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A new study identifies exactly how much bang for the buck a firm can get when it makes targeted cuts in back-office costs and takes steps to boost efficiency.

This case is about managing large supply change outsourcing relationships over time. The focus is on the challenges service providers and their customers face as they seek to continually find new sources of value as the relationships change. Emphasis is placed on issues related to coordinated capabilities across functional boundaries, information sharing and developing information technology readiness.

The note on material requirements planning (MRP) explains MRP at an introductory level, indicates some of the essential ingredients for success, and suggests the implications for MRP adopters who are unable to provide them.

The note on material requirements planning (MRP) explains MRP at an introductory level, indicates some of the essential ingredients for success, and suggests the implications for MRP adopters who are unable to provide them.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 307077.

Describes the opportunities and strategy facing one of the most innovative global supply-chain companies, and the strategy it has chosen to deal with the expanding demand for its services. Li & Fung links thousands of factories in India, China, and elsewhere to nearly a thousand large retailers, primarily in the U.S. and Europe. It basically does the supply-chain job faster and more accurately with the aid of a sophisticated information system than anyone else.

Successfully adopting a fast food and self-service concept had allowed Komala's to serve customers at a quick pace, which helped to accomplish the business goals of offering a large product range, providing a superior ambience to customers, attracting skilled manpower and competitive pricing. However, its seasonal peak demand created capacity constraints and resulted in customers patronizing neighbouring restaurants.

Thermaware, Inc., a manufacturer of top-of-the-line industrial thermostat controllers, is considering moving toward a single-piece-flow system. From the demand and production information given, students must determine a schedule that reduces inventory and approaches single-piece flow. The case can be used as a vehicle to reinforce the scheduling concepts found in the book The Gold Mine.

Describes the role accident has historically played in invention and discovery, and raises questions about the importance of variation in business innovation processes.

An abstract is not available for this product.

Describes the reorganization of the drug discovery organization at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and focuses on the decisions to: (1) centralize decision-making within drug discovery and (2) institute numerical metrics--jointly affecting all R&D scientists--for the progression of compounds through the Wyeth pipeline. Highlights issues concerning the degree to which scientific activity can be evaluated via numerical metrics, the extent to which R&D can be structured as a process, and the degree to which decision-making should be centralized in commercial R&D activities.

The nature of work is changing: it is more global, more team-based, and increasingly dependent on information technology. Academic researchers have examined the effect of these changes upon organizational management, technologies, and cultures, but little attention has been paid to the physical environment in which such work is done. Managers, meanwhile, are struggling to cope with the many challenges of designing workspaces to best meet the needs of their organizations, employees, and other stakeholders. This introduction to the special issue builds on existing research in workplace design to put forth a model that describes the various influences and tensions encountered in workplace design. It highlights the theoretical gaps where additional work is needed to understand the role of, and choices made in, workplace design for organizational performance. In the process, it emphasizes the contributions of the seven articles in this special issue.

Summarizes some quantitative measures and qualitative observations regarding the effect of architecture on technical communication. Shows how the probability that two engineers or scientists in an organization will communicate declines rapidly with the distance between their work locations. Also addresses several objections to these observations and examines the relationships among different media, (i.e., face-to-face, telephone, electronic mail) and how each is affected by separation. Finally, discusses some examples of architectural strategies for managing communication.

Current trends in telecommuting and non-territorial office design have changed what it means to work in an on-site office and, subsequently, have increased the number of functions office design is expected to serve. At the same time, innovations in technology and design provide today's managers more choices than ever when outfitting their offices. Offers a framework of leveraged office design that illustrates how managers can make design choices that both capitalize on the newest innovations in office design and serve the emerging needs of corporate workers. The framework specifically explores three functions of workplace design: instrumental functions, such as improving decision making and inter-group collaboration; symbolic functions, such as affirming individual distinctiveness and group status; and aesthetic functions, such as allowing for desired sensory experiences and promoting a sense of place attachment. This framework illustrates how organizations can capitalize on all three functions through their choices in office decor and layout.

To create an environment to embody a culture of flexibility, egalitarianism, teamwork, and entrepreneurship, SEI Investments built a distinctive headquarters. The offices are open and desks are on wheels, making it easy for teams to interact and quickly reorganize. The walls are lined with an extensive collection of contemporary art to invite creativity and debate. Building an environment that embodies its culture has helped SEI achieve rapid financial growth and facilitated business model innovation. Examines some of the lessons from this bold experiment in how physical structure can follow strategy.

The owners of Black Fly Beverage Company consider the viability of expanding their product-line after less than a year in operation. Since its start-up earlier the same year, sales of the company's original cranberry-blueberry vodka cooler had climbed steadily. Impressed with their early success, the owners wonder whether they should take advantage of their new brand's momentum and invest in the production of a second product.

In October 2005, the Rockingham County Public Schools Web site announced exciting news: For the third consecutive year, all 20 of the district's schools were fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. This accomplishment was particularly impressive since it meant that South River Elementary, a school that struggled to consistently achieve during its first eight years of existence, once again had attained a high level of success. Though Principal Mark Keeler was reluctant to take credit for the school's performance, it was no secret that South River's improvement began when he was named principal a few years earlier. But what had he done to turn the school around? And how had he helped the school sustain success?

Technology transfer from U.S. universities to industry has increased dramatically in the last 25 years. Reviews the history of technology transfer with particular emphasis on the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980. It then examines how universities responded to Bayh-Dole, the growth of technology transfer offices, and compares how three different universities (MIT, Stanford, and Harvard) approach technology transfer. Provides an overview of the technology transfer process and issues around current practices.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. Many multinational companies attempt to monitor working conditions in suppliers' factories in developing countries through corporate codes of conduct, along with monitoring to determine compliance. There is considerable debate about the merits of this approach. As part of a larger research project on globalization and labor standards, the authors conducted a comparison of two Mexican garment factories that supply Nike. Both plants (referred to as Plant A and Plant B) received very similar scores on a Nike factory audit, and both manufacture T-shirts for Nike and other companies. Workers in both plants are unionized. However, a closer examination reveals that working conditions in the two factories are in some respects quite different. Compared to workers in Plant B, those in Plant A earn more per week, report greater job satisfaction, and have greater say in workplace decisions. Furthermore, in Plant A overtime is voluntary and kept within Nike workweek limits, but in Plant B both forced overtime and excessive overtime occur. What factors contribute to these differing working conditions? The authors conclude that, while there are a number of differences between the factories, a key variable is the way each plant is managed. Plant A has made the transition to lean manufacturing and, in the process, workers received training and were empowered to participate in more decisions on the shop floor. Quality, worker productivity, and worker salaries all increased at Plant A. The authors conclude that global brands could help improve working conditions in supply chain factories by working with suppliers to help them introduce new management systems.