Breadfast is an online grocery delivery retailer founded by Mostafa Amin, Muhammad Habib, and Abdallah Nofal in Egypt in 2017. The three co-founders are now contemplating international expansion into new markets to further grow their revenues and diversify geographically. They have decided to investigate expanding into nearby Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, they must examine the macroeconomic environment and the food and beverage industry in those two countries to determine if the conditions are favourable to ensure a successful international expansion. In addition to identifying the criteria of attractiveness for each country, the co-founders must select the most appropriate market entry strategy. The online grocery retail market in Tunisia and KSA has been growing as a result of evolving consumer preferences and the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries have favourable and unfavourable factors. Given the risks and trade-offs in each country, Breadfast must determine which market to enter and which mode of entry will increase its the chance of success.
This case looks at the issues involved in planning the 2022 convocation (graduation) ceremony at the Delhi-based Trident Institute of Management and Entrepreneurial Studies (TIMES). The dean of academics, who was responsible for piloting the convocation, needed to be certain that the ceremony could be completed within a limited time to accommodate the schedule of the chief guest (the leader of a multinational conglomerate). The convocation had two parts: the award of medals and certificates to outstanding students and the conferring of degrees and diplomas on the other graduands. The challenge faced by the dean of academics was determining whether the graduands could walk across the stage, collect their medal and/or certificate, and pose for a photo within the stipulated time. The case looks at the convocation from a process perspective, whereby a mismatch between supply and demand can result in waiting times and may also mean that an inventory is needed. The problem in the case is suitable for analysis using Little's law, which states that the average inventory equals the average flow time multiplied by the average flow rate. This short case is concerned with various process parameters such as bottlenecks, capacity, loading, inventory, flow rate, throughput rate, takt time, and cycle time.
In 2019, the director of the newly minted Digital Services Lab at JOB Co. found himself on the brink of a crucial meeting with the company's chief executive officer. The focal point of their impending discussion rested on the stagnation of progress in the Mentor 2.0 project-an initiative conceived to embody an agile paradigm in digital transformation, championed by an inventive Scrum team. Despite the project's noble intentions, the journey towards agility had proven to be riddled with formidable challenges for the team. The director, acutely aware that the destiny of Mentor 2.0 was intricately intertwined with the prosperity of the Lab, the linchpin of JOB Co.'s digital metamorphosis, grappled with the necessity of explaining the situation accurately. The imminent meeting stood as a decisive moment for him to carefully consider the most effective strategy. He understood that the future path of the Mentor 2.0 project held significant implications for the Lab-a pivotal force guiding JOB Co.'s digital evolution.
In January 2021, an equity analyst in the Student Managed Investment Fund of the Asian Institute of Management was trying to estimate the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP) based on the capital asset pricing model. The WACC estimate would be part of her discounted cash flow valuation, which would then help her determine whether or not the fund should invest in Aboitiz Power Corporation. AP was a leading power generation and distribution company in the Philippines with ₱81.1 billion in revenues over the nine-month period ended September 2020. The Philippines was in the middle of a lockdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the stock market was showing signs of recovery, the analyst was worried that record low interest rates might exert unwarranted downward pressure on her WACC estimate and artificially raise her discounted cash flow valuation of AP. The company's WACC had decreased from 2019 to 2020, reflecting a lower risk-free rate, lower borrowing rate, lower stock price, and resulting weight of equity. The analyst needed to explore potential adjustments to normalize the WACC away from pandemic conditions in order to confirm her recommendation regarding investing in AP stock.
<p align="justify">VALR, a cryptocurrency platform and South African financial technology (fintech) company, was experiencing scaling challenges in August 2021. Launched in 2018, the start-up took on the market incumbent—a company trading in 40 countries. Within 18 months, VALR had become the market leader in terms of locally traded volume. However, this created growth pains and presented the issue of how the company could scale successfully. The company’s chief executive officer, Farzam Ehsani, believed that entrepreneurial orientation (EO) was a core strength and an instrumental factor in VALR’s success, but he was faced with the dilemma of how to scale it. The founding team had been able to sustain an organizational culture that advanced autonomy and risk-taking to that point, and maintained high levels of competitiveness and service. However, as the business entered a new phase of maturity, Ehsani faced the challenge of how the organizational culture could be scaled to continue fostering EO. In addition, Ehsani worried about the regulatory uncertainty that characterized the cryptocurrency industry.
