Describes the method of control of repetitive manufacturing as used at Toyota by Just-in-Time and Kanban. The objective is to facilitate an understanding of how the method works and its rationale.

To improve the performance of American corporations, we must improve the effectiveness of corporate boards of directors. Corporate governance is just as important as corporate management. Corporations need personnel who can take the long-term view and make long-term commitments. They also need stockholders who are willing to hold onto their shares for long periods so that they become owners rather than speculators.

Small new businesses have in recent years increasingly provided the bulk of new jobs, a trend that has accelerated during the recession. In fact, these businesses have replaced older established companies as the primary driving force behind the growth of the U.S. economy. Technological advances, capital availability, and demographic shifts have encouraged these new entrepreneurs to challenge conventional wisdom and to experiment with new approaches to the market. The author explains why the entrepreneurial economy is a cultural and psychological event as well as an economic and a technological one.

Examination of the interaction among inflation, capital costs, profitability, growth, and the market value of a company's common stock can determine whether growth adds value for a company's shareholders. Analysis of the expected excess returns, figured on a net present value basis, of Tandy Corp., Xerox, and National Steel illustrates how the gap between market and book value of common stock can widen and illustrates that growth will add value if ROE is expected to exceed the cost of equity capital. But inadequate profitability coupled with the need to finance inflation-induced sales growth can be disastrous for the company's valuation.

The root of most service problems is a lack of systematic design and control. The use of a blueprint can help a service developer not only to identify problems ahead of time but also to see the potential for new market opportunities. A service company that relies on ad hoc management is not equipped to react quickly to market needs and opportunities.

Managers of smaller companies should pay close attention to the image their companies project to the business world. The impression conveyed to bankers, financial analysts, venture capitalists, and others is important because these people assign company valuations. Managers seeking to improve their companies' images should concentrate on four major factors: management, company name and trademark, annual report, and financial public relations.

Raising prices to cover rising costs and defend profit margins is a strategy that ceases to work in a recession, for that is when other companies start lowering their prices to increase their competitiveness. To avoid this competitive pricing trap, a company needs a method for seeing the unique way in which inflation is affecting it. Such a method is the value chain, a diagram that shows the value added at each step in the market process, from the raw materials stage to the final prices paid by consumers, exposing shifting cost components.

A consulting engineering firm, is involved in a road construction project in Asia which is plagued with difficulties. The firm is working with the local government highway department on the project and has the status of advisor. Actual construction is done by the government department. The problems that the firm must contend with include technical problems, a budget process, differing objectives and intercultural relations. Two years into the project, only 17 kilometres of the 245-kilometre highway were under construction. This case provides the background briefing for the in-basket exercise, An International Project Manager's Day, consisting of three cases, An International Project Manager's Day (A), An International Project Manager's Day (B) and An International Project Manager's Day (C). An alternative teaching approach, as a decision-making exercise, is presented in the teaching note 5A84C40 and supplementary case, An International Project Manager's Day (D).

The Noranda Board of Directors is considering four major capital budgeting proposals: development of a new mine, a mine shaft extension, purchase of an existing pulp and paper mill and purchase and installation of a continuous casting mill. A key issue is whether to use one overall cost of capital for the company or individual hurdle rates for each division.

President and CEO of Finning Tractor, has seen the earnings of the company drop below profitable levels because of a deep recession. Several restraint measures were instigated with little apparent impact. The case takes place at the point where a decision is impending on dividend policy with issues ranging from effect on stock price to the fact that the two majority shareholders may be adverse to taking a cut in the over $1.5 million in dividend income they were receiving annually.

A minority shareholder in a new operation has been offered a sum of money by the majority shareholder to buy up his shares. The question is whether or not the price offered is fair, in light of the fact that the market for these new golf clubs is highly unpredictable and the production costs are not truly representative of the actual amounts that will be required.

