A global science and technology company's Canadian national manager of channel markets is evaluating a potential change to the company's distribution strategy for its innovative health care products to hospitals. The company currently relies on value-added resellers to distribute its products to Canadian hospitals. Recently, however, customers have been pressuring the company to ship products directly to hospitals, expecting that major cost savings could be achieved through a "direct distribution" model. The channel markets manager needs to assess the quantitative and qualitative issues related to direct distribution versus maintaining its current supply chain structure.
Saint Elizabeth, a leading Canadian health-care enterprise, had been managing innovation through what it called the Innovation Tripod. This had three components-Ideas (which involved generating innovative ideas from among employees), Solutions (involving outside ventures in innovation), and Impact (consisting of ways in which results were measured). The chief executive officer (CEO) was facing a dilemma with each element of the tripod. How could staff engagement be improved? What was a better way of managing external partners? How could the prevailing metrics of innovation be fine-tuned? What was the way forward for the CEO?
This note introduces the concept of a marketing technology blueprint (MarTech Blueprint), instructs students how to create one, and gives real-world examples of how a MarTech Blueprint might be used.
India-based firm, Jain Irrigation Systems (Jain Irrigation), and its acquisition of NaanDan Irrigation Systems (NaanDan) offers an opportunity to explore supply chain sourcing and coordination as well as shupply chain management and global innovation. At the time of the case, Jain Irrigation's supply chain focus was mainly in India and the United States. While Jain Irrigation had deep knowledge of and production capabilities in the agriculture industry, Jain Irrigation believed that it would benefit from an Israel-based drip-irrigation company's technology and supply chain, so it arranged a meeting to talk about a joint venture. From its humble beginnings on a kibbutz in 1930, NaanDan had become a major manufacturer of micro irrigation with a global presence. NaanDan had manufacturing facilities in Israel, the United States, Chile, Brazil, Spain, and Australia. With its vast supply chain, NaanDan could get its product anywhere in the world. What the company leaders wanted was to create a competitive advantage through an investment in technology. In early 2007, NaanDan announced on its website that it was looking for a partner. The question was, should it sell the company to a large global firm such as John Deere, which had formed its own micro- and drip-irrigation business in 2006, seek private equity firms that had industry-specific knowledge and global networks, or pursue opportunities with competitors?
In 2016, Muñoz Group, a multifaceted agribusiness company that developed, produced, packed, imported and exported citrus, flowers, grapes, juice, and ice cream, faced an unexpected new challenge in the British public's vote for the United Kingdom to exit the European Union. The outcome of the vote led to uncertainty around investment conditions, instability in the pound, growth in anti-immigrant sentiment, and other changes. This created unusual business conditions for Muñoz Group's CEO, Alvaro Muñoz, who had to decide how to adjust his strategy for the coming years, given that his company was headquartered in the UK - but did business all over the world.
In 2016, Kurt Summers, the Chicago City Treasurer, faced a decision with potential personal and political ramifications: whether or not to ask the city's Mayor to join a class action anti-trust suit against the city's creditors for actions they took during the Global Financial Crisis. Summers reflects on his time growing up in gang-controlled neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago, and career experiences in both the public and private sector. These include stints at Harvard Business School, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, the Chicago Olympics bid, and in local government. He tries to assess what he should do in this situation and what the best next steps would be in terms of his career. The case also discusses his work and leaderships styles, his personal life, including his relationship with his wife, and how he has adjusted to the new role of being a politician.
Alibaba Group (Alibaba) had grown from its founding in 1999, in an effort to help Chinese manufacturers and exporters reach global markets, to become a global leader in e-commerce, big data, and cloud technology. The company's 2014 initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange had been the largest to date. The company's founder and chairman, Jack Ma, had used the funds to globally expand Alibaba's operations and its hold on diverse markets. Ma's aim was to have Alibaba exist in three centuries and to not only generate profits but also improve lives and societies in China and beyond. How could Ma ensure long-term success for shareholders and prosperity for China and the world?
In June 2001, after winning the UK general elections by a landslide, which gave him a second term, Tony Blair invited Michael Barber (case protagonist) to establish and lead the Prime Minister Delivery Unit (PMDU): a small, dedicated performance management structure charged with driving improvements of a few, well-specified service delivery outcomes. Having become keenly aware of the chasm between policy ideas and outcomes on the ground during his first term, Blair wanted to strengthen the British government's ability to deliver results that mattered to citizens. This case provides background on the delivery approach, developed by Barber and his team, designed to improve government performance. It tracks Barber's experience as the Head of the PMDU during Blair's second mandate. The case focuses on the processes involved in establishing foundations, planning, implementing and monitoring delivery, as well as the outcomes achieved during the PMDU's first four years of operation. The goal of reducing accident and emergency wait times in the National Health System is investigated as an exemplar of how the delivery approach worked in practice. This case is designed to enable discussions on the challenges of implementing an innovative performance management system in the public sector, designed to achieve demonstrable results to citizens and embed a cultural change in government.
