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Supplementary Excel model available for case.

Supplementary Excel model for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel model available for case.

Supplementary Excel model for case.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 98E035.

The marketing services manager at Babcock and Wilcox had determined that: Despite being quite sophisticated in our analysis, we are not quite getting the information we need for our shop-load planning and scheduling. Our sales projections also drive our accounting and business forecasts, so we need to improve the way we develop our basic forecasts. How can Babcock and Wilcox improve its forecasting? (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A98E023.)

An analyst at Harrison, Young, Pesonen, and Newell, Inc. had developed the media plan for a discount long distance telephone carrier (Super-Tel) and was supervising its execution. At the start of week eight of the twelve-week direct response television campaign she was monitoring customer response data from the telemarketing contractor in order to judge the performance of the advertising plan, with the objective of making adjustments to improve the plan. The analyst hoped to fine-tune the final weeks of advertising in order to maximize the number of customer orders received by Super-tel, while minimizing the costs of obtaining those orders. Could she use a decision support system to solve this problem. (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A98E028.)

The newly appointed general manager of Alfonso's Department Store has initiated a review of Alfonso's newspaper marketing, in part to gain familiarity with the store's marketing practices, but also to look for ways to enhance both sales and market share. (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A99E002.)

The newly appointed general manager of Alfonso's Department Store has initiated a review of Alfonso's newspaper marketing, in part to gain familiarity with the store's marketing practices, but also to look for ways to enhance both sales and market share.

In 1998, ICI's research division had discovered a new use for anthraquinone and had to decide whether to accelerate research on a process to synthesize anthraquinone and develop the commercial application, or to terminate the modest R&D effort. (A Microsoft Excel model is available for use with this case, product 7A98E029.)

The Works Manager at Dofasco was faced with rapidly increasing market prices for fuel oil and natural gas in the late 1990s. Anticipating that similar price increases were likely to continue for the foreseeable future, he wanted to be certain that the steel works was making the best use of its energy dollars and, in particular, that the fuels produced as by-products from plant operations were being efficiently utilized. (A Microsoft Excel model is available for use with this case, product 7A98E025.)

Northwest was a major producer of newsprint, with pulpmills in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, from which they supplied various North American markets. The assistant controller was reviewing which mill supplied which market, in an attempt to find some opportunities for cost savings, and planned to develop and use a model to investigate both the immediate newsprint allocation problem and also some longer-term strategic issues. (A Microsoft Excel model is available for use with this case, product 7A98E035.) The supplement, Northwest Newsprint, Inc. (B), product # 9B09E003 addresses the ability of price changes to mitigate supply chain issues and improve supply chain profitability.

Northwest was a major producer of newsprint, with pulpmills in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, from which they supplied various North American markets. The assistant controller was reviewing which mill supplied which market, in an attempt to find some opportunities for cost savings, and planned to develop and use a model to investigate both the immediate newsprint allocation problem and also some longer-term strategic issues. (A Microsoft Excel model is available for use with this case, product 7A98E035.) The supplement, Northwest Newsprint, Inc. (B), product # 9B09E003 addresses the ability of price changes to mitigate supply chain issues and improve supply chain profitability.

In 1998, Ohio Polymer is about to negotiate a contract with ProBut Hydrocarbon, Inc. for the purchase of ethylene gas. The contract will require Ohio to purchase a fixed daily quantity of the gas at a set price per ton. Ohio Polymer's senior management is looking for advice on how much gas they should try to obtain and what price they should be willing to pay. A companion case is ProBut Hydrocarbon, Inc., case 9A98E037, which presents the negotiation from ProBut's perspective.

In 1999, the issue before the directors meeting of LanCo Catalogue Sales was the high level of product returns that the company was experiencing. These product returns were eroding profitability at a remarkable rate, however the directors were split into two camps over what to do about the problem. One camp believed that speeding up shipments would reduce the returned merchandise, while the other camp believed that this would merely increase shipping costs and reduce profits even further. LanCo management was determined that the returns problem must first be understood, then actions must be taken to reduce returns, in order to improve the profitability of the company. (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A99E007.)

The president and chief executive officer of Michigan Auto Products, together with the company's executive committee, must decide whether or not to build inventory to hedge against a possible strike at the end of the existing union contract. He also wants to determine an appropriate strategy for the new contract negotiations to take place with the union over the next six months. (A Microsoft Excel model is available for use with this case, product 7A98E031.)