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OSUM, headquartered in Canada, is a privately held company in the oil and gas sector and enjoys being a significant producer in Western Canada. It is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. In 2023, Canada was the single largest supplier of imported oil to the United States, responsible for over 35% of US imports, much more than Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and all the OPEC countries combined. OSUM uses steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology to extract heavy crude oil using an advanced form of steam stimulation. Water plays an important role in this extraction process. In an oil extraction plant, there are several interconnected systems that communicate with each other with established controls and interlocks. The plant operator's role is to ensure the plant runs smoothly without malfunctions, breakdowns, and other disruptions. To facilitate this, alarms and sensors are attached to different systems to signal any potential disruption and mandate a call for timely intervention. However, there are times when multiple alarms are set off, creating a conundrum for the operator, who is challenged with prioritizing which alarm to tackle first. Nuisance alarms, such as chattering, can be a source of distraction for the operator. Such distractions can negatively impact plant operations and result in plant downtime, costing the company significant dollar loss. Being concerned about the increasing cases of spikes in alarms, the company tied up with Drishya AI Labs to help solve this problem by leveraging machine learning algorithms so that such distractions could be reduced.

This case study explores the opportunities and challenges of the digital transformation journey of French wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard. As part of the transformation, the company launched four key digital programs (KDPs) aimed at using data and artificial intelligence to automate processes and drive data-driven decision-making. The case primarily focused on two of these: D-STAR, a sales recommendation system, and Matrix, a tool that optimized the allocation of advertising spend across brands. The company's future direction with the KDPs depended on addressing resistance, providing effective training and support, aligning with strategic goals, and overcoming logistical and data-related hurdles. The company needed to find a way to expand the KDPs further into new markets while reinforcing adoption where the KDPs had already been launched, and the decisions made would shape the path forward.

Launched in 2021, the #Donate2Help campaign of Dish TV India Ltd. (DTIL) encourages its subscribers to donate their unused set-top boxes (STBs) to underprivileged people for a noble cause. Using electronic devices, users can access free satellite infotainment content made available by the state-owned Doordarshan. The campaign was promoted through an advertisement showing the benefits of a STB for a rural girl who had limited internet access who used the device to gain access to content that furthered her education. DTIL intended to have a positive social impact and monetize the unused STBs. This campaign, the first in the direct-to-home industry, helped the company create positive brand perception. The reuse of unused STBs helps reduce e-waste by extending the life of the devices and not dumping them in landfills prematurely. However, the campaign needed more visibility, and its impact could have been better. DTIL intends to expand and scale up the campaign as a part of its adoption of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) guidelines.<br><br>India, the first country to make corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandatory by law, added an ESG framework to the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) required by Indian companies in 2022–23. Initiatives like #Donate2Help are significant as regulatory obligations and stakeholder expectations pressure companies to contribute to ESG through their business processes and operations. Is there an overlap between CSR and ESG? How should the company operationalize its ESG commitment beyond regulatory compliance? What are the critical factors for successful ESG adoption in a competitive market being disrupted by ongoing technological advancements?

Indus Motors was a large automotive dealer and service provider in the state of Kerala (India), with a network of five zonal warehouses and 76 service centres. The company was grappling with inventory management issues, such as excess stock and procurement and distribution practices that accounted for higher costs. Although the company had recently implemented an enterprise resource planning system, the management believed that benefits accruing from the digital system and supply chain capabilities were not put to good use. The management was looking to streamline inventory management and procurement and sourcing practices, leveraging technology and analytics capabilities.

Spreadsheet to accompany product W36854.

Spreadsheet to accompany product W36855.

