Supply Chain Information Technology is a seven-chapter book written by David L. Olson, the James & H.K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for both students of and business professionals in the supply chain management field, the text examines the influence of rapidly growing computer technology systems on supply chain management and how these systems provide supply chains with information support. In addition to surveying the systems available that are used by business to give supply chains this information system support, the author demonstrates the design of these systems, and the tasks they perform, with the help of analytic techniques and models. In Chapter 6 the author presents issues in implementing Supply Chain Management (SCM) software systems along with a demonstration of project management in the SCM software context. Topics include: approaches to the implementation process, installation project risk, software alternatives for project management, and critical path models of SCM software options. The chapter concludes with a case study demonstrating some of the difficulties encountered in implementing software projects within organizations.

Supply Chain Information Technology is a seven-chapter book written by David L. Olson, the James & H.K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for both students of and business professionals in the supply chain management field, the text examines the influence of rapidly growing computer technology systems on supply chain management and how these systems provide supply chains with information support. In addition to surveying the systems available that are used by business to give supply chains this information system support, the author demonstrates the design of these systems, and the tasks they perform, with the help of analytic techniques and models. The seventh and final chapter discusses three issues related to current events in enterprise systems: the importance of training in obtaining effective use of supply chain management systems, the issues presented by software vendors upgrading their systems, and the evolution of added functionality, or add-on's, in the software systems field. The chapter concludes with a case study highlighting the lessons a mortgage bank learned from the implementation of enterprise application integration.

Business Intelligence: Making Decisions through Data Analytics is a six-chapter book written by Dr. Jerzy Surma, an assistant professor at Warsaw School of Economics, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration, the book explores the use of business intelligence (BI), including data warehousing and data analytics, to support managerial decision-making. The author starts by examining data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on recent achievements in BI. Finally, the book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated BI environment. Chapter 1 presents the history of business intelligence (BI), defines pertinent terminology, and reviews BI's possible applications in selected businesses. The chapter concludes with a brief case study highlighting BI concepts that are used to fulfill a company's strategic initiatives.

Business Intelligence: Making Decisions through Data Analytics is a six-chapter book written by Dr. Jerzy Surma, an assistant professor at Warsaw School of Economics, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration, the book explores the use of business intelligence (BI), including data warehousing and data analytics, to support managerial decision-making. The author starts by examining data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on recent achievements in BI. Finally, the book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated BI environment. Chapter 2 first examines the structure and technological role data warehousing plays in business intelligence. It then discusses how data are collected, organized, and modeled for application to business analysis and explains the four steps in designing a data warehouse.

Business Intelligence: Making Decisions through Data Analytics is a six-chapter book written by Dr. Jerzy Surma, an assistant professor at Warsaw School of Economics, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration, the book explores the use of business intelligence (BI), including data warehousing and data analytics, to support managerial decision-making. The author starts by examining data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on recent achievements in BI. Finally, the book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated BI environment. Chapter 3 introduces analytical data mining and explains basic analytical operations using a detailed example. Managerial information and its applications in selected areas in enterprise are discussed. The use of business intelligence (BI) tools in the management of business processes and a company's strategy by means of a balanced scorecard are examined. The role of BI in strategic information management is also discussed.

Business Intelligence: Making Decisions through Data Analytics is a six-chapter book written by Dr. Jerzy Surma, an assistant professor at Warsaw School of Economics, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration, the book explores the use of business intelligence (BI), including data warehousing and data analytics, to support managerial decision-making. The author starts by examining data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on recent achievements in BI. Finally, the book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated BI environment. In Chapter 4, the author examines data exploration and the business applications of advanced analyses. The four classic tasks of data mining are discussed at length: classification, cluster analysis, estimation, and mining association rules. Limitations of data exploration methods are analyzed in detail, and standard business applications are reviewed

Business Intelligence: Making Decisions through Data Analytics is a six-chapter book written by Dr. Jerzy Surma, an assistant professor at Warsaw School of Economics, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration, the book explores the use of business intelligence (BI), including data warehousing and data analytics, to support managerial decision-making. The author starts by examining data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on recent achievements in BI. Finally, the book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated BI environment. Chapter 5 explores issues related to the analysis of personal data and its application in direct marketing, and considers the use of business intelligence systems to analyze human behavior. The chapter also examines the development of the field of customer intelligence and its revolutionary influence on the daily life of actual and potential customers.