The president and general manager of a franchised automobile dealership investigates a capital expenditure for a new body shop to replace a smaller, leased facility. The case is designed to test students on their knowledge of capital expenditure analysis, to underline the impact that inflation adjustments have on capital expenditure analysis, and to push students to make judgements on the key analytical figures that may have an impact on the net present value calculation.

A consulting engineering firm, is involved in a road construction project in Asia which is plagued with difficulties. The firm is working with the local government highway department on the project and has the status of advisor. Actual construction is done by the government department. The problems that the firm must contend with include technical problems, a budget process, differing objectives and intercultural relations. Two years into the project, only 17 kilometres of the 245-kilometre highway were under construction. This case provides the background briefing for the in-basket exercise, An International Project Manager's Day, consisting of three cases, An International Project Manager's Day (A), An International Project Manager's Day (B) and An International Project Manager's Day (C). An alternative teaching approach, as a decision-making exercise, is presented in the teaching note 5A84C40 and supplementary case, An International Project Manager's Day (D).

The director of the Victoria Hospital Pharmacy has been forced by a request from his superior to confront and consider the possibility that people could die because of weaknesses in his operating systems. In a health care system, the operating environment must support, not only ideally, but in reality, 100% quality control with no defects. The one-time failure or lapse in the performance of the operating system(s) can have tragic consequences for all involved. The director must decide if Victoria Hospital Pharmacy is delivering the level of quality service expected of it by the public through its existing systems.

Mr. Panetta, owner of Cosmo's Restaurants Limited is trying to make some important decisions on the future of his family business. Panetta has the options of not growing, growing by opening a third drive-in/takeout restaurant or by manufacturing and marketing the restaurant's best selling product, the Cosmobob. Originally an in-house product, the Cosmobob was successfully marketed to local restaurants by Panetta, and the demand for the product has outgrown the restaurant's production facilities. Panetta is determined to make a decision in the best interests of his family.

The assistant credit manager for a jewellery wholesaler, must assess and compare the credit standing of two of their retail clients. The assessment, which would be used to determine if changes in credit policy were necessary, had to be submitted to both the credit manager and the sales manager in one week. This case provides students the opportunity to calculate financial ratios and use them in decision making. The focus should be on the development of the ratios and trying to appraise one business versus the other. If time is available, the instructor may wish to spend some time on credit appraisal. A follow-up to this case is available, Gardiner Wholesalers Incorporated (B), case 9A84J003.

This case is a follow-up to Gardiner Wholesalers (A) case, 9A84J002, where the assistant credit manager, is assessing the credit standing of two retail clients. Her analysis of past financial performance was complete but a banker friend suggested that the credit report should include projected statements so that the future financing needs of the two jewellery retailers could be estimated. The case provided the retail managers' views on the future of the respective companies as well as some recent trends in the retail marketplace. There is ample information to construct projected income statements and balance sheets.

In response to dismissal of a newly hired administrative assistant, all 10 of this company's executive assistants have vacated their posts and demanded that the plant's manager reverse the young woman's discharge. Otherwise, the 10 women have threatened to walk out in order to air their protest on a national news program.

Crossroads Tavern is a short two part exercise on break-even analysis. In the first part, the owner and manager are attempting to assess the level of sales (measured in units and dollars) required for the firm to: (a) achieve a profit of zero; (b) achieve a target profit of $30,000; and (c) achieve a net cash flow of zero. In the second part, the manager is evaluating the idea of expanding the hours of operation, and is attempting to determine the sales volume necessary to make such an expansion feasible.

Disc Importers is a classical record importer and wholesaler which has just completed its first year of operations. The controller has asked other executives for assistance in choosing an inventory valuation method. The choices revolve around the four standard inventory valuation options (LIFO/FIFO/average cost/specific identification), and the uses which the executives wish to make of the financial statement information. As well, the controller wants to evaluate the impact of the lower-of-cost-or-market rule on ending inventory evaluation. There has been substantial increases in the unit cost of discs throughout the year, and hence the inventory valuation method chosen will impact the financial statements.