By early 2022, Zhongguang Yiyun Supply Chain Management Co. Ltd. had spent six years developing its supply chain management (SCM) and supply chain finance (SCF) platform, ToTrade. The platform collaborated with multiple banks and focal companies to provide integrated SCF services to over 1,000 upstream and downstream small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China's Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai Provinces. But the site of competition in the Chinese SCF market had shifted from a single company's SCF capability to its integrated SCF network. Therefore, it was crucial for ToTrade to establish a robust financial supply network in order to enhance the implementation and development of its SCF services. As the volume of ToTrade's SCF service increased, the company faced key questions: How could ToTrade develop its network to further support its SCF development? And how could the platform effectively evaluate its SCF service performance to better guide this development?

In 2021, amidst a world pandemic and escalated racial tensions, Allens Lane Art Center, a non-profit art centre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was losing its leadership and failing to live up to its history-making initiative to promote integration among community members through the arts. The Center's executive director was stepping down and there was no replacement in line. Also, like many small businesses in the West Mount Airy neighbourhood of Philadelphia during this period, the Center suffered low revenue, among other issues. <br><br>The president of the Center's board of directors had to determine how to bring the small non-profit back to life and generate a reawakened commitment from the board. They had to be prepared to make difficult decisions, including determining how the Center could change its business model while holding to its mission of bringing diverse communities together through the arts.

This case follows the founder and CEO of King's Flair International (KFI), Alex Wong, as he navigates a critical situation involving Zhong Ying (ZY), a long-standing strategic partner of KFI. KFI, a reputable Hong Kong-listed Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) for premium international household brands, has collaborated with ZY as a manufacturing partner for over two decades. Throughout the years, ZY has enjoyed a steady stream of orders from KFI, contributing to its gradual business growth. However, due to its recent overexpansion and mismanagement, ZY found itself buried heavily in bank loans. In early 2019, ZY had reached a point where it could no longer meet its regular debt repayment obligations due to a lack of funds. Consequently, the bank issued an ultimatum, demanding full loan repayment within a few days or else initiating legal action against the company. Faced with this dire situation, ZY had no choice but to seek out Wong's assistance. Wong now faces two crucial decisions: 1) whether he should extend help to ZY, and 2) if he decides to help ZY, which of the three alternatives should he choose? Complicating matters further, ZY is currently working on an urgent order for KFI. Wong understands the gravity of his choice, as it carries significant implications that extend beyond ZY and can impact other manufacturing partners as well. Hence, he must carefully deliberate and weigh the potential consequences before making a decision.

The evolution of networks into a cornerstone of decentralized digital enterprises marks a profound shift in the business landscape.

The executive director of Meals on Wheels London (MOWL) was struggling with a lack of volunteers to deliver meals to the not-for-profit organization's customers. MOWL provided nutritional support for adults with disabilities and older people who required short-term or long-term assistance. Several options were under consideration to mitigate the volunteer issue. These included using new, state-of-the-art computer software to allocate volunteers more efficiently; running a volunteer recruitment campaign; and hiring paid delivery drivers to supplement MOWL's volunteers. The executive director needed to make a quick decision to present at a fast-approaching board meeting where any necessary funding would need to be approved.

The executive director of Meals on Wheels London (MOWL) was struggling with a lack of volunteers to deliver meals to the not-for-profit organization’s customers. MOWL provided nutritional support for adults with disabilities and older people who required short-term or long-term assistance. Several options were under consideration to mitigate the volunteer issue. These included using new, state-of-the-art computer software to allocate volunteers more efficiently; running a volunteer recruitment campaign; and hiring paid delivery drivers to supplement MOWL’s volunteers. The executive director needed to make a quick decision to present at a fast-approaching board meeting where any necessary funding would need to be approved.

This technical note provides a framework on innovation as a process ("how"), rather than just an outcome ("what"). It explains that innovation is a set of activities, incentives, and metrics that, when structured and implemented effectively, maximize the potential for novel ideas to be transformed into valuable solutions. By framing innovation as a process, decision-makers and leaders within organizations can actively manage this process to create new products, services, and business models. This note introduces insights from the operations management and new product development perspective as well as provides actionable levers to identify and manipulate the activities, incentives, and metrics that support the creation of new solutions.

