This is a two-part case series. Case A begins in October 2012, when Encompass Singapore has introduced innovative ways to increase the capacity of its facility to cope with its fierce growth over the past few years in the Pay-tv industry. The company has captured over 50% of the market for outsourced digital playout services in Asia. The sheer speed of growth that Encompass Singapore is experiencing calls for an innovative, solutions-driven approach to almost all aspects of the business. Growth in the media industry is costly and capital intensive. At the same time, the group is facing increased competition. Process innovation has been critical in supporting the growth of the company since 2009, but can that alone continue to fuel double-digit growth? Case B is set in April 2019, when the media industry has shifted gear, and Pay-tv demand is declining. Online television content and Video on Demand services have instead started to see a growing demand in the market and Encompass is forced to adjust its strategy to cope with changing industry and market. Can process innovation continue to support the growth of the company amidst technology disruption and changing trends? What can be Encompass's growth strategy moving forward?
The case follows the foundation and growth of Social Capital Ventures Development (SCVD), a social enterprise based in Cambodia launched by Christopher Wilson and Khov Boun Chhay in 2008. The venture aims to improve the lives and conditions of disadvantaged people in developing countries, through impact investment and dedication to sustainable and scalable projects, in the field of health, education, and farming. SCVD's first project was to provide rural areas with clean water, the absence of which resulted in high child mortality rate and overall ill health. The case follows SCVD during its first five years of its operations.
The case is set in early 2009, at a time when Vietnam is rocked by the global recession. It opens with the discovery by Ly Ngoc Minh, CEO of the porcelain manufacturing company, Minh Long I, that Metro, a chain of seven department stores across Vietnam, has discounted the selling price of its products and has no intention of bringing the price of its porcelain pieces back to the level that was agreed on in their sales and distribution agreement. The backdrop for this decision comes in the midst of a turbulent economy characterised by high inflation and 20%-plus interest rates. Minh Long I management, seeks to preserve their position as a premium brand in the market and must decide whether to terminate the agreement with Metro, and potentially other distributors, or allow distributors to set their own prices. Should Minh decide to change the company's distribution strategy in light of this new economic reality or continue with a high-price high-touch emphasis?
The Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX) proposed takeover of the ASX Limited (ASX) is a watershed event, and the first of its kind involving two exchanges in Asia-Pacific. This case showcases the multifaceted dimensions and intricacies in forging corporate marriages. It covers several issues, including: Was the offer price right? Was the takeover strategy appropriate? Were the preparations adequate for key stakeholders' buy-ins for the takeover? Were employees' job security assured? What were the synergies and sustainable value-propositions and how were these transacted into corporate financial and cultural wellbeing? The case also presents the "twists and turns" of events that unfolded upon the announcement of the deal. It focuses on the concerns of key stakeholders critical to the success of this pioneering endeavour.
This is the first of a two-case series (IMD328 and IMD330). The idea for Dubailand first came up in early 2002 as part of the country's efforts to diversify the sources of its gross domestic product (GDP) by expanding the tourism market offering. The answer, developed by the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, was the founding principle behind Dubailand - the creation of a globally competitive entertainment and leisure hub. Between 2003 and 2005, a master plan for the project was drafted. International theme park experts and consultants were called on to provide input as to how the land should be divided and what should be included to make the destination globally competitive. In April 2006, Christian Perdrier, current CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Dubailand, was approached by a headhunter based in London about the Dubailand project. They were looking for someone with international experience and industry expertise to lead the project, which was not taking off beyond the master-planning phase. He accepted the challenge and joined the company in February 2007. The case is set in 2007, in the first few months after a CEO is hired to make the vision happen. Between February 2007 and December 2010, the CEO will have to turn a plan into a reality, opening a leisure and entertainment complex of 27,000 hectares, hiring the first wave of the 250,000 people who will ultimately work in a hub that will include dozens of theme parks, hotels, retail and residential units.
Dubai Internet City (DIC) was inaugurated in October 2000. Despite carrying the name "Internet," the free zone was designed as a hub for all information and communications technology companies. Although the original plan focused primarily on real estate, the shift to an innovative, one-stop approach was almost immediate. DIC not only offered its clients office space, but handled visas, incorporation, travel bookings, work permits, etc. To support clients further, DIC set up a state-of-the-art telecommunications company. This was the first in a series of businesses that DIC launched to serve customers and then spin-off as stand-alone entities. The park's objective was to help companies do business in the area while making it as easy as possible to operate out of Dubai. The fact that the park operated inside a free zone meant that it could offer clients attractive deals such as 100% foreign ownership, no tax, or 100% repatriation of capital. The large concentration of companies working from a single location (600 by 2004) also created networking opportunities, which the company further supported through organized events. By 2004, the company had reached the objectives it had set for 2007 and began looking at different options: internationalizing by either building, operating, or advising on similar parks abroad, or capturing other parts of the value chain (manufacturing, outsourcing, etc.). A 2004 EFMD award winner.
Discusses Schneider Electric's shift from local to global account management. Focuses on the experience of Fritz Keller, international account manager in Switzerland. Covers the main challenges a global account manager faces, including internal issues and client examples. Looks at organizational issues, local vs. global issues, defining and setting up a global account structure, information management issues, as well as internal buy-in issues. Ends with the current challenges the global account manager faces when attempting to reconcile local and international priorities.