This case comes in two parts, the first part is the written case and it paints a picture of a current business situation (December 2015) in the emerging industry of recycling - ripe with quality issues, some defined, many not. It challenges the student to come up with a quality-based plan of attack specifically for the purpose establishing a sustainable position in the community for the WM MRF. The detail in the case describes residential single-stream recycling supply chain from its mixed-material collection through sorted and bailed-delivery to recycling customers. The second part of the case is a data set to compliment the detail of the written case. It includes a spreadsheet of over 390 sampled receipts over a two-year period and includes over 5000 lines of detail. The student is challenged to explore this data and characterize and consider it managerially using statistically sound methods. How might insights from that analysis support the MRF's plans for improvements?
Techno Systems, an industry leader in providing electronic kit assemblies for customized commercial applications and government, is currently undergoing a transition from a heavy government orientation to a more commercial customer base. A director of sourcing has been asked to prepare a review of the sourcing function by using benchmarking. She is considering how to effectively implement a benchmarking effort that would contribute to the sourcing review. Based upon her presentation, the upper management will determine the need for strategy development in the sourcing department. In essence, she is determining the hierarchical placement of the sourcing department for the future. This case affords the student an opportunity to examine sourcing in relation to operations strategy and to investigate benchmarking practices. It includes information compiled from benchmark studies conducted by the Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS) and provides an insight into gated benchmarking.