The High-Impact Wealth Management case series is a portfolio of cases that are built around the high-impact theme. Each case in the series can stand on its own to deliver a unique learning objective; but, taken together, the cases are designed to cover all seven topics covered in the list of "common-cents" strategies. Also refer to W16520.
In November 2005, World Peace Industrial Group was at an important milestone as it prepared to join two other major electronics components distributors to form the WPG Holdings and become a dominant player in its industry. As its chief executive officer prepared for the merger, it became apparent that the company's financial position was threatened by inventory management and forecasting problems. Although sales and market share were increasing, profit margins were dropping as a result of increasing inventory costs. The chief executive officer asked the director of the Business Effective Promotion Group to resolve the worsening problem. How would the director identify the sources of weakness and recommend a plan of action as soon as possible?
Audi has taken the lead in sales and dominated the luxury car market at the beginning of its entry in China. During the second stage (2001-2011), the localization of true Audi standard has experienced a shallow-to-deep and easy-to-difficult process. Moreover, FAW-Volkswagen reforms the marketing channel and establishes independent sales network for Audi A6 to start top-grade brand strategy of Audi. This is also the period that a large number of international competitors began to enter and compete in Chinese markets. To outperform competitors, Audi adopted such-called "localization of the whole value chain" strategy, i.e., realizing localization in product R&D, procurement, production, marketing and other links. The strategy allowed the quality to be more stable and the cost to be reduced effectively. With this strategy, by 2012, Audi became the most popular car brand, and its sales volume grew at the speed of 100,000 vehicles per year. Audi defines the concept and image of Chinese "luxury car" in a real sense and an all-around manner.
Audi is one of Germany's great automobile manufacturers that have the longest history. Its principle of adhering to high-tech level, high-quality standards and high-powered criteria has led the Audi brand to becoming the landmark among the most notable luxury cars. Audi's history in China can be traced back to 1988, when FAW and Audi signed the "Technology Transfer License Contract on the Production of Audi FAW". In 1991, FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as FAW-Volkswagen) was founded. With 25 years of development, FAW-Volkswagen has set up three bases in the cities of Changchun, Chengdu and Foshan, which are respectively located in the Northeast, Southwest and South of China, as well as seven large-scale plants that are specialized in production. Audi is the first luxury car brand stepping into the Chinese market. Over the past 30 years, it has made remarkable achievements. The FAW-Volkswagen Audi "trilogy" case has described Audi's development history in China, and the situation as well as the strategies of FAW-Volkswagen Audi during three stages. The first stage (1987-2000) of development for FAW-Volkswagen Audi in China has laid a foundation for its leading position among luxury car brands. The case describes the founding of joint ventures, the conflicts among partners, and the strategies adopted to initiate and lead Chinese luxury car industry, all of which are very typical for most foreign entrants into Chinese markets during the beginning of China's 'opening up'.
In the second stage of development (2001-2011), FAW-Volkswagen Audi launched a strategy of "localization of the whole value chain", i.e., realizing localization in product R&D, procurement, production, marketing and other links. The strategy allowed the quality to be more stable and the cost to be reduced effectively. In terms of product category, FAW-Volkswagen Audi has been keeping in step with Chinese consumers' habits and constantly introducing new localized models. In terms of brand construction, FAW-Volkswagen Audi put forward three core values: honorable, enterprising and dynamic, communicated Audi's brand image to consumers from product quality to marketing model and after-sales service through various ways. By virtue of the successful strategy and the employees' efforts, FAW-Volkswagen Audi has obtained overall advantages in whole industrial chain, defining the concept and image of Chinese "luxury car" in a real sense and an all-around manner. However, after 2012, new changes occurred in the overall industry environment. While FAW-Volkswagen Audi still ranked the first in Chinese luxury car market, the gap between it and the followers is shrinking; the consumers have transformed from the previous herd mentality and concern to basic functions to pursuit of individuation and differentiation; from 1987 to 2012, there have always been a lot of government and high-end business people who favored Audi A6L. Though Audi has launched a number of personalized and youthful products and expanded its product line, a deep impression of Audi as 'official car' still remains in the minds of most consumers. What is more, some new potential rivals, such as new energy car and Internet car, keep on emerging in Chinese market. In this condition, how would FAW-Volkswagen Audi deal with the challenges? This case describes the challenges and Audi's strategic choices at the gate of new era.