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This case chronicles the evolution, challenges and actions taken by an integrated care telemedicine ecosystem comprising an acute hospital and nursing homes for the elderly. More generally, it describes the challenges faced by the keystone or hub organization in initiating and deploying a novel service that required the contributions and collaboration of diverse partners, many of whom were experiencing resource constraints, in the face of changing industry environment. It details the steps taken to deal with the challenges of getting wary partners with unequal resources and capabilities on board, levelling up skills, and putting in place technology and joint processes necessary for the delivery of a joint service. It demonstrates that the steps resulted in increased partner trust, improved levels of partner competency, increased service quality, and cost savings. The case can be used for courses in: (a) Information Systems, to examine the implementation of systems across multiple organizational partners in order to offer new services. (b) Platforms and ecosystems, particularly those focused on ecosystem evolution. (c) Healthcare, to discuss the development and deployment of integrated care initiatives.

1-800-Flowers.com was a market leader in the floral gift industry, offering solutions for everyday gift needs as well as for special occasions. The U.S. company's mission was to "deliver smiles" to its customers by designing and delivering innovative and valuable gifts. 1-800-Flowers.com had a very good brand in terms of floral distribution. However, the online market for flower and gift sales was changing rapidly, presenting new opportunities for efficiencies and market expansion. In March 2012, the company's chief executive officer was faced with a pressing decision. How could 1-800-Flowers.com gain competitive advantage through collaborations with the extended supply chain?

Huayi Compressor Barcelona, S.L. was founded in 2013 when Huayi Group (Huayi), a Chinese state-owned enterprise, acquired Cubigel Compressors, S.A., a bankrupt Spanish industrial enterprise. While labour complications and other difficulties developed during the acquisition process, Huayi successfully managed the transition in May 2013. Despite this initial achievement, challenges related to the recovery of productivity, markets, and profitability continued. In January 2014, the general manager of Huayi Compressor Barcelona, S.L., who managed the transition, received a request to return to Huayi headquarters in Sichuan, China. From his Barcelona office, he grew concerned about several challenges: Who would be the right successor for his position? What strategy did Huayi need to consolidate its internationalization process? What knowledge could he transfer to China for future international strategies?

The CEO of a failed bank in Iceland must address what went wrong and how he should go about restoring trust in the bank by customers, debt holders, fellow Icelanders, politicians and regulators. Crippled by the global financial crisis, not only did Iceland's banks default but the country itself was in danger of dissolution. This case examines the myriad reasons for the bank failure and subsequent nationalization, and provides an understanding of the complexity of a large bankruptcy.

This case examines the cost of capital estimation for British postal service company Royal Mail plc in 2015-a time when company managers and government regulators were adjusting to private ownership after 500 years of government ownership. The case features a flawed cost of capital estimation analysis that includes common blunders. Students are invited to evaluate this analysis and provide their own alternative estimate for the cost of capital for Royal Mail.

Student spreadsheet for case UV7254.

In 2002 the Jamaican government redesigned its social safety net programs for children and the elderly. Their goal was to simplify and better target support to those individuals most in need. This case examines the new design for the PATH program, a conditional cash transfer program that rewarded mothers for getting the recommended well-child healthcare for their children and for sending their children to school regularly. The program design is complex and requires the coordination of individuals in a number of national and local institutions. In order to analyze the roll-out and implementation of the PATH Program, students need to map the program, identify points at which implementation is likely to meet challenges and design a strategy for assessing program implementation at those key points. To do this, students need to consider not only the questions they want to answer, but also the most effective strategy for gathering that information. They need to think about data sources (observation, personal interviews, focus groups, surveys, analysis of administrative data), sampling, and research design. Case number 2058.0

This epilogue accompanies Case Number 2058.0, "Implementation of a New Country-Wide Social Safety-Net Program: The Jamaica PATH Program." In 2002 the Jamaican government redesigned its social safety net programs for children and the elderly. Their goal was to simplify and better target support to those individuals most in need. This case examines the new design for the PATH program, a conditional cash transfer program that rewarded mothers for getting the recommended well-child healthcare for their children and for sending their children to school regularly. The program design is complex and requires the coordination of individuals in a number of national and local institutions. In order to analyze the roll-out and implementation of the PATH Program, students need to map the program, identify points at which implementation is likely to meet challenges and design a strategy for assessing program implementation at those key points. To do this, students need to consider not only the questions they want to answer, but also the most effective strategy for gathering that information. They need to think about data sources (observation, personal interviews, focus groups, surveys, analysis of administrative data), sampling, and research design. Case number 2058.1

This case examines the strategic choices and evolving business model of Imprimis Pharmaceuticals from the perspective of CEO Mark Baum. The A case provides a brief history of the company and of the compounding business, outlining the challenges faced by Imprimis in 2013. At the time, Imprimis was in the process of seeking FDA approval for a branded drug called Impracor. This process, already difficult, was further complicated by recent manufacturing issues. Meanwhile, the opportunity arose for Imprimis to purchase a technology related to compounded ocular injections. Because of the different competencies and business models required for the traditional pharmaceutical business vs. pharmaceutical compounding, Imprimis did not have the resources to pursue both of these options at once. Instead, Baum had to decide whether or not to abandon the company's previous focus on Impracor and to delve headlong into the compounding business. The two paths would require vastly different approaches to marketing, R&D, and manufacturing, so that either decision would shape the future of the company for years to come.

This case is a supplement to Imprimis (Case A). It describes the company's decision to enter into the pharmaceutical compounding business in 2013-14. Imprimis purchased a compounded ophthalmological medication called Dropless Therapy, which was injected into patients' eyes post-cataract surgery, with the aim of replacing a complex regimen of prescription eye drops. After a successful launch of the compounded medication, Imprimis ran into complications when Medicare changed its policy regarding payment for the drug. Under the new policy, not only would Medicare not cover the medication, but patients could no longer pay for it out of pocket. Instead, the cost had to be absorbed by the physician or surgery center. Imprimis now had to figure out a way to deal with the effects of this policy, whether that be by lobbying for a policy change, creating a compounded eye drop treatment of their own, or moving out of the cataract treatment business entirely.

This case is a supplement to Imprimis (Case A) and Imprimis (Case B). Set in 2015, it first describes Imprimis's decision to introduce its own line of compounded eye drop medication called LessDrops. The case then examines the moral dilemma faced by CEO Mark Baum, who was struck by the problem of high drug prices in the United States. Recent, drastic price hikes on pharmaceutical drugs, such as those initiated by Turing Pharmaceuticals under CEO Martin Shkreli, had recently brought media attention to this issue. Baum believed it would be relatively easy for Imprimis to create compounded versions of many of the affected drugs, which could increase competition in the pharmaceutical industry and lessen the strain both on patients and the healthcare system as a whole. However, doing so would require the company to raise capital, strengthen its sales force, and increase its manufacturing capabilities. The decision was further complicated by the relatively low barrier to entry, and by the ubiquitous nature of the drug pricing problem. Baum had to decide whether Imprimis should stick with its already-successful ophthalmology business, or begin the endeavor of combatting high drug prices, going up against powerful competitors in the drug industry.

This case is a supplement to Imprimis (Case A), Imprimis (Case B), and Imprimis (Case C). It describes Imprimis's 2015 decision to develop a $1 per pill compounded alternative to Daraprim, the branded drug that had recently undergone an extreme price hike, raising its price to $750/pill. Imprimis also created compounded alternatives to several other branded drugs, and made investments to increase its manufacturing capabilities. The company now had to decide where to focus its efforts in the future. In developing innovative compounded formulations, should it base its decisions on market size, either by population or dollar size? Should it concentrate instead on the level of exploitation by the branded drug manufacturers--how much they had raised prices by, in what amount of time? Or should it decide instead based on the life-threatening nature of the disease, regardless of how many people were afflicted? The company had to balance these choices with the expansion of its core ophthalmology business while continuing to raise funds from investors.

In 2015, Ukraine needs IMF funding to bridge a projected $40 billion funding shortfall and is proposing a 40% "haircut" to Ukraine's $18 billion of Eurobonds. Can Ukraine negotiate a deal with its many creditors that will give it the funding the country needs on terms they can accept?

Raj Makam had spent months trying to restructure a 2006 investment he had made in National Truck Stops, Inc. (NTS) as a senior member of Oaktree Capital Management's (Oaktree) Mezzanine finance business within their Corporate Debt platform. It was the first time they had truly considered forcing a company into involuntary bankruptcy, which he clearly would prefer to avoid lest they risk losing their entire investment. As the company's financial position worsened, Oaktree's counterparties became increasingly difficult. It often seemed as if they were prioritizing their ongoing business relationships over the economics of their respective investments. Oaktree knew the cards were stacked in its favor legally, but did that really make a difference when the cost of perfecting its interests would be so expensive and difficult? Would this be a Pyrrhic victory?

Founded in 2013 as a laundry service featuring online ordering for home pickup and delivery, China's edaixi (eWash) illustrated the online-to-offline (O2O) business model. As yet unclear in 2016 was the optimal way to organize third-party laundry service providers, locally sourced teams of freelancers, and in-house operations.

Founded in 2013 as a laundry service featuring online ordering for home pickup and delivery, China's edaixi (eWash) illustrated the online-to-offline (O2O) business model. As yet unclear in 2016 was the optimal way to organize third-party laundry service providers, locally sourced teams of freelancers, and in-house operations.

By 2016 the explosion of digital advertising was a global phenomenon. And many industry observers believed that programmatic advertising, that is digital advertising allocated through automated marketing systems, was the future of digital advertising. In a programmatic advertising environment, buyers and sellers of online (digital) advertising connected over an exchange buying and selling available inventory. For advertisers, programmatic marketing offered the promise of less costly and more targeted and effective placements. This Primer discusses the programmatic advertising eco-system and the challenges inherent in negotiating this system (e.g., the persistence of ad blocking and the threat of fraud)-as well as future growth opportunities for programmatic advertising.

James Reid, the newly appointed GM of Troubled Spain, has been given a mandate by the CEO of Troubled Inc. to turn the subsidiary around within six months. Troubled Spain has experienced several years of poor performance that cannot be explained by either sluggish demand or lagging technology. The case provides information about interviews that James had with several employees, describing the role of the employee and giving insights into the issues that they see the company facing. These interviews are complemented by three charts prepared by consultants that James hired to conduct an internal audit of collaboration, communication and informal leadership in the organization. James needs to transform the organization within six months; however, this implies changing relationships that have been developed over decades and clarifying roles and boundaries that have been blurred over many years. The case challenges students to take James' position and identify the issues of Troubled Spain to develop an action plan in order to address the challenges facing the company. James needs to address: 1) issues concerning Troubled Spain's formal structure, 2) issues regarding its informal structure, including leadership issues, and 3) issues stemming from the combination of both formal and informal features. Case B provides information about what happened next and may be distributed at the end of the session.

James Reid, the newly appointed GM of Troubled Spain, has been given a mandate by the CEO of Troubled Inc. to turn the subsidiary around within six months. Troubled Spain has experienced several years of poor performance that cannot be explained by either sluggish demand or lagging technology. The case provides information about interviews that James had with several employees, describing the role of the employee and giving insights into the issues that they see the company facing. These interviews are complemented by three charts prepared by consultants that James hired to conduct an internal audit of collaboration, communication and informal leadership in the organization. James needs to transform the organization within six months; however, this implies changing relationships that have been developed over decades and clarifying roles and boundaries that have been blurred over many years. The case challenges students to take James' position and identify the issues of Troubled Spain to develop an action plan in order to address the challenges facing the company. James needs to address: 1) issues concerning Troubled Spain's formal structure, 2) issues regarding its informal structure, including leadership issues, and 3) issues stemming from the combination of both formal and informal features. Case B provides information about what happened next and may be distributed at the end of the session.

Radically innovative thinker Sy Friedland was a decade or more ahead of the trends when he took the reins of Boston's venerable Jewish Children & Family Services in the late 1990s. A career clinical social worker, Friedland was also a visionary who knew that the future of building sustainable social services and nonprofits lay in the willingness of nonprofit workers to embrace "for-profit" concepts, attitudes and best practices. Friedland's total transformation of JF&CS enabled the agency to thrive and become self-supporting. When Friedland decided to step down after 17 years, he knew the agency could suffer in the transition and took elaborate steps to avoid crippling his agency's fundraising capacity and minimize disruption, even calling in a highest-level corporate HR consultancy firm to reduce risk and assist in on-boarding his hand-picked successor. However, because he was focused exclusively on minimizing disruption, Friedland made some crucial errors. His handling of his transition ended up causing an uproar in the board that resulted in changes in governance and policies going forward-proving that even visionaries can make mistakes.