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For five weeks, Michael "Mac" Ling had been at the Lexington, Virginia, plant of Darden Motor Works (DMW), interviewing production supervisors, quality experts, maintenance supervisors, and repair personnel. He was investigating a puzzling problem: how dirt was infiltrating the paint on trucks assembled at the facility--and how to stop it. Small particles were causing a big, and expensive, problem. Nearly one out of three trucks had to be reworked owing to dirty paint, at a cost of a few dollars to a few hundred dollars per vehicle. The student must develop some hypotheses regarding the causes of the problems.

This story offers students the opportunity to practice systems thinking, including the analysis of behavior over time graphs, the application of systems archetypes, and the design of system interventions.

This case series (see also UVA-OM-1080 through UVA-OM-1082) deals with the transition from a push-based supply chain to an agile pull-based system. In 1999, John Speirs was hired as director of Operations. He brought with him the new agile concept and, with the approval of the U.K. managing director, Stella David, started to create revolution not evolution at Bacardi Southampton by forming an Agile Office. The A case sets up the operations problems and lets the reader follow the implementation story of a new paradigm in operational thinking at Bacardi while hinting at some of the stumbling blocks Southampton would eventually face from its own employees. An argument is presented that leads Southampton to implement the agile-system change program. In addition, data on sales trends and projected financial savings from the agile program are provided. The case ends positively with Southampton wanting to sell the concept to the rest of the Bacardi organization, but it is unclear how. Students should discuss the pros and cons of the agile system, its application to this industry, the timing of the implementation, and methods to communicate the message throughout the supply chain. Financial savings gained from the program are highlighted, and the program's thoroughness should be discussed. An Excel model that simulates financial savings but does not mimic Bacardi's exact thinking is provided in the D case as a learning tool for students. The model allows students to explore the origins of cost savings using a push or a pull system, and it enables students to perform scenario analyses of various business and internal operating conditions.

The top management team at India's leading home finance company must decide how to deal with the emergence of intense competition at the end of the 1990s. Having founded the industry and dominated it for nearly 20 years, the well-respected company faces a bevy of new entrants from the banking, mortgage finance, and insurance sectors. In particular, management must decide how to respond to an aggressive new competitor who has copied HDFC's processes, lured away some of its key staff, and whose misleading, but lawful, advertising of interest rates is drawing customers away from HDFC.

This case examines the decisions of Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff, founders of Honest Tea. Honest Tea is a start-up in the ready-to-drink tea market. Goldman and Nalebuff must craft an expansion and financing strategy.

An individual is considering the development of a new restaurant. To make the decision, she uses NPV analysis to determine whether she should undertake the investment, and, if so, the optimal size of the investment.

This case goes well with the A case (UV1702) in a module on budgeting and strategic-profitability analysis or flexible expense budgeting.

International Speedway Corporation was diversified across the racing industry. The company owned and operated (1) Motor Racing Network, Inc. (MRN Radio) the nation's largest independent sports radio network, (2) DAYTONA USA, the official tourist attraction of NASCAR, and (3) Americrown and Motorsports International, providers of catering services, food and beverage concessions, and producers and marketers of motor sports merchandise. Each of the company's segments had seen a surge in growth commensurate with the popularity of the sport.

This technical note provides a pedagogical overview of management communication for MBA education.

International Paper is evaluating entry into European markets via acquisition of Aussedat-Rey, France's second largest paper company. The student is exposed to both strategic and valuation issues as much of the expected value of the takeover involves long-term position in the fast growing European market. The case also provides an opportunity to understand differences in cross-border takeovers as the bid is contested by a French buyer and opposed by French nationalists, thus raising political issues.

This technical note provides a pedagogical overview of management communication for MBA education

This series of cases follows a Darden student's career decision and tracks his search process for an acquisition candidate in the retail industry. The (A) case confronts the student's career choice. But the (B) case, the student has decided to acquire his own business and must construct a timetable in the (C) case. The (D) case provides summaries of six candidates for acquisition, followed by an acquisition check list in the note.

This series of cases follows a Darden student's career decision and tracks his search process for an acquisition candidate in the retail industry. The (A) case confronts the student's career choice. But the (B) case, the student has decided to acquire his own business and must construct a timetable in the (C) case. The (D) case provides summaries of six candidates for acquisition, followed by an acquisition check list in the note.

This series of cases follows a Darden student's career decision and tracks his search process for an acquisition candidate in the retail industry. The (A) case confronts the student's career choice. But the (B) case, the student has decided to acquire his own business and must construct a timetable in the (C) case. The (D) case provides summaries of six candidates for acquisition, followed by an acquisition check list in the note.

This case follows the valuation and negotiation process Wally Camp underwent. The (A) case starts with a description of the business and Wally's assessment of the problems with its current management. Then the case describes the valuation of the company's assets and ends with a valuation decision.

The B case reveals Wally's bid for King & Roberts, which has rejected and tells how Wally resubmitted the same offer and persuaded the owners to sell at that price.

This technical note provides a thorough overview of real-estate investment trusts (REITs). Created to promote and facilitate widespread public ownership of commercial real estate, REITs are companies that own real-estate properties or mortgages and that operate within certain guidelines, allowing them to qualify for REIT status. Focusing primarily on equity REITs, the note covers a broad range of issues, including valuation and its many drivers, and also examines the advantages of REIT ownership versus property ownership. The note concludes with a discussion of the future of REITs.

Competitive cost analysis, a method for analyzing the cost structure of two competing companies, represents a strategic application of cost modeling. The first note in this three-part series on competitive cost analysis identified the basic conceptual framework and principles for developing accurate and comprehensive cost models with four categories of cost drivers -- design, facility, geography, and execution. The framework coupled with cost-modeling techniques can help the operations analyst/consultant achieve the quantitative rigor required to ensure solid operations decisions at the strategic and tactical level. This note provides a general discussion of four specific tools that will further assist in analyzing cost drivers for competitive analysis. These techniques include teardown analysis, public data sources, scale curve and utilization curve. The final note in this three-part series will provide step-by-step guidance on estimating scale curves and calculating utilization impact.

An understanding of the factors that drive the microeconomics of a business provides the insight needed for strategic and tactical improvements in operational effectiveness. Competitive-cost analysis, a method for analyzing the cost structure of a company, represents a strategic application of cost modeling. The first note in this three-part series (UV3521) identifies the basic framework and principles for developing accurate and comprehensive cost models. The second note (UV3558) discusses specific techniques that will further assist in analyzing cost drivers for competitive analysis. This final note provides detailed guidance on calculating scale curves and utilization effects.

The company acquires RentaVision, Inc. and writes inventory down as part of acquisition accounting.