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Leitax, a young digital camera manufacturer selling its cameras mainly through retailers, experienced poor matching of inventory availability with demand for new and existing products in 2002. Describes the implementation and details of a consensus forecasting approach, a crucial part of a demand and supply planning redesign that was introduced to address the problem. The forecasting approach is a cross-functional one involving the sales, operations, and finance functions. Describes the results of the introduction, including planning challenges the company continued to face.

In June 2001, Jean-François Hilico, industrial project manager at Renault Trucks, had to recommend to his board a development strategy for the company's truck remanufacturing business. Remanufacturing consisted of rebuilding used parts to bring them to a level of performance just beneath that of new parts, at a much lower cost. After having analyzed the pros and cons of three investment options, participants are asked to make a recommendation. This case invites participants to take into account other investment criteria than just profitability, such as environmental protection, safety and the competitive implications of offering remanufactured parts. It is supplemented with a video of Renault Trucks remanufacturing activities.

Provides a context and exercise for introducing retail inventory management, including cost optimization, service-level criteria, and forecasting in single and multiproduct settings. The owner of a single-location paper and paper products store considers the implications of expansion for inventory management. Considerations include lost sales, retail metrics for multiproduct settings, and shelf space constraints.

Overseas outsourcing of jobs is far more complicated than is generally understood. Pressures to outsource range from serving overseas markets better to increasing the competitiveness of American business. Both domestic and international outsourcing responds to management's desire to focus the firm's in-house activities on its core competence. A negative side to outsourcing results from companies doing so simply because "everybody is doing it." They may be surprised by accompanying factors such as unexpected costs and complications, as well. Governmental policymakers must realize that foreign companies outsource more business services to the United States than American firms send overseas.

Traces the history of Comstar, specifically focusing on the development of the company's channel sales organization. As the company's channel grew by acquisition in terms of number of distributors and VARS (value-added resellers), and the company's product offering became increasingly complex, Comstar was faced with challenges around inventory management and linearity. The company was becoming increasingly insulated from its customers by piles of inventory in the channel and the company's revenues were becoming less predictable.

Amagansett Funds has had a troubled history with its customer relationship management (CRM) system. Sales agents feel that they derive no value from it and that it is a "tax on their jobs." Amagansett is investigating whether CRM can be improved by making its data available wirelessly to Blackberry devices. These devices will also provide mobile phone and e-mail capability.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

Supplements the (A) case.

In a maturing market, HPÂ’s attention moved from Return on Sales to Return on Net Assets. Mismatches between demand and supply, aggrevated by a long supply chain, were a burden on profit. HP realized that conventional logistics costs (warehousing, inventories, transport) were only the tip of the iceberg. Hidden underneath were large costs due to price protection, material devaluation, returns and obsoletes (Inventory Driven Costs). Uncovering all true demand/supply mismatch costs allowed HP to redress the situation and restore competitiveness.

This case describes the challenges faced by the cosmetics division of a large corporation when determining the set of products to develop in 2004. The key players involved are the centralized R&D center and the decentralized brands. The case provides data to estimate the utilization rate of the R and D center. It also describes how the R and D center is organized to develop various types of product lines. "

This case describes the challenges faced by the cosmetics division of a large corporation when determining the set of products to develop in 2004. The key players involved are the centralized R&D center and the decentralized brands. The case provides data to estimate the utilization rate of the R and D center. It also describes how the R and D center is organized to develop various types of product lines.

This case describes how IDEO adapt its famed innovation process (developed to design new products) to the particularities of services and their design. The case series describes four service design projects to show how IDEO has developed and codified a series of design methods, which constitute a toolbox from which teams can pick and choose depending on the innovation project.

This case examines a set of expansion options for a successful Internet luggage retailer, with a particular emphasis on the operational complexities.

Go shopping in the "dollar channel" with this case, which explores the decision of a fast-growing company to expand its distribution network. The case provides financial information that allows students to build an understanding of the basic distribution-network design, which covers inbound transportation, outbound transportation, distribution-center operations, and inventory.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. For several decades, research about large companies' internal corporate venturing (ICV) has shown that such activities frequently exhibit substantial cyclicality. Companies may enthusiastically launch ICV initiatives, later shut them down, and still later launch new ICV programs again. Describes four common situations that occur in cycles of corporate venturing. Argues that, unless properly managed, corporate commitment to ICV is apt to fluctuate according to the availability of uncommitted financial resources and the growth prospects of the organization's primary businesses. For example, if the corporation has uncommitted financial resources but the growth prospects of the main business are perceived to be insufficient, then the company may launch a top-down "all-out ICV drive" that is vulnerable to costly mistakes. If, however, the growth prospects of the primary business are perceived to be adequate and there are few uncommitted financial resources, top management is likely to perceive ICV as largely irrelevant. Examines factors contributing to ICV cyclicality and suggests that companies can achieve better outcomes if executives recognize the strategic importance of internal corporate venturing activities and view them as a way of gaining insights into emerging opportunities.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 605002.

Describes how Amazon's distribution system evolved from the company's inception. In 2003, Amazon Europe must decide how to reconfigure its distribution network in light of expected growth, products proliferation, and geographical expansion in Europe. Examines how characteristics of suppliers and customers differ across the markets Amazon serves in Europe. The protagonist must consider the degree of centralization appropriate for the European network, where inventory should be held, what fulfillment models should be used, and how to manage risks of supply disruption.

Examines the product development strategy and processes of the Ducati motorcycle racing team during the 2003-2004 Grand Prix seasons. Invites discussion of appropriate design and development strategies to facilitate learning across product generations. Specifically, examines the trade-offs inherent in an "integral" vs. "modular" approach to product design and the impact on learning. Also enables students to explore the behavioral aspects of development strategy and, in particular, the impact of initial success on perceptions of competence and risk taking.

The vice-president and general manager of Totalline Transport wants to eliminate late appointment fees in delivering to one of Canada's premier electronic shops - Electronics International. Totalline Transport is hired by suppliers of electronics goods to deliver to retailers. The vice-president sees an opportunity to solve the problem of congestion in the parking lot of Electronics International's warehouse and eliminating unnecessary soft costs such as missed appointment fees and detention charges. The bottleneck in the process is the waiting time for all of the trucks to unload. If the carrier arrives late, the retailer will charge the carrier $1,000. If the carrier is waiting in line due to a backlog at the warehouse, the carrier will levy a charge of $50 to $60 per hour. Beyond these costs, the vice-president realizes that suppliers and retailers are spending one day per week investigating problems with shipments. He is eager to make his customers (suppliers) successful. He sees three central options in cutting down traffic: to request two dedicated doors at the warehouse; cut down on time for Electronics International by applying stickers at Totalline's consolidation point on all the deliveries so that Electronics International could immediately accept shipments into inventory without handling; or deliver direct to Electronics International stores.