<p style="color: white; background-color: rgb(3, 70, 56); font-size: 16px; display: inline-block; border: 0px solid rgb(197, 183, 131); padding: 4px 4px;"><a href="" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: inherit;"> DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE COMING SOON</a></p><br><br>Kurt Preston, Vice President of Global Sourcing & Product Operations at Sonos Inc. (Sonos), had been considering a Joint Development Model for future Sonos products. In 2022, Sonos began to expand their product offering to target value-conscious consumers and grow market share with more modest price points. Historically, Sonos designed every aspect of their products in house and used Contract Manufacturers (CM) for production. A Joint Development Model (JDM) approach offered an opportunity to partner with the supplier to potentially decrease the product development time and cost. However, JDM meant giving up control of several aspects of the product design and this had many at Sonos very worried.

To activate the first wind turbines in the ocean off Martha's Vineyard eventually supplying clean energy to 400,000 households, Vineyard Wind's leaders had to navigate the permitting process, numerous delays, and objections from stakeholders in three communities: Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket islands near where power originated; Cape Cod where cables reached land and power stations; and mainland New Bedford where a new green industry was part of its economic development plan. Issues included marine mammals, birds, fishing grounds, sacred Indigenous People's areas, views, beach disruption, worker training, and union jobs. Solutions included new technology, community investments, settlements with unions, community meetings, and relationships with government officials, but there were financial costs as well as delays. Significant as the first commercial-sized offshore wind farm in North America, Vineyard Wind I was co-owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a financial fund, and Avangrid, an energy supplier and main venture operator. Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO, spent a great deal of time with government officials seeking support. How effective were the actions, and would they help the next projects achieve the goal of more clean energy for Massachusetts and New England?

This case presents multiple operations challenges in a non-profit social services setting, with a focus on immigrant worker rights. The case inlcudes paid staff, volunteers, and executive leadership facing breakdowns in services to clients, legislators, advicates, and others. This is an excellent case for applying process-floew analysis in a social impact setting.

This first-hand account of the student takeover of the campus administration building raises strategic and operational issues through a lens of racial inequities and intersectionality. It has echos of a 1968 protest by black students, which had very similar demands and it happened in the context of student protests and demands across the nation. This is an excellent case for apprciating social protest through an organizational lens and appreciating ways that university campuses can be held to be accountable for their espoused values.

This case describes the potential introduction of a new helicopter operation named "Smart Launch" at the leading non-profit air ambulance of Boston MedFlight, with the goal of decreasing the estimated arrival time of transports and thereby improving patient outcomes. The case first provides a detailed background for how patient requests turn into successful transports, and thereafter outlines the estimated operational, financial and social impact of implementing this new operation. This is an excellent case for leveraging real transport data and management's questions, with the challenge to determine if, how, and "what needs to be true?" to successfully unlock the new Smart Launch operation.

At AT&#038;T, a raindrop is an annoying policy, outdated process, or unhelpful tool. When enough of them pool up, people feel like they are drowning in bureaucracy. AT&#038; Project Raindrops, which evolved from a grassroots effort to an office with six full-time employees, uses a streamlined process to vet and implement employee ideas on how to fix these annoyances. The company says the project has saved it $230 million so far. AT&#038; CTO shares lessons for leaders on how to make such a program work.

Prabhakar Hegde, plant head at Ashmilro Engineering Limited, a prominent player in the diesel generator industry, faced a critical challenge of addressing delayed product delivery that threatened the company’s competitiveness. Hegde recognized that this delay could hinder the organization’s plan to increase market share by 15 per cent within the next two years. In a competitive industry where timing was everything, the company was targeting to reduce its delivery lead time from six weeks to two weeks. The misalignment between the departments was coupled with challenges in the order-fulfilment process, parts shortages, performance measures, and long lead times. Hegde’s top priority was to find the root cause of the production problems and to recommend a comprehensive solution.