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  • William Maley
    William Maley

    GM CEO Wants To See More Cuts

    GM-Renaissance-Center-Wintergarden.jpg

    For the first half of this year, General Motors posted a profit of $6.3 billion, making it the best start in over two-decades. However, GM CEO Dan Akerson wants the company to do better.

    $6.3 Billion is nothing to scoff at, but Akerson points out that figure equates to a 6% margin. He wants to see GM beat out the 7% margins realized by Ford & Volkswagen.

    So how will GM do it? By cutting. GM has put forth plans to have just 14 global architectures by 2018, a dramatic drop from the 30 architectures in use. Also, GM will cut down their engine platforms from 20 to 10 in the same time frame.

    Akerson is also targeting the company’s marketing efforts to help cut costs. GM's Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick wants to have 10 agencies for the whole group.

    Source: Bloomberg

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    If the economy does not get better the cuts will become very important. GM needs to make the cuts in areas where they are not efficent and not cut development of technology, quality and design. The future depends on these and cuts here will send them back to where they just come from.

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    14...hmm

    Gamma II

    Delta II

    Epsilon II

    Theta-Epsilon

    Lambda

    Global compact truck

    US full size truck

    Global van

    Corvette

    Alpha

    Zeta II

    and 3 more..(maybe older platforms for South America or Chinese markets? Or Chinese-market only paltforms?)

    Edited by Cubical-aka-Moltar
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    This will drive to faster change over of platforms with new fresh models. I like his goal, driving to 7% margin is a good goal and I agree better than trying to be #1 in the world. Just look at what it did to GM, then Toyota and Now I guess we can watch VW go POOF! :P

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    If the economy does not get better the cuts will become very important. GM needs to make the cuts in areas where they are not efficent and not cut development of technology, quality and design.

    Exactly.

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    14...hmm

    Gamma II

    Delta II

    Epsilon II

    Theta-Epsilon

    Lambda

    Global compact truck

    US full size truck

    Global van

    Corvette

    Alpha

    Zeta II

    and 3 more..(maybe older platforms for South America or Chinese markets? Or Chinese-market only paltforms?)

    Omega

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    Share on other sites

    I think that is exactly what they are planning. This is "One GM" just like Ford's "One Ford" without the marketing ploy behind it.

    The Focus platform is getting something like 14 different body styles. We may not get them all, but we'll get most.

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