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The manager of a paper plant must decide whether to buy a new electrode boiler to replace a natural gas boiler. The challenge is to cut through complexities such as uncertainty in boiler efficiency, energy prices, financing alternatives, and supplier/competitor relationships to arrive at a first-cut analysis and decision. While the case is rich with issues, a considered decision can be made without using the sophisticated methods available to treat these complexities. The case is designed as an introductory class in which an agenda for a course in decision analysis/management science is established.

This technical note defines, describes, and illustrates the most common metrics marketers used to monitor and manage customer relationships. Among the metrics covered are customer counts, recency, retention rates, customer profitability and customer lifetime value.

This short technical note shows students how to use StatTools to complete a simple regression analysis.

TiVo's valuation is questioned by stock analyst and the case challenges students to use concepts and applications of customer lifetime value to determine whether TiVo's current share prices are appropriate.

Alfonso's Department Store (Ivey, 9A99E002) presents 26 weeks of data on Alfonso's dollar sales and dollar advertising, together with the sales and advertising of competing stores. In the supplement, a consultant presents the results of his analysis of these data. Students are asked to critique this analysis and explore its implications.

Spreadsheet for case UV3846

In the drive to create the wired automobile, General Motors developed the OnStar system, a subscription-based, wireless dashboard communication service that provides numerous safety and convenience features including emergency assistance, remote door unlocking, and hotel reservations. GM was faced with several key questions regarding its market-leading telematics system. Should they syndicate OnStar, or was it of more value to the company as an exclusive feature? Should the OnStar division be spun-off? Will telematics devices become standard for all vehicles, and if so, how would this affect decision-making regarding OnStar?

Spreadsheet for case UV6224

The Liquid Gold cases are an adaptation of the original Calambra Olive Oil cases (UV3774 and UV3777). This version has been written to support a modified classroom experience. The cases describe the start-up of Calambra, a company built to sell a premier brand of olive oil. Frank Lockfeld, the founder, has to determine how much olive oil to make for the second year's production. Unfortunately, he has to make this decision before learning the results of the first year's sales. Thus, there is enormous uncertainty around the decision. The A case (UV3849) tells the start-up story and presents enough information for students to do a sensitivity analysis to decide which of the many uncertainties are most important. This leads to a discussion of tornado diagrams. The B case provides information on those critical uncertainties. This leads to a class on spreadsheet modeling and simulation modeling, searching for an optimal order quantity, adjusting for risk, etc. It also enables a discussion of a key general business issue: the difference between make-to-order and make-to-inventory businesses and the fundamental flaw in most business plans that leads to gross overestimates of potential profitability.

The Liquid Gold cases (see also the B case, UVA-QA-0588) are an adaptation of the earlier Calambra Olive Oil cases (UVA-QA-0440 and UVA-QA-0442). This version supports a modified classroom experience. The cases describe the start-up of Calambra, a company built to sell a premier brand of olive oil. Frank Lockfeld, the founder, has to determine how much olive oil to make for the second year's production. Unfortunately, he has to make this decision before learning the results of the first year's sales. Thus, there is enormous uncertainty around the decision. The A case tells the start-up story and presents enough information for students to do a sensitivity analysis to decide which of the many uncertainties are most important, which leads to a discussion of tornado diagrams. The B case provides information on those critical uncertainties, which leads to a discussion of spreadsheet modeling and simulation modeling, searching for an optimal order quantity, adjusting for risk, etc. It also affords a discussion of a key general business issue: the difference between make-to-order and make-to-inventory businesses and the fundamental flaw in most business plans that leads to gross overestimates of potential profitability. Student spreadsheet files are available.

Select Collections sounds like the name of a fancy dress shop. Actually, in this case, it's a collection agency whose credit manager has asked a summer intern to apply her knowledge of regression analysis to forecast the amount the company will collect from 3,570 delinquent accounts. The intern must submit her forecasts in a contest with other interns to see whose model works the best. The case provides students with a modeling experience on a large data set. Instructors can form student teams and conduct their own forecasting contests.

This case contains the instructions for a hands-on data-mining exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to identify high value customers of an online retailer in order to give them VIP treatment. The exercise uses purchase data for 60,000 customers. The background is described in "Customer Care at eTots.com" (UV2916).

The case provides the background for a hands-on data-mining exercise. The purpose of the analysis is to identify high value customers of an online retailer in order to give them VIP treatment. The exercise is described in "Identifying the VIPs at eTOTS" (UV2918).

Spreadsheet supplement for UV2916 and UV2918.

Spreadsheet supplement for UV2916 and UV2918.

The economics of the Internet are often tied to determining the value of a communications network. However, there are several different kinds of communications networks, each with their own method of valuation. These networks are named by the laws that describe their valuation: Sarnoff's, Metcalfe's, and Reed's. This note describes each network type and its method of valuation.

While business-to-consumer e-commerce (B2C) has garnered the most public attention of any online business sector, business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce is proving to account for a much larger slice of the economic pie. A significant portion of B2B e-commerce transactions will occur through online marketplaces called B2B exchanges. The objective of this technical note is to provide an understanding of these exchanges, including their organizational and revenue models.

Prior planning prevents poor performance is the moral of this case about predicting bid prices on new personal computer display models based only on past vendors' bids. Students gain respect for a set of 71 data points that might be used to explore the relationships between bid price per unit and the specifications and quantities of previous displays. The case illustrates the importance of understanding the available data and circumstances surrounding its collection before using regression analysis to summarize relationships.

Spreadsheet supplement for case UV6210.

This case describes an innovative response-modeling project at INTUIT. The case can help students understand the basics of (and the issues surrounding) response modeling, an important tactic in data-base marketing.