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Student spreadsheet to case KE1119

The case discusses supply chain risk management: how to leverage the structure of a supply network to assess its resilience, focusing on the consequences of disruption rather than the causes, as is traditionally done. The proposed framework, presented in a 2014 HBR paper by Simchi-Levi, Schmidt and Wei, describes how a consultant, Ann Van Delft, applies this framework when assessing the supply chain risk for her client a large telco internet service provider. Telco had recently experienced several outages due to equipment malfunctioning and a shortage of spare parts, resulting in the loss of some customers to its competitors. Ann was hired to deal with these issues as senior management felt the outages were damaging Telco's brand, and would deter new customers.

Spreadsheet supplement for case IN1636.

Having already made 10 acquisitions of competitors in the last decade, the CEO and Senior Vice President of Arrow are evaluating the acquisition of another small competitor to boost sales, become #1 in a niche market segment, and achieve economies of scale. They are struggling with whether the deal makes strategic sense given forecasts that this niche segment is declining, whether the price is too high given the competitor's lack of profitability, and how to integrate the company into Arrow to maximize its value if he does the deal. Provides information to permit valuing the acquisition and developing a post-merger integration strategy and plan.

In the business world, the word “debrief” frequently has a negative connotation, probably because it is used only after a mistake or negative outcome. But such a fear-based approach is the opposite of how Blue Angels pilots structure their training, practice, and subsequent success. On the contrary, their goal is to drive fear out of the organization. When the author was a member of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, they used the debrief tool at the end of each day. Based on the Blue Angels model, a successful debrief consists of two main parts: the general-safe statements (providing a general overview and a safety note) and the specific details that each member contributes. Each day’s debrief was defined by ensuring five specific interpersonal dynamics: providing a safe environment so everyone feels free to share essential information; checking your ego at the door; laying everything on the table and suspending hierarchical thinking in the interest of getting results; owning and fixing problems by assuming responsibility; and adopting a “glad to be here” mindset. Various studies have confirmed a correlation between gratitude and positive results. Gratitude is a social emotion; it binds us together and strengthens our bonds, regardless of the nature of our relationships. With this mindset, teams can more easily process negative feedback and turn it into positive results.

The Katerra case takes a deep dive into the opportunities to leverage disruptive technology in the global construction industry. The case analyzes the history of Katerra, a technology-driven offsite construction company and walks through each of the company's major strengths and opportunities.

How much information is enough, when it comes to investor reports? For early CEOs, this white paper offers practical advice and best practices on the preparation of these reports. The best reports, the white paper argues, focus on essential information, presented in a clear and transparent manner. This information would include key performance indicators, for instance, but also capture operational details that might not be included in the standard financials. The white paper lays out a clear format for writing these reports, with details on what to include in the main body of the report as well as the appendices.

New Balance Athletics, Inc., a major U.S.-based athletic footwear and apparel brand, sources most of its footwear products from independent suppliers whose factories are located in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Monica Gorman, vice president of responsible leadership and global compliance, is seeking to combine data sets collected by different parts of the organization to see whether she and her colleagues in the company's order management function can make a clear connection between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) results that her function tracks at the supplier level, with New Balance's order placement practices.

Many successful individuals cite fate or luck as significant factors in their success. But is luck at the root of success? Or is luck a second-hand explanation that fulfills other psychological needs? The author argues that success is not primarily a question of the opportunities that present themselves to an individual, but of whether an individual, first, even recognizes them as opportunities and, second, is able to make the most of them. Research shows that extroversion correlates with an increased probability that someone will encounter unexpected opportunities and actively exploit them. The identification and exploitation of chance occurrences is also the result of certain personality traits and attitudes. When successful people point to luck, this often serves as an unconscious defence against envy. Someone who has just enjoyed a particularly sweet (and, for others, envy-inducing) success might shrug their shoulders and say, “So what, I was just lucky.” In doing so, they are seeking to neutralize the envy that may be directed against them by pointing to a random, unpredictable, and uncontrollable power (or combination of powers) that is responsible for favourable or unfavourable outcomes. However, for happenstance, luck, or coincidence to contribute to great success, they must meet an individual with the requisite tacit knowledge—one who is able to recognize the opportunity and seize it.

As they fight for survival in the era of online shopping, brick-and-mortar retailers are cutting costs by slashing head count and budgets for training. But that erodes their biggest edge over e-tailers: a live person customers can talk to face-to-face. For every dollar a retailer saves on staffing, it may be losing several dollars in revenues and gross profits if customers leave stores empty-handed because they can't find a knowledgeable salesperson to help them. The solution lies in optimizing staffing and training for each store, but most retailers don't know how to do that. This article offers them a step-by-step approach. It involves analyzing historical data, conducting experiments, and assessing the results, and when applied systematically can add as much as 20% to the revenues of existing stores. Even better, if staffing increases at some stores are offset by cuts at others, and vendors fund product training, those higher sales will cost retailers little or nothing to generate.

This mini-case set describes the challenges facing the new leadership of Richmond's Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) to revitalize and save the Museum. Alex Nyerges and Michael Taylor arrived in 2006 at a key point in the institution's history. Membership was flagging at around 5,000, and a major construction project was $20 million over budget. Residents of Richmond felt increasingly disconnected from the museum. Some even viewed its collection as irrelevant to modern life. Nyerges and Taylor faced difficult decisions regarding membership fees, museum hours, and the need to establish community engagement. As with other museums across the nation they also faced the daunting challenge of attracting younger patrons and families while preserving the older donor base. This case set is suitable for a class in Change Management, Designing for Growth, or any Nonprofit or Leadership class.

A self-taught seamstress based in Barrie, Ontario, must decide how to organize the production process for manufacturing her custom-made baby onesie - a one-piece, close-fitting, lightweight garment worn by a young child, typically with either long or short sleeves but no legs and fastened with press studs at the crotch. As a mother and sewing enthusiast, she had handcrafted several onesies for her friends and family, and now wanted to start a full-time business venture manufacturing and selling her baby clothing and accessories to the general public.

In March 2017, a pharmacy in Berlin encountered a personnel scheduling problem. The pharmacy's key activity was serving customers in-store with ready-made medication. These services had to be offered during regular opening hours, on occasional Sundays, and during pre-assigned emergency-service shifts. In addition, customer-specific formulations had to be prepared, and certain office duties had to be performed. A particular aspect of the problem was that, in addition to differences in the employment contracts, the employees' preferred attendance times had to be considered. Although the issue was presented as an operational problem, long-term considerations of determining the cornerstones of the employment contracts could be addressed.

At the end of 2017, