General Motors VS Ford

Michael Elorreaga
Organizational Analysis

Introduction:
Doing this organizational analysis, I wanted to further my knowledge about the

car industry. The first prospect that came to mind was General Motors. I picked General

Motors because of its popularity in the United States. I had some interesting general

knowledge of the company like the dependability and quality of their cars. Some

comments were, “I rather have a Chevy Truck than a Ford” and “The general motors cars

are more dependable than Ford.” These comments made it clear that I liked the General

Motors auto line of cars.

Then, I asked myself what would be a cooperate company just as enormous. I

came to a conclusion that Ford would be the other company. Though Ford has a nice line

of cars, I had some negative thoughts about the company. Acronyms were said such as,

“Found On Road Dead” or “Fix Or Repair Daily.” Each of those sayings had put a dent

in my thoughts that I would not buy a Ford, not solely on those sayings, but also because

of the influence of my parents and other such adverse publicity.

These companies have a long-standing tradition in the U.S as manufacturing

giants in the automobile industry, since they began here. With these two cooperate

giants, I can evaluate and compare both companies financially. My over all preference
was to buy the General Motors line of cars; in doing this project I wanted to know if by

researching each company if I would change my mind. Also, this will enable me to draw

a conclusion on which company would be a better investment and which company is

doing better as a whole.

Founded in 1908, GM today sells its vehicles in about 200 countries. The

company has manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. General Motors

(NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars

and trucks worldwide. In 2000, GM earned $5 billion on sales of $183.3 billion,

excluding special items. It employs about 363,000 people globally. GM also operates one

of the largest and most successful financial services companies, GMAC, which offers

automotive, mortgage and business financing and insurance services to customers

worldwide.

In 2000, GM sold about 8.6 million cars and trucks - more than any other

automaker and 15.1 percent of the world vehicle market. GM's major markets are North

America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Its largest

market is North America, where it is in its 74th year as the market leader.

GM is expanding and coordinating the company's innovative initiatives into

electronic commerce with the goal of transforming its traditional automotive operations

into a leading global e-business enterprise. GM is utilizing new technologies to enhance

the customer experience and improve efficiency.

GM is the industry-leading in-vehicle communications and information service. It

provides motorists with personalized assistance, emergency aid, and hands-free, voice-

activated access to Internet-based information and content services including news and

weather, e-mail and stock quotes. The new Personal Calling service provides hands-free,

voice-activated, in-vehicle cellular phone access.

premier provider of integrated digital entertainment and information services and

products. DirecTV achieved its strongest annual growth in history, grossing 3.4 million

new subscribers in 2000. This year's new television/Internet product and service

introductions will further strengthen the growth of Hughes Electronics.

FORD’S History

Ford Motor Company entered the business world without fanfare on June 17,

1903, when Henry Ford and 11 associates filed incorporation papers in the state of

Michigan. With an abundance of faith but only $28,000 in cash, the pioneering

industrialists gave birth to what was to become one of the world's largest corporations.

Few companies are as closely identified with the history and development of America

throughout the 20th century as Ford Motor Company, and perhaps no other American

firm is as well known around the globe.

From this small beginning grew a global network of manufacturing and assembly

plants, sales operations, parts depots and dealers, with Ford Motor Company represented

in more than 200 nations and territories spanning six continents.

Today, Ford Motor Company is the world's largest producer of trucks and the

second-largest producer of cars. The company has operations in more than 30 countries,

and employs more than 340,000 men and women at its factories, laboratories and offices

around the world.

As with most great enterprises, Ford Motor Company's beginnings were modest.

The company had anxious moments in its infancy, balancing precariously on the brink of

bankruptcy until cash inflows from sales began. The earliest record of a shipment is July
20, 1903, approximately one month after incorporation, to a Detroit physician. With the

company's first sale came hope. A worried group of stockholders, warily eyeing a bank

balance that had dwindled to $223.65, breathed more easily, and a young Ford Motor

Company had taken its first sure steps.