Business Intelligence: Making Decisions through Data Analytics is a six-chapter book written by Dr. Jerzy Surma, an assistant professor at Warsaw School of Economics, and published by Business Expert Press in January of 2011. Written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration, the book explores the use of business intelligence (BI), including data warehousing and data analytics, to support managerial decision-making. The author starts by examining data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on recent achievements in BI. Finally, the book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated BI environment. The sixth and final chapter examines the difficulties of quantifying the impacts of the applications of business intelligence (BI) discussed earlier in the text. It presents a model based on the concept of a strategy map, which shows relationships between the application of BI systems and the potential enhancement of a company's value. The author considers ways of connecting BI implementation with a company's business processes, the conditions necessary for success (as well as potential threats), and methods for estimating the return on investment from such projects. He also discusses change management issues and the role of human capital.

Tommy Li was a designer and brand consultant renowned for his black humour and bold visual impact. With business spanning Hong Kong, China, Macau, Japan and Italy, he was one of the few Hong Kong designers to have entered the international market. In his ten years of experience as a design staff member, Li learned that "getting the right client is the key to a successful design consultancy business." Therefore, Li set up his own company to have full freedom in choosing his own clients, and his "choosing clients strategically" philosophy brought him great success. Consequently, he became a famous Hong Kong designer and brand consultant with reputable local and overseas clients. With international firms many times bigger than Li's firm entering China, Li saw mounting competitive pressure. Was Li's stardom an adequate defence against firms composed of multidisciplinary teams equipped with innovation-driven design thinking and processes? Was scale a critical issue in staying competitive? Was proximity to the market an important advantage?<br><br>The brand consulting industry also faced intense competition from international business consultancies, advertising and public relations agencies. Each camp used a different approach to target the same group of brand-conscious clients. Could Li cope with these challenges?<br><br>The case was developed to teach designers and design entrepreneurs. It is also suitable for MBA and other executive classes on entrepreneurship and creative business. This case is intended to achieve the following objectives: 1) study how strategic thinking guided Li to develop his design business despite changing market conditions 2) understand how path dependence and dynamic capabilities explain Li's success and challenges in a changing business environment 3) discuss the best approach to grow a design business - building methodology and processes or becoming a star in new markets.

An update to Vodafone cases A and B, describing Softbank's acquisition of Vodafone and its performance in Japan.

The (B) case describes the actions taken by Royal Dutch Shell's CEO and his management team to maintain their commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I), as introduced in the (A) case, during a major restructuring of the whole organization.

Analyst questions the value of accounting measurement of earnings per share and stock option costs for equity valuation purposes.

BBVA Compass, the 15th largest commercial bank in the U.S., is a part of the BBVA Group of Spain, the second largest bank in Spain with $755 billion in assets. In December 2010, Frank Sottosanti, Chief Marketing Officer of BBVA Compass, was reviewing the marketing performance of the company and deciding how to allocate next year's marketing budget across various offline and online channels.

