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Supplement for product 9B18E016.

Since its founding in 2014, Malus Analytics International (MAI), a US-based player in the analytics consulting industry, had focused on helping its clients move to cloud-based computing and database management. However, by 2018, this strategy had left many of MAI's customers vulnerable to “Shadow IT,” an information technology (IT) phenomenon where employees used computing devices, data, and software that were not provided, approved, or sanctioned by an organization’s IT department for work. Twenty of MAI’s top clients had experienced data breaches as a result of the use of unsanctioned applications. In response, MAI's management team needed to develop a collaborative plan to help ameliorate the natural tensions between the chief information officers and the end-users. The plan needed to balance security requirements and resource management with innovation and flexibility.

Spreadsheet to accompany product 8B18M194.

Student Spreadsheet to accompany product 9B18M194.

Spreadsheet for product 8B18N026.

Spreadsheet for product 9B18N026.

Shortly after entering the kombucha market in Calgary, Alberta, True Büch Kombucha (True Büch) experienced significant growth. True Büch was sold from reusable kegs and in single-serving bottles at local markets and retailers. However, with such high demand for its product, True Büch was struggling to keep up. The reusable kegs that were on site at retailers required maintenance and refilling, and the maximum output of the homemade bottling line was only 1,000 single-serving bottles per day. In addition, True Büch’s production space was at capacity, and the owners had nothing left to invest. They had yet to take on any additional financing, but they knew some capital would be required to keep up with demand. In 2017, three years into the business, the owners were at a crossroads and contemplated the best approach to maintain their growth and expand.

Since its founding in 1989, Mejzlík Modellbau, a propeller manufacturing company based in the Czech Republic, had gained high visibility in the remote-controlled plane market. It had achieved a strong position by maintaining product quality and providing excellent customer service. The company had a strong cash position and an excellent credit rating; however, by mid-2018, the market for remote-controlled planes was reaching its saturation stage, as evidenced by Mejzlík Modellbau’s declining profits. If the company continued to rely solely on the remote-controlled plane market, it might soon face bankruptcy. The founder decided to explore various other markets wherein he could utilize his expertise of making high-quality carbon fibre propellers. But how would he strategically determine which market to pursue?

On October 5, 2017, the chief executive officer of Sony India Pvt. Ltd. (Sony), in Mumbai, India, was concerned about the future of the television show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC), which aired on the television channel Sri Adhikari Brothers Television (SAB TV), a general-entertainment channel owned by Sony. TMKOC was a flagship, family-friendly comedy show that had enjoyed top ratings for years. However, new comedy shows that featured more hard-edged and less family-oriented content, with jokes at the expense of characters rather than at situations, were gaining new viewers. Current viewers were also using mobile devices rather than traditional television sets to watch content. The chief executive officer wondered how he could sustain SAB TV as a market leader, despite the growing popularity of less family-friendly content from new comedy shows and emerging digital platforms.

On March 8, 2017, Singapore-based food outlet operator Kimly Limited (Kimly) announced its intention to go for an initial public offering (IPO). Through this IPO, it aimed to raise SG$43.5 million. Altogether, 173.8 million new shares would be issued at SG$0.25 per share, comprising a retail tranche of 3.8 million shares and a placement tranche of 170 million shares. The chances of successfully getting Kimly’s IPO shares were slim, given the small retail tranche. In addition, the controlling shareholder and other key shareholders were subject to lock-up periods, which would prevent a short-term overhang of the shares. These factors implied that the supply of Kimly’s shares would be scarce in the initial six months after the IPO, which could have a positive impact on the share price. A retail investor, drawn to the issue because of Kimly’s identity as a family firm, applied for the IPO and was also considering purchasing shares in the aftermarket later in March. Was this a worthwhile investment, and if so, what should this investor’s maximum price be? Should such an investor plan to sell immediately or hold for the long term?

Character House Entertainment was a small entertainment company in the Greater Toronto Area that provided Disney and cartoon-character performances for children’s birthday parties and corporate events. The company's customizable services featured musical performances, meet-and-greets, games, dances, stuffed animals, and cotton candy. In April 2017, the company’s founder and chief executive officer anticipated an influx in demand for a recently released movie that had achieved worldwide success and critical acclaim. She wanted to offer this new theme in the company's event options in order to contend with competitors and stay current with customers. In addition to customer and competitor indicators, she wanted to assess the return the company could expect if it expanded into offering those characters.

In March 2018, the managing director of Maha Research Labs Private Limited, a pharmaceutical company in India, was charting his 2020 vision for the company. His ambitious plan was to achieve net revenue of ₹1 billion in 2018 and to have a pan-Indian presence and sales revenue of ₹2 billion in 2020. The managing director knew that the company would need to expand rapidly over the next year to meet these goals. First, however, he needed to assess several factors that would be key to deciding the sales targets. He also needed answers to some serious questions: How should the sales organization be designed? What sales force structure would be appropriate? Should the company opt for a generalist sales force structure or a specialist sales force structure? What was the optimal size for the sales force? What processes should the company follow to design the sales territories?

Big Hit Entertainment, a Korean-based producer of popular music content, was promoting its hit "idol group," BTS, as a serious entry in the world’s mainstream musical entertainment business, alongside global performers such as Justin Bieber. The "K-pop machine" represented a complex set of practices for producing performances, many of which were unique to Korea and criticized as being "overly manufactured." The case raises questions about the extent to which processes and institutions designed to generate commercially valuable creative outcomes could be developed into a reliable, repeatable, or standardized form. Could a formula be used to generate successful and creative products?

As a typical investor in India, you sought to attain reasonable growth in her capital with adequate diversification and low volatility in returns. It was suggested that you consider investing in mutual funds in order to obtain diversified exposure to India’s equity and debt markets. In particular, it was suggested that you invest in the Tata Equity P/E Fund, which had witnessed stellar performance in the recent past. However, before you can decide whether to invest in mutual funds, you must thoroughly understand the key features and their benefits and costs. You also need to identify specific sources of outperformance and to assess the fund’s true outperformance, actively attained after adjusting for risk.

Spreadsheet to accompany product 9B18N025.

In 2014, Shenzhen Bauing Construction Holding Group Co. Ltd. (Bauing Group) decided to expand internationally, and successfully established subsidiary companies in several Southeast Asian countries. Based on this success in Southeast Asia, Bauing Group decided in 2016 to expand further by entering the US market. However, doing so entailed some challenges and difficulties, including cultural and regional differences, language barriers, and the need to become familiar with different construction standards and laws. Bauing Group also needed to address a pressing issue: determining its market entry strategy. Should it enter the market through licensing, greenfield projects, franchising, business alliances, exporting, turnkey projects, joint ventures, or acquisitions?

CropIn Technology Solutions (CropIn) of Bangalore, India, provided agricultural solutions to business-to-business clients that required a “smart” approach in solving issues related to farm productivity. In July 2015, the chief operating officer (COO) of CropIn, was approached by the chief executive officer of one of the world's foremost seed companies. He presented the COO with an ongoing problem faced by his firm: the seed rejection rate had drastically increased in the past decade, reaching 18 per cent in 2015, up from four per cent in 2006. CropIn was asked to devise a “smart” solution for addressing the issue, for which CropIn would have to customize its product portfolio according to the problem.

The chief executive officer of Bamboos Health Care Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd. (Bamboos) started her entrepreneurship journey in 2005 with a telephone and a fax machine. She created a platform to match the demand from patients or their relatives with the supply of services from health care professionals. After 12 years in operation, following one consistent business model, Bamboos was listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Despite several challenges in its early years, the Bamboos business model proved to be sustainable in Hong Kong and became resistant to change. In early 2018, the founder was considering entering the health care market in mainland China and changing the company’s business model for the first time. Could the current business model in Hong Kong be modified to enter mainland China and other countries? What changes would be required with respect to strategy and management?

In order to shift 30 per cent of the country’s transport fleet to electric by 2030, the Indian government had launched multiple programs to promote usage of hybrid and electric vehicles (EV) in the country and had agreed to provide various fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to EV firms up until 2020. Many leading automobile manufacturers in India were investing millions of dollars in designing and manufacturing EVs, building the infrastructure required for running EVs, and creating the components required for the battery system used in EVs. Despite these multiple public and private initiatives, by September 2018 it had became apparent that many macro and micro issues were present in the overall environment that was being built for the smooth running of EVs. Would Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited and other automobile firms be able to effectively formulate strategies and compete successfully in this dynamic and changing business environment?

Instructor spreadsheet for 8B15N006.