor and overhead performance were replaced by Manufacturing Cycle Time analysis by product line, reducing product cycle time by 95%."  >>>

Servicing Diverse Customers

The Ford's customer base is becoming increasingly diverse as the company expand globally and as their established markets themselves become more diverse. This influences Ford's product development and → marketing approaches.

For example, women make up more than 54 percent of U.S. Volvo customers. “Your Concept Car” was designed by a group of female engineers, designers and marketing professionals who strove to reflect what women say they want in a vehicle.

Ford is also conducting research and vehicle development geared toward customers with special needs, such as limited mobility. A Ford Europe product design team focused on making Ford products the brand of choice for people with mobility issues. At many corporately owned locations in Europe, Hertz is offering vehicles equipped with hand controls at no additional charge for disabled customers.

As their customer base becomes more diverse, Ford have adjusted their marketing and communications. For example, Jaguar and Volvo launched advertising campaigns back in 2003 that reached out directly to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered customers. The company are also actively exploring alternative offerings and features targeting baby boomers who are known for their active lifestyles.