In 2019, the general manager of the Xiamen branch of Eastern Lotus Bank was facing difficulties overcoming customer-introduced variability, which significantly influenced the efficiency of the bank’s front-office service. She needed to analyze and summarize the different types of customer-introduced variability. Then she had to identify potential strategies that would enable the bank to accommodate this customer-introduced variability while maintaining a high-quality customer service experience. She also needed to decide how to allocate and arrange the limited human resources at the bank efficiently and effectively. To make these decisions, she had to systematically evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the front office under both pooled- and separated-resource allocation scenarios. For instance, how long did customers have to wait for services in each different resource allocation scenario? Moreover, how well were the limited human resources (staff) utilized under each scenario?
In 2019, the general manager of the Xiamen branch of Eastern Lotus Bank was facing difficulties overcoming customer-introduced variability, which significantly influenced the efficiency of the bank's front-office service. She needed to analyze and summarize the different types of customer-introduced variability. Then she had to identify potential strategies that would enable the bank to accommodate this customer-introduced variability while maintaining a high-quality customer service experience. She also needed to decide how to allocate and arrange the limited human resources at the bank efficiently and effectively. To make these decisions, she had to systematically evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the front office under both pooled- and separated-resource allocation scenarios. For instance, how long did customers have to wait for services in each different resource allocation scenario? Moreover, how well were the limited human resources (staff) utilized under each scenario?
COLIN, a producer of garment care products headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, was working with a large U.S. retailer to produce the Bristol, an innovative garment steamer that the retailer wanted to launch for the 2017 U.S. Thanksgiving season. To meet that deadline, COLIN would have one month less than was typically needed to launch a new product. This launch date left COLIN with limited time for research and development, manufacturing, and marketing. Several managers at COLIN met to discuss the project, including how to choose the suppliers, whether to continue with an original equipment manufacturer model or move to an original design manufacturer model, how to ensure the product could be launched on time, and whether to use any of COLIN'S own core technologies. To make their decision, the managers needed to analyze several complicated issues.
COLIN, a producer of garment care products headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, was working with a large U.S. retailer to produce the Bristol, an innovative garment steamer that the retailer wanted to launch for the 2017 U.S. Thanksgiving season. To meet that deadline, COLIN would have one month less than was typically needed to launch a new product. This launch date left COLIN with limited time for research and development, manufacturing, and marketing. Several managers at COLIN met to discuss the project, including how to choose the suppliers, whether to continue with an original equipment manufacturer model or move to an original design manufacturer model, how to ensure the product could be launched on time, and whether to use any of COLIN’S own core technologies. To make their decision, the managers needed to analyze several complicated issues.
The C&D Hotel, the first five-star deluxe hotel in Xiamen, a coastal city in China, needs to improve its service delivery process. In particular, the hotel’s customer service manager needs to present her plans for handling some recent customer complaints and decide how to compensate hotel guests for errors that have occurred during service delivery.
The C&D Hotel, the first five-star deluxe hotel in Xiamen, a coastal city in China, needs to improve its service delivery process. In particular, the hotel's customer service manager needs to present her plans for handling some recent customer complaints and decide how to compensate hotel guests for errors that have occurred during service delivery.