In the sunny afternoon of October 5, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), the co-founders of TRAE Group contemplated the challenge of growing their business while maintaining a delicate balance between commercial activities and their social mission of addressing global food security. In view of the changes in the global markets due to COVID-19 and geo-political tensions, they needed to evaluate the potential impacts of inflation, supply chain disruptions, and other global events on their ability to generate income and continue their social initiatives. The dilemma was whether to reassess their business strategies, explore alternative suppliers, or diversify their product offerings.
Nick worked as the weekend shift leader at the fulfillment center of Lee Valley Tools. in Ottawa. The company operated three shifts-a day and night shift on weekdays and a weekend shift on Saturday and Sunday. Reviewing performance statistics, Nick noted that members of the night shifts in the warehouse seemed to be achieving higher performance in order fulfillment and line item fulfillment. On the other hand, the members of the weekend shifts were more aligned with the performance of members of the day shift, which had to deal with deliveries of incoming items and placing these items in the warehouse. Nick wondered why the weekend shift seemed to lag behind. He also wondered whether these differences were significant and meaningful. Nick found that there appeared to be a lag in the picking and packing processes.
As workforce demographics skew older, managers must attend to the well-being and job performance of workers age 60 and over. Age-related cognitive changes and complex technology, in particular, can hinder older workers’ job performance, but managers can take a number of actions to better support a multigenerational workforce.
This note examines queuing fundamentals and introduces a basic model, variability in systems (arrivals and service processes), and approaches to measure and reduce it. The material also includes practical implications for managing congested systems and helping anticipate and overcome challenges of waiting for service. For MBA students, it can be placed in an operations module on managing variability or queueing. Students can also look for qualitative solutions to address excessive waiting times and hypothesize how their recommendations might affect both actual and the perceived waiting time. For executives, it can serve as a discussion vehicle for operations and customer service.
This case study explores Microsoft Teams' strategic response to Zoom's rapid rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the ways in which Microsoft leveraged its customer base, expertise in enterprise software, and integration with the Microsoft 365 suite to challenge Zoom in the video communications market. The case highlights the playbook Microsoft has used many times over the past three decades to compete against challengers who established a first-mover advantage. It covers two phases of the competitive battle between Microsoft Teams and Zoom. The first phase began with the launch of Microsoft Teams in 2017 and ended in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic helped Zoom dominate the video communication market. The second phase of the battle focuses on how Microsoft Teams counterattacked to gain market share against Zoom.
In Kolkata, India, in 2021, a car battery failed at a crucial moment. Witnessing this, the research and development director at Exide Industries Limited (EIL) pondered creating an Internet of Things (IoT)-integrated smart battery solution to enhance customer experience by proactively monitoring battery health. The dilemma for EIL's cross-functional team was multifaceted: Could they innovate without compromising data privacy while maintaining sustainability? The team debated market receptiveness, return on investment, and compliance with environmental standards. The business situation was complex: Could EIL redefine customer experience, align with sustainability goals, and navigate the challenges of data security and market risks?
A life-changing event prompted marketing professional Stacey Thomas to leave her successful career in media and entertainment to join dynamic, fast-growing healthcare provider, OceanView Medical. Initially drawn to, and inspired by, the company’s mission and values, Thomas quickly discovered that the role for which she had been hired had expanded drastically in terms of responsibilities and challenges in the five weeks since her interview. The events that ensued became increasingly frustrating for Thomas, leaving her to decide whether to stay with the team she had built at OceanView Medical or to find a new job.
Aashica Khanna, the director of Ananda in the Himalayas, an internationally famed Indian luxury wellness resort, was mulling over her options to grow the luxury wellness brand. Could Ananda’s Indian tradition based wellness solutions, hospitality, and cuisine pillars be replicated? While Khanna and Ananda’s leadership team had constantly innovated and created a differentiation in the luxury wellness space, should the focus be on consistency in the Ananda luxury wellness experience or uniqueness? Would they be able to recreate the Ananda experience at another location while preserving the luxury wellness brand’s promise?
