The case describes the organizational, operational, and financial challenges faced by BeefChain, a blockchain implementation in the cattle industry, following the successful completion of pilot projects and certification by the US Dept of Agriculture. Among them are need for an efficient revenue model that can scale up in a seamless fashion and a viable business model to ensure the financial success of all the stakeholders.
The global population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, of which 70% will be living in cities. Over the past 40 years, however, 30% of the world's arable land has become unproductive. Given the scarcity of land and rising demand for food, there is an urgent need for solutions that require less land and labour yet produce higher yields. Vertical farming uses three-dimensional space to achieve more than a hundred-fold increase in crop production over traditional agriculture. However, such farms involve extremely high capital and operating costs. The case study reviews the the technologies on which vertical farms depend and the conditions under which they can become economically viable.
The case study focuses on risk management practices at Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, in particular the organization's crisis preparedness to ensure business continuity. The case provides detailed information on the dairy industry as well as the specific operations of Maryland & Virginia. It can be included in a risk management discussion within the context of supply chain management for an MBA or executive audience.
Lean manufacturing is a production approach whereby expending resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer is considered wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. The case discusses the deployment of lean principles at FCI, a global manufacturer of electronic connectors, as the principal catalyst in achieving a worldwide turnaround in two short years. Case (A) focuses on the global launch of the lean initiative from the corporate headquarters while Case (B) provides the details of local deployment at FCI's manufacturing site in Nantong, China.
Lean manufacturing is a production approach whereby expending resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer is considered wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. The case discusses the deployment of lean principles at FCI, a global manufacturer of electronic connectors, as the principal catalyst in achieving a worldwide turnaround in two short years. Case (A) focuses on the global launch of the lean initiative from the corporate headquarters while Case (B) provides the details of local deployment at FCI's manufacturing site in Nantong, China.
"This case study serves to discuss a class of risk management strategies in supply chains. It underlines the importance of seeing supply risk management in its whole context encompassing the following parametres: - Operating decisions, affecting the supply profile for the commodity in question, including inventory choices, lot-sizing, cost-service tradeoffs, number of and supply chain design. - Procurement decisions, affecting the supply profile for the commodity in question, such as cover policy constraints, regional vs. global procurement, open costing procedures, etc. - Additional hedging decisions related to the commodity in question, such as taking positions in correlated markets. "
The case documents the evolving characteristics of the contact lens market, driven by rapid technological innovation. The introduction of disposable contact lenses has transformed this business from a low-volume high-margin market space to a high-volume low-margin one. This transformation necessitated a drastically new supply chain solution, which would significantly reduce manufacturing and distribution costs while preserving the close relationships CIBA Vision enjoyed with the health care professionals in the local markets.
The outsourcing of the logistics activities has recently been accelerating. While outsourcing offers great potential for cost savings for the manufacturer, the danger of customer service degradation should not be underestimated. The logistics service provider (3PL), on the other hand, should have flexible and efficient processes so as to achieve the service requirements of its client in a profitable fashion. The case provides an appropriate background to discuss ways to obtain a mutually beneficial contract in outsourced logistics services.
The outsourcing of the logistics activities has recently been accelerating. While outsourcing offers great potential for cost savings for the manufacturer, the danger of customer service degradation should not be underestimated. The logistics service provider (3PL), on the other hand, should have flexible and efficient processes so as to achieve the service requirements of its client in a profitable fashion. The case provides an appropriate background to discuss ways to obtain a mutually beneficial contract in outsourced logistics services.