In 1988, Ford Motor Company made a strategic decision to develop a new global

car. Engineers in Europe, the United States, and other design and development centers

were already increasingly combining their resources on existing programs with

significant results. The similarities between the various world markets also were growing,

as legislation reached new levels of harmony and car buyers on different continents found

their product tastes and motoring needs were less different than they had been in the past.

Ford Motor Company is ranked second on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S.

industrial corporations, based on sales. In 1998, worldwide sales and revenues totaled

$142.6 billion. Net income, excluding one-time items, was $6.5 billion. Although Ford

Motor Company is best known as a manufacturer of cars and trucks; it produces other

products, including industrial engines, glass, plastics, and a wide range of automotive

components. Ford also is established in many other businesses-including financial

services, automotive replacement parts, and electronics. In 1997, the company created

Visteon, a wholly owned enterprise of Ford Motor Company, to explore and expand the

market for components around the world.

Ford Motor Company is committed to fully utilizing the rich diversity of its

human resources. Company leadership believes that diversity will be the engine that

powers the creative energy of corporations of the 21st century. Successful companies will
be those that are able to draw on the diverse talents of their people to stay on the

innovative and competitive edges of their fields

Ford Motor Company started this century, with a single man envisioning products

that would meet the needs of people in a world on the verge of high-gear

industrialization. The company is ending the century with a worldwide organization that

retains and expands Henry Ford's heritage by developing products that serve the varying

and ever-changing needs of people in the global community.

Financial Reports
General Motors:
Looking at the Balance sheet of General Motors from their 2000 financial

statement in relation to 1999, the statistics are higher in 2000 than they are to 1999. In

the Balance Sheet, I looked at the assets. The total assets in 2000 are 303,100(in

millions) when comparing to 1999, which are 274,730 (in millions), their assets went up

in 2000 compared to 1999 by 28,370(in millions). This is a sufficient increase and a

good increase for GM. There are some plus and minus in the balance sheet.

Some of their positives in their assets were the other assets in 2000 had

32,243(in millions) compared to 1999, which had 25,358(in millions). This is an increase

of 6,885(in millions). Another significant increase is in financial receivable which in

2000 they received 92,415(in millions) compared to 1999 which had 80,627(in millions).

This was a big increase of 11,788(in millions). The negatives of their assets of 2000

compared to 1999 were the deferred income taxes and other current assets, which 2000
had 8,388(in millions) to 1999, which had 9,006(in millions). The difference of the two

is $618(in millions) dollars. The other negative was the Intangible assets in 2000 they

had 7,622(in millions) and 1999 had 8,527(in millions). This was a decrease of $905

dollars (in millions).

Looking at the positive and negatives of the Liabilities are also significant.

Viewing the positives we can see that in the Liabilities one significant positive is the

Total Financing and Insurance Operations liabilities. In 2000 they had 155,375 (in

millions) compared to 1999, which had 137,826(in millions). This was an increase of

7,549(in millions). The only negative aspect in the Liabilities is in their Automotive at

el., which in 2000 they had 15,768 (in millions) compared to 1999, which had 17,426(in

millions). This is a decrease of 1,658(in millions).

Viewing the positive and negatives of the Stockholder’s Equity are also

significant. Viewing the positive aspect we can see in the increase in the Total

Stockholder’s equity. In 2000 they had 30,175(in millions) compared to1999, which had

20,644(in millions). This was an increase of 9,531(in millions). The negative aspect is in

the Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments. In 2000 they had 2,502(in

millions) compared to 1999, which had 2,033(in millions). This is a decrease of 169(in

millions).

Looking at all these aspects of the Balance Sheet, General Motors is doing better

compared to 1999. This is a good aspect in deciding which company is better. Ford is

also has some positive aspects of their Balance Sheet.

Ford
 Looking at the balance sheet of Ford Motor Company from their 2000 financial

statements in relation to 1999, the statistics are higher in the assets phase. In 2000 the

total assets was 284,241 millions compared to 1999 which was 270,249. The major

increase for 2000 was the finance receivables by 11,866 millions. I felt that this was a

major impact concerning how the balance sheet was configured. A negative aspect of the

balance sheet was the company loss major amounts of money in Marketable Securities

and total Current Assets.

Moving on to the Liabilities, the Total Financial Services Liabilities in 2000 were

176,557, which was elevated from 1999 statistics. The 1999 Total Financial Service

Liabilities was 159,626. The difference between this is 16,931 millions. The major

contributions to the 2000 Liabilities were the Accrued Liabilities, Debt and Total Current

Liabilities.

The stockholder’s Equity losses were 8,994 million in 2000. The reason the Stock

Holder’s Equity is low in 2000 is because of the Earnings Retained for the use in

businesses. The Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity had an amount of 284,421

million, which was higher than the 1999 amount of 270,249 million.

On the total balance at the end of the year of 1999 was 27,604 million. Dividends

for that year were 2,290 million. In comparing this to 2000 the end of the year’s total

balance was 18,610 million and the dividends was 2,751 million. Reason being, that in

1999 they had a large amount of capital stock. The end of the year’s capital stock in 1999

was 1,222 million. While achieving low standards in 2000, capital stock was 19

thousands.
Which is Better GM or Ford???
Comparison

While comparing which company would be a better investment and a better buy

for the consumer I see that General Motors is still my pick after evaluating the Balance

Sheet. The Balance Sheet is a financial statement that summarizes the assets, liabilities,

and owners’ equity at a specific point in time. In General Motors the Balance Sheet

shows that the total Assets and total Stock Holder’s Equity was higher than Ford’s. Ford’s

total Assets all increased around fourteen million, while GM Total assets increased

around 26 million. As far as looking at total Stockholder Equity between GM and Ford,

Ford decreased by ten million and GM increased by ten million. One of the positive

aspects from GM balance sheet is, productivity increase every year. On the other hand

Ford is not having a significant increase in product.

In discussing the comparison of General Motors and Ford I found out the best

way to compare them also was by ratios. There are three ways to classify these are

(1)Liquidity analysis, (2)solvency analysis, and (3)profitability analysis. “Liquidity is a

relative measure of the nearness to cash of the assets and liabilities of a company.

Nearness to cash deals with the length of time before cash is realized. Various ratios are

used to measure liquidity, and they basically concern the company’s ability to pay it’s

debts as they come due” (Porter, Norton, Chapter13,p.626). “Solvency refers to a

company’s ability to remain in business over the long term…solvency concerns the

ability of the firm to stay financially healthy over the period of time that existing

debt(short and long term) will be outstanding” (Porter, Norton, Chapter13,p.631).

“Profitability indicate how well management is using the resources at its disposal to earn
a return on the funds invested by various groups. Two frequent used profitability

measures, the gross profit ratio and the profit margin ratio” (Porter, Norton,

Chapter13,p.634).

In the Liquidity Analysis of GM and Ford, Ford overall has better quality because

looking at the number of days’ sales in inventory Ford has a 21.8 compared to GM 27.4.

It takes Ford 22 days to sell their inventory compared to GM 27 days. In the Cash to Cash

Operating Cycle, which means, the length of time from the purchase of inventory to the

collection of any receivable from the sale. It takes Ford 34 days compared to GM 39

days.

In the Solvency Analysis, which is the ability of a company to remain in business

over the long term, in comparing Ford’s Solvency Analysis to GM’s, we found that

Ford’s debt to Equity Ratio, which was 2.33, was lower than GM’s ,which was 5.15, by

2.82. this means that the total Liabilities to total stockholder’s equity in Ford is lower

than GM. For more information of GM and Ford’s.

In the Profitability Analysis, which is how well management is using company

resources to earn a return on the funds invested by various groups, in comparing Ford’s

analysis to GM’s, we found that In conclusion I would chose General Motors over

Ford, after evaluating this comparison

Bibliography
1. 1. Porter, Norton, Financial Accounting, The Impact on Decision Makers,

Harcourt College Publishers, 301 Commerce Street, Suite 3700, Fort Worth, TX

76102, pp. 621-636.

2. 2. Internet Sites of Ford and General Motors.