On July 1, 2022, Don Allan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Stanley Black & Decker (SBD). Although Allan had been with the firm for 23 years, most recently serving as President and Chief Financial Officer, he recognized that he was stepping into his new role as CEO at a time of turbulence and uncertainty. Allan and SBD had to grapple with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and runaway inflation, among other challenges. More broadly, there was the sense that these obstacles reflected a shifting paradigm. "There is no normal anymore," Allan said. "The normal is change." This case study documents how, over decades, SBD had developed a robust innovation ecosystem with three horizons: (1) Core Innovation-which the company defined as making incremental improvements to existing products or creating new offerings that would drive year-over-year revenue growth; (2) Breakthrough Innovation-creating products that were worth at least $100 million and would substantially transform their markets; and (3) Stanley X-leveraging cutting-edge technology (e.g., software and IoT) to pursue extreme innovation, which SBD defined as products that "reimagine how we operate in today's technology-enabled, fast-paced world." The case allows for a discussion of the complexities of managing and growing a large business; 2) the tensions between maintaining a sophisticated innovation capability and profitability; and 3) Don Allen's decision about whether to pull back on the firm's pursuit of 'extreme' innovation and the impact of doing so on employees, customers, and shareholders.
Two organizations that focus on tech-based health innovation have partnered to improve the mental health of young adults. In this "tech for good" project, Hopelab and Grit Digital Health worked together to create an app using human-centered product design. With the core needs of users at the forefront, the team developed an app both with and for college students to combat loneliness, a prevalent issue that can lead to other problems such as depression, anxiety, and even dropping out of college. The team also applied systems thinking to address the root causes of this "wicked problem," resulting in their Nod app, which has improved outcomes for college students. This article is based on the author's award-winning case study.
In 2019, Matthew Scullion, founder and CEO of U.K. startup Matillion, faced a decision about which term sheet to accept for the lead investor in his company's $35 million Series C financing round. Would the connections and opportunities offered by Silicon Valley-based VC Battery Ventures make up for its lower valuation offer, or would Scullion be better off choosing a European investment firm to lead the round?
Cathay Pacific was founded in Hong Kong in 1946. As of July 2023, Cathay Pacific passenger and cargo airlines offered scheduled services to 81 destinations in 30 countries and regions worldwide, including 14 destinations in the Chinese Mainland. The group also served an additional 131 destinations in 21 countries and regions through code-share agreements. Effective January 1, 2023, Lavinia Lau was appointed chief customer and commercial officer and executive director on the board of Cathay Pacific. In August 2023 she faced the decision of what to propose to position Cathay Pacific to achieve its ambitious vision of becoming one of the world’s greatest service brands. What was the current positioning of Cathay Pacific relative to other airlines? Who should its target customers be? What should its message be to appeal to those target customers?
A life-changing event prompted marketing professional Stacey Thomas to leave her successful career in media and entertainment to join dynamic, fast-growing healthcare provider, OceanView Medical. Initially drawn to, and inspired by, the company's mission and values, Thomas quickly discovered that the role for which she had been hired had expanded drastically in terms of responsibilities and challenges in the five weeks since her interview. The events that ensued became increasingly frustrating for Thomas, leaving her to decide whether to stay with the team she had built at OceanView Medical or to find a new job.
Aashica Khanna, the director of Ananda in the Himalayas, an internationally famed Indian luxury wellness resort, was mulling over her options to grow the luxury wellness brand. Could Ananda's Indian tradition based wellness solutions, hospitality, and cuisine pillars be replicated? While Khanna and Ananda's leadership team had constantly innovated and created a differentiation in the luxury wellness space, should the focus be on consistency in the Ananda luxury wellness experience or uniqueness? Would they be able to recreate the Ananda experience at another location while preserving the luxury wellness brand's promise?
In Kolkata, India, in 2021, a car battery failed at a crucial moment. Witnessing this, the research and development director at Exide Industries Limited (EIL) pondered creating an Internet of Things (IoT)-integrated smart battery solution to enhance customer experience by proactively monitoring battery health. The dilemma for EIL's cross-functional team was multifaceted: Could they innovate without compromising data privacy while maintaining sustainability? The team debated market receptiveness, return on investment, and compliance with environmental standards. The business situation was complex: Could EIL redefine customer experience, align with sustainability goals, and navigate the challenges of data security and market risks?