In April 2023, Tage Rita, the founder and chief executive officer of Lambu Subu Food and Beverages, contemplated the company’s ambitious goal of achieving a revenue of ₹100 million by 2025. There was a positive trend in demand for the company’s popular kiwi wine, Naara Aaba, particularly in key markets. However, Rita had concerns regarding supply chain issues that had impeded fulfilling significant orders in 2022 due to the remote location of the production unit. In addition, the company’s product portfolio solely had wines in the lower-price segments (₹250–₹700), and Rita was considering the launch of a new range of wines in the mid-price segment (₹1,090–₹1,990). The question looming was whether this was the right moment to introduce a higher-priced product. Additionally, she pondered the ideal target audience for these new wines and how their positioning should be differentiated from existing offerings. Furthermore, Rita sought to explore alternative growth strategies for the company.
In 2023, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) faced a pivotal choice: whether or not to enter India's expanding shampoo hair colour market, which was valued at US$82.72 million and projected annual growth exceeding 17 per cent until fiscal year 2026. HUL's assistant brand manager, Sabhayata Singh, grappled with the absence of a hair colour offering in HUL's portfolio. The dynamic market landscape, coupled with the absence of this product, intensified the decision-making process. HUL faced the strategic dilemma of extending existing brands or creating a new one to meet consumer demands. Pricing strategies became crucial in a market where most products were priced under half a dollar. The decision not only influenced HUL's local market position but also carried implications for potential international expansion.
<p align="justify">In February 2020, a real estate developer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada was pursuing the development of a new residential rental tower of over 200 units in a popular Montreal suburb. As the founder of the real estate development firm Legacy Development Group, the developer had to revise and adjust his development plan several times. He faced several obstacles in the process, including work stoppage due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, zoning and regulatory issues, and changes in the real estate market. In September 2020, the developer had to re-evaluate his revised development plan in preparation for a meeting with his two partners, when the group would determine whether or not to pursue the project.
In January 2023, Adam Pierce, co-owner and operations manager of Lambton Custom Flooring (LCF), eased back in his home-office chair in Sarnia, Ontario, after another day installing flooring. He looked at his calendar: In one week he would meet with his business partner, Marlin Jervis, to discuss the coming year’s strategic vision for LCF. Last year’s decreased profits concerned Pierce. He questioned whether a change was necessary to offset this trend, and, with the ever-present economic turmoil, he wondered if lower profits were here to stay. Pierce was uncertain if investing in advertisements would be enough, or if he should take more drastic measures, such as expanding the business’s installation services or even buying out his partner. Whatever his decision, Pierce would have to lay the groundwork for the following week’s meeting.
Between 2016 and 2019, Jijihong Catering Management Co. Ltd. (Jijihong)—a well-established company in Jiangxi Province, China—encountered a plateau in its development as the number of its chain stores consistently stagnated at around 80 and never surpassed 100. To address this growth challenge, in January 2019, the general manager of Jijihong led her team to proactively adjust the company’s strategy. They decided to discontinue various company sub-brands, focusing instead on a single brand (Jijihong) and a single business (spicy hot pot) within a single market (Jiangxi). Before the new strategy could produce significant results, however, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 completely altered the competitive landscape of and set new development trends in the hot pot industry, disrupting Jijihong’s development plans.
In April 2021, Jo Santiago, account manager of the London, Ontario, branch of Goliath National Bank (GNB) was reviewing a request for a $400,000 long-term loan and a $50,000 working capital loan for Atlohsa Gifts (AG). AG’s general manager, April White, had made the request. AG was a subsidiary of Atlohsa Family Healing Services (AFHS) and its mandate was to use its net earnings to fund initiatives for the betterment of Indigenous people. White was planning to use the long-term loan to open a stand-alone location in downtown London on Richmond Street to expand operations outside of AFHS headquarters and accommodate a surge in AG’s retail and wholesale growth due to recent events. Santiago felt good about AG’s successful sales and aligned with the organization’s mission and vision; however, he felt unsure about White’s ability to manage this level of debt.
