Harley-Davidson designed its manufacturing process to increase capacity, improve product quality, reduce costs, and increase flexibility to respond to market changes. Harley-Davidson incorporated manufacturing techniques focused on the continuous improvement of its operations designed to control costs and maintain quality. Included in these techniques were employee involvement, just-in-time inventory principles, partnering agreements with the local unions, high performance work organizations, and statistical process control, all designed to improve product quality, productivity, and asset utilization in the production of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.