Simon Caufield and Bob Phillips had just put the finishing touches on the business plan for Nomis Solutions, a start-up company that planned to offer price-optimization solutions to financial service firms. Nomis aimed to use advanced analytic techniques to help its clients to set prices for consumer loans and deposits. Was there a market for the products and services that Nomis planned to offer? If so, how large was the market? What would persuade potential clients that Nomis's product and services would add value?
Simon Caufield and Bob Phillips had just put the finishing touches on the business plan for Nomis Solutions, a start-up company that planned to offer price-optimization solutions to financial service firms. Nomis aimed to use advanced analytic techniques to help its clients to set prices for consumer loans and deposits. Was there a market for the products and services that Nomis planned to offer? If so, how large was the market? What would persuade potential clients that Nomis's product and services would add value?
This case teaches the impact of variability on process performance. In 2009, media coverage of long wait times in a local hospital brought considerable embarrassment to the state secretary of health. The hospital, located in a midsize European city, had the only emergency care facility in its metropolitan region. After the delays in care were brought to light, the secretary of health ordered the hospital's CEO to produce an action plan-and measurable progress-before the end of the month. But the CEO faced scarce resources and was already under pressure to reduce spending. What reforms should he make? Would he need to increase the emergency department's staff, and if so, how should he balance the costs? As this case explores the challenges of the healthcare industry, students learn to address questions of process mapping and operations.
The founders of Beleza Natural, a Brazilian chain of beauty institutes which specialized in products and services for women with curly and wavy hair, were at a key juncture for their venture; they had to decide how to consolidate their business model and growth. This case explores potential capacity investments in Beleza Natural's environment and the associated issues of workforce management. Students are asked to determine how these measures might improve Beleza Natural's operations and how the management team should prioritize the issues they face. Students learn the importance of selecting a process matching business strategy and marketing plans.