In 2022, Mariam Braimah, a digital designer working at Netflix, is considering the next move in her career. She has spent several years at Netflix, and in her spare time, using her savings, has founded a design-focused fellowship program and a consumer insights company based in Nigeria. Is now the time to leave Netflix and start working full time for her African ventures?
Launched in 2019 by Indian technology giant Infosys, Helix reduced administrative costs associated with insurance claims in the US healthcare industry. The vast US healthcare industry required a seamless insurance membership experience-one that comprised administrative functions that were easily disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digitising such functions saved insurers administrative costs, saw revenue growths, and helped during erratic surges in demand. Most insurers tried incremental upgrades to digitise ageing platforms that were at least 20 years old. However, by the time the upgrades were completed, the platform was considered outdated once again. As a solution, many technology companies offered either 'one-size-fits-all' or extremely niche solutions. Noting the gap in the market for adequate solutions, Helix developed an AI-driven, 'software-as-a-service' (SaaS), modular technology. With this, independently-functioning administrative processes could be integrated into ageing systems, one process at a time. Eventually, Helix aimed to replace the client's core administrative functions. Despite its capabilities, getting client's employees to implement the Helix software into their workflow was hard. Nevertheless, the company persevered, and by May 2023, 5,000 client employees were using Helix in their workflow. Now, Vadiraj Guttal, Infosys Healthcare's AVP and Head of Platforms wondered how his team could better convince potential clients that Helix was an invaluable aid, and a truly effective partner in the healthcare insurance ecosystem.
Set in 2023, the case documents the initiatives of the Safe in India Foundation (SII), a non-profit organisation, that aims to improve workers' safety and social security in India's automobile manufacturing industry. The issue is complex and multifaceted as the industry's deep supply chain has many small and mid-sized factories comprising skilled and unskilled workers. SII's four-pillar programme - supporting workers directly, improving workplace safety in the automotive sector through systemic change, improving healthcare and compensation policy at ESIC, and spreading awareness, especially by empowering workers through knowledge - attempts to foster a safety culture in the industry and among workers. In the six years since it was established, the signs of systemic change to improve worker safety have been noticed. However, SII's leadership team wanted to scale the impact. For that, SII's Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Sandeep Sachdeva, had to consider the strategic options and trade-offs involving key stakeholders that included the automobile brands, the government, and workers, among others.
In early 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown periods, the marketing director of Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul) was in a virtual meeting with his marketing manager. The two men were discussing plans for a marketing campaign for the hotel, restaurant, and cafes (HoReCa) market segment to be run during the pandemic. The campaign was expected to target and engage the key stakeholders (or influencers) of the HoReCa segment—the chefs in the food service industry. Before the pandemic, Amul engaged with chefs mainly through personal relationships, based on individual in-person meetings. However, in context of the adversity caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meetings were no longer feasible. The challenge for Amul was to build a scalable and executable marketing campaign that would engage chefs, the market’s key influencers.
Bay Towel Linen and Uniform Rental Inc. (Bay Towel) was a family-owned business based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that had been serving the state and growing organically for about 100 years. The company provided uniform and linen rental and laundry services from its head office in Green Bay and two distribution centres in central and southern Wisconsin. But in the wake of disruptions to global supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Bay Towel faced challenges in serving customers better while reducing operating costs. The company had a few options to do so, but how could it choose the most cost-effective solution with the least investment?
Luthra Engineering Industries (LEI), a small-scale, family-run manufacturing business, based in a small Indian city, is going through a crisis. Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, LEI had been shut for two months but has received the government’s permission to re-open, albeit, if it complies with certain conditions. LEI can invite only 30 per cent of its employees back to the office amidst proper safety, leading to challenges of maintaining equity due to salary dilemmas and implementing various safety protocols. However, LEI’s management are not only dealing with a pandemic looming large along but also macroeconomic uncertainty, business continuity, financial crunch, and employee motivation, equity, and safety. LEI’s leaders need to make sense of this multi-pronged crisis.