In September 2006, the general manager at Norwood Waterworks (Norwood) was faced with a difficult situation. Since his original employer, EMCO Corporation (Emco), acquired Norwood, he had been tasked with trying to turn around the new acquisition. Like Emco, Norwood was a distributor of building products and equipment in the waterworks industry. The company had three locations, all in Alberta. However, the general manager soon discovered that Norwood was suffering due to a poor organizational culture. Employees were unmotivated, overpaid, and complacent. He needed to communicate-clearly and effectively-that the Emco culture was here to stay, and that the Norwood employees needed to find a way to change the way they operated.
Tunisia has been the only country to emerge from the Arab Spring with a successful transition to democracy. This case focuses on a critical period in this transition process, when the country appointed an interim government. The case zooms in on the leadership and governance challenges of this "caretaker" administration during its one-year mandate in 2014-2015. In order to convey the highly turbulent environment this government faced, the story centers on one of the cabinet ministers and his struggle to deal with students' protests, labor strikes and threats to national security. It also outlines the challenge of making ethical decisions and pursuing much-needed reforms in this context. The protagonist of the case - the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Information & Communication Technologies, Mr Tawfik Jelassi - is unusual in that he was a business school professor and dean with no political experience, who was plunged into a new environment and expected to "sink or swim." He had to learn to map out the constellation of stakeholders who were important to his decision-making and to understand the dynamics of political conflicts. He was a member of a diverse team: non-partisan "technocrats" coming from different sectors and countries. An esprit-de-corps and high-level coordination enabled the government team to achieve the objectives set by the country's National Dialogue Quartet at the outset of their mandate. In 2015, Tunisia was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for having built a pluralistic democracy. The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that: "The ultimate validation of the Quartet's historical effort came in the autumn of 2014, when the parliamentary and presidential elections were carried out. Both the technocratic government and the interim president resigned and were replaced by lawfully elected successors."
This case study outlines the strategic, regulatory, and broader issues that confront the venture capital and tech startup ecosystem in China; as the country continues its reforms towards a more domestically driven market economy.
The case is set in June 2014, when Lau Wing Chew, Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) at Alexandra Health System (AHS) in Singapore was highlighting the achievements of the data analytics initiative made by the Health Analytics Unit (HAU) at AHS to his management team. Although the initiative was still in its initial stage, multiple medical and administrative areas had been improved with the help of data analytics. The journey to develop the data analytics initiative had commenced in 2011, when Lau reviewed a set of data presented by the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department, and realised that non-emergency cases at A&E were taking up too much of hospital resources. He also noted other pressing resource-related issues, such as acute bed shortages and patients not showing up for their appointments at specialist outpatient clinics, causing a sub-optimal utilisation of critical resources like doctors and appointment rooms. Lau knew that given the right metrics, predictive analytics could improve the situation. In the following three years, the HAU had leveraged the capabilities of data analytics to roll out initiatives such as population health and ageing-in-place programmes, and implementing solutions into patient medical billing and operating theatre dashboards. Although these unremitting efforts were showing results, the challenges ahead were significant. The HAU team not only needed to get buy-in at an operational level with different business units, but also needed to increase health awareness in patients. How could AHS improve the data analytics initiative further, and plan its resources optimally? Students will gain an understanding of the critical success factors and challenges faced during the implementation of analytics projects, as well as learn how to operationalize such a project within an organisation.
This module reading describes how to build a profit plan to reflect the strategy of a business in economic terms. After introducing the profit wheel, cash wheel, and ROE wheel, the module illustrates how to use a profit plan to assess the viability of different strategies and evaluate whether sufficient resources will be available to implement the chosen strategy. The module examines in detail how to develop accurate estimates for sales, profit, cash flow, asset turnover, investment in new assets, and return on equity. The discussion then turns to how to gather and analyze data and the effects of sensitivity analysis on predictions. The module concludes by illustrating the critical role of a profit plan in setting goals, communicating expectations to the investment community, and evaluating the performance of individual managers and businesses. While this module is designed to be used alone, it is part of the Strategy Execution series. Taken together, the series forms a complete course that teaches the latest techniques for using performance measurement and control systems to implement strategy. Modules 1 - 4 set out the foundations for strategy implementation. Modules 5 - 10 teach quantitative tools for performance measurement and control. Modules 11 - 15 illustrate the use of these techniques by managers to achieve profit goals and strategies. View the full Strategy Execution series at: hbsp.harvard.edu/strategy-execution.