AWARD-WINNING CASE: Adjudged winner of the ISB Case Competition 2010 held in partnership with the Richard Ivey School of Business and the Association of Indian Management Schools and sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.<br><br><br><br>BASIX was a microfinance company with livelihood promotion as its key agenda. It had a strong presence in the poverty-ridden state of Jharkhand, India, where farmers were struggling to make ends meet. In 2005, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd (Pepsi) entered into an agreement with BASIX for promoting contract farming of potatoes in Jharkhand. As per the agreement, Pepsi was to supply seeds and get an assured supply of quality potatoes. BASIX was to provide microfinance to the farmers and render training and consultancy for package of practices (POP). Farmers were to get assured buyback of the produce and also an opportunity to learn modern farming practices. The collaboration was successful in the first year and the project witnessed very high growth in the second year. The second-year results, however, were not as encouraging. The case is set at this juncture, where the project manager has to present his view on how to move ahead with the agreement.

This case explores value-driven strategy formulation and implementation by bringing to the fore issues of ethics, responsible leadership, social intiatives in emerging markets, and the global-local tensions in corporate social responsibility. It examines how Bayer CropScience addressed the issue of child labor in its cotton seed supply chain in rural India between 2002 and 2008. Bayer had been operating in India for more than a century. In December 2002, the Bayer Group completed the acquisition of India-based Aventis CropScience. Bayer CropScience first learned about the occurrence and prevalence of child labor in its newly acquired India-based cotton seed operations a few months post-acquisition, in April 2003. The Aventis acquisition had brought onboard a well-known Indian company, Proagro, which already had operations in the cotton seed production and marketing - a new segment of the supply chain for Bayer. Child labor was widespread in cotton seed production — a traditional practice taken for granted not only by Indian farmers but also by several hundred Indian companies then accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the market share. The (A) case focuses on Bayer’s decision whether, when, and how to launch a self-run program that would take direct responsibility for tracking and eradicating child labor in rural India.

This supplement to Bayer CropScience in India (A): Against Child Labor focuses on Bayer’s formulation of a value-driven strategy with three pillars: communication, implementation, and education.

As of 2010, ING DIRECT USA has had a successful first decade, having grown into one of the largest U.S. banks with $90 billion in assets. It has developed an innovative culture and a unique approach to banking, and has a strong brand name. As a result of a regulatory requirement in the Netherlands, ING Group is required to divest ING DIRECT USA by 2013. The chairman, president, and chief executive officer is reviewing his organization and thinking about what challenges the firm will face in the future.

AWARD WINNING CASE: Adjudged best case at the ISB Case Competition 2010 held in partnership with the Richard Ivey School of Business and the Association of Indian Management Schools and sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. BASIX was a microfinance company with livelihood promotion as its key agenda. It had a strong presence in the poverty-ridden state of Jharkhand, India, where marginal farmers were struggling to make ends meet. In 2005, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd (Pepsi) entered an agreement with BASIX for promoting contract farming of potatoes in Jharkhand. As per the agreement, Pepsi was to supply seeds and get an assured supply of chip-grade quality potatoes. BASIX was to provide micro-finance to the farmers and render training and consultancy for package of practices (POP). Farmers were to get assured buyback of the produce and also an opportunity to learn modern farming practices. The collaboration was successful in the first year and the project witnessed a very high growth in the second year. The second year results, however, were not as encouraging as the first year. The case is poised at this juncture, where the project manager has to present his view on how to move ahead with the agreement.

The Canadian Pillsbury ready baked goods cookie line is experiencing less than stellar performance, and the marketing manager is under pressure to make strategic decisions that will help turn around the segment. The marketing manager engages the help of the consumer insight team to conduct market research studies that will shed light on consumers and their attitudes, behaviours and preferences towards the product. The results from the market research studies are in, and the students, assuming the role of the marketing manager, must filter through them to determine how this information can be used to improve the performance of the cookie segment. More specifically, students will need to determine where the greatest opportunities lie, who the team should target, what brand messaging is the most relevant and what type of communication plan would be most effective.

Ben Balbale, a partner at hedge fund Matrix Capital, must decide whether to exit their investment in Rovi Corporation, a company with a diverse portfolio of patents used primarily for digital interactive guides. Rovi's shares are up over 50% from the time Balbale initiated a position in the middle of 2009.