Furniture Bank: Entrepreneurial Growth in the Social Sector

內容大綱
In 2015, the executive director of Furniture Bank had successfully managed the Toronto social-service agency by turning a $300,000 net loss two years prior into a $100,000 net income. He had employed a variety of strategies and information technologies to integrate and rationalize business processes that resulted in significant productivity and performance improvements. However, Furniture Bank, which collected unneeded furnishings from donors and distributed them to those in need, had been a victim of its own success; it had maximized its capacity and was struggling to meet growing demand for its services. The executive director had to explore growth opportunities, specifically those accessible by leveraging information technology (IT), and choose from among four likely options.
學習目標
This case is suitable for undergraduate, MBA, and Executive MBA students. It fits well in IT, strategy, e-commerce, and marketing courses. The case illustrates the opportunities enabled by IT beyond automation and efficiency and introduces several alternative scenarios for employing this tool strategically. It demonstrates ways in which IT can be used creatively to drive operational and strategic innovation. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to<ul><li>understand the role of IT and technology innovation in the funding-restricted social sector;</li><li>explain how IT improves business operations and productivity through automation; and</li><li>understand how IT can be used for growth in the market and identify the challenges associated with IT-based growth.</li>
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