Kurt Darrow, CEO of La-Z-Boy furniture, must decide whether to continue an overhaul of the company's strategy in the face of a collapse in demand during the great recession. Having pared back La-Z-Boy's portfolio of brands and manufacturing network, he intends to reposition the company as a branded retailer of furniture and home fashions. Just management is poised to implement a new strategy that involves a heavy investment in brand advertising, a complete overhaul of the retail organization and a fundamentally new manufacturing system, the industry experiences a catastrophic downturn. Should he continue to invest in a highly speculative strategy or rein in investment and preserve cash?
Lending Loop, a Canadian marketplace (peer-to-peer) lending start-up, was founded in 2014 and launched to the public in 2015. It competed with other peer-to-peer lenders to challenge the Canadian chartered banks and other financial companies for part of the Canadian small-business lending market. Without an established regulatory regime in place, it operated according to its lawyers’ interpretation of securities law. The founders needed to scale their business quickly and strategically to gain a first-mover advantage in the industry and to position their company as a major stakeholder for future regulatory decisions.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. Chapter 1, Introduction (10 pages), explores the benefits of supply chains as well the inherent risks. While the increased global connections in a supply chain can provide greater cost efficiency, they also expose the system to a greater risk from disruptions like piracy, natural disasters, and epidemics. The author explains that, since a supply chain is often based on a "just-in-time" delivery, a problem in one section can throw off the entire process. Thus, he advises managers to incorporate flexibility into a supply chain, by methods such as diversified product sourcing, multiple transportation routes, and other contingency planning. He highlights the importance of anticipating unexpected consequences and categorizes risks into internal (such as government regulations and organizational delays) or external (such as market trends and political events). He provides a detailed discussion of examples in each risk category.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. In Chapter 2, Supply Chain Risk Management Process (18 pages), the author describes how modern supply chains have evolved in complexity due to the growth of global competition and technological change. He contends that the importance of risk management has grown accordingly, becoming part of part of organizational strategy and planning. He presents a basic model for risk management in four steps: identification, assessment, avoidance, and mitigation. He describes how risk mitigation focuses on the source of risk and outlines four areas of risk: supply, demand, products, and information, and provides examples for each. He also considers four methods of supply chain coordination, including Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) and continuous replenishment. He highlights examples of supply chain disruption due to natural disasters and provides nine coping strategies, including postponement, economic supply incentives, and dynamic assortment planning.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. In Chapter 3, Risk Matrices in Supply Chain Risk Management (14 pages), the authors discuss how to use a matrix planning tool and rating system. He considers risk identification and present an enterprise risk management framework to assist managers in approaching different risk types, such as legal, market, and operational. He explains how a risk matrix can help a manager determine the probability of success and identify areas that need attention. He demonstrated the matrix, reviews the challenges in using it, and then presents detailed analysis of several examples of decision-making with a matrix.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. Chapter 4, Supply Chain Selection Decisions (18 pages), reviews how to organize decision-making criteria when selecting sources, channels, or routes in a supply chain. The author reviews the creation of a value hierarchy to assess the risks involved in supply chain selection decisions. He considers decisions made on multiple criteria and explains each step in a simple multi-attribute rating theory (SMART). He illustrates this technique through a detailed example of a sourcing decision. He also provides examples of the supplier segmentation process and product design selection.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. In Chapter 5, Simulation of Supply Chain Risk (16 pages), the author outlines basic concepts in modeling risk. When risks can be based on probability, he advises managers to use a Monte Carlo simulation and provides an example based on a military supply network. He demonstrates how to use Net Present Value (NPV) model and presents an example where levels of funding are uncertain. He also consider risk management for inventory systems and models a basic simulation using Crystal Ball to analyze data.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. Chapter 6, A Simulation of Supply Chain Risk Models (12 pages), focuses on a Monte Carlo simulation used to manage the risks of selecting supply vendors. The author uses vendor data to demonstrate in detail how a simulation can frame the uncertainties in the decision-making process. He also explains the need for a program such as Crystal Ball in the simulation. He explains how to use the Value at Risk (VaR) Concept to determine risk exposure in a supply chain and provides an example of a vendor selection model. The chapter ends with a real-world example of a furniture supply chain.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. In Chapter 7, Optimization Models in Supply Chain Risk Management (22 pages), the author presents linear programming as a tool for operations management. He reviews different model types, such as product mix, blending, and transportation, and the corresponding variables, functions, and constraints. He provides detailed analysis of the components in linear programming through an example of a petroleum shipping supply chain, reviewing the solution, assumptions, and complications of the model. He also explores the metals production industry to show the potential of optimization models and outlines two real-world examples. First, how one company built a decision support system (DSS) to minimize costs. Second, how a mixed integer programming model optimizes medical supply transportation.
Supply Chain Risk Management Tools for Analysis, Second Edition, is an eight-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2014 and written by David L. Olson, James & H. K. Stuart Professor in Management Information Systems and Chancellor's Professor at the University of Nebraska. In this book, the author explores the growth of global supply chains as well as the risks associated, such as political unrest and natural disasters. He highlights the importance of managing risk in a supply chain and outlines the categories of risk that managers must consider. He presents several quantitative tools and methods for risk management with extensive real-world examples and detailed models that have been updated in the new edition. In Chapter 8, Balanced Scorecard in Supply Chain Management (14 pages), the author explores tools to monitor organizational progress. He explain the basics of a balanced scorecard, selecting four strategic elements to measure, and add the SMART approach as a way to gauge performance within the scorecard framework. He outlines guidelines for using balanced scorecard for supply chain management, linking risk management to strategic performance. He provides detailed analysis of using both a balanced scorecard and SMART for supply chain management, including examples from construction contractors, port authority, and petroleum businesses.
In May 2016, Target Corporation was one of America's largest retail chains, with nearly 2,000 well-located general merchandise stores and a reputation for being stylish and chic. However, in the wake of the 2008 U.S. financial recession, profitability had weakened as a result of allocating more space to low-margin groceries in an attempt to continue to attract customers. Once the recession was over, Target Corporation had to decide whether to reduce or even eliminate the grocery category in order to offer a broader selection of clothing and household goods.
In 2011, the sole proprietor of wetlandPOOLS, a specialist installer of non-chemical swimming pools based in Johannesburg, South Africa, was looking at the design of his latest creation. He was satisfied with the work he had done, yet frustrated that it had taken so long to complete the project. His company had been in existence for 10 years. During that time, wetlandPOOLS had grown organically by taking on new projects as they arose. This approach allowed wetlandPOOLS to remain distinct from traditional pool builders and true to its original principles; however, its opportunities for growth appeared to be somewhat limited. The owner wondered how he could have the best of both worlds-owning a company that would operate efficiently and grow at a reasonable, sustainable pace, while also maintaining its unique nature.
In 2012, Graham's Pharmacy opened to offer more traditional pharmacy services and counselling in contrast to franchise pharmacies. The business was the brainchild of a pharmacist and entrepreneur with a strong commitment to the pharmacist profession. Located in the heart of the historic business sector of Kingston, Ontario, Graham's Pharmacy had taken over a historic building that formerly housed a bank. The pharmacy was intended to improve the quality of life of its clients through prevention and active engagement, rather than merely through the passive and mundane role of a pill dispensary. However, the pharmacy needed to be profitable if the vision was to be fully realized. Although the founder was confident in the capabilities of his team, and that a market existed for a pharmacy that provided personalized service and advice, he wondered how to market the business in light of competition from much larger rivals.
In October 2014, the owner of Rajwant Engineering Pvt. Ltd., a small-scale manufacturing business in Jamshedpur, India, needed to make some key strategic decisions. The immediate challenge was that the company had recently been asked for a bribe by the procurement manager of its most important client. The business owner was a highly ethical entrepreneur, so he was tempted to discontinue his relationship with the client on ethical grounds. However, the business was facing major financial difficulties, and the owner felt great responsibility toward his employees. The business owner wondered if he should instead compromise on his values in order to save his business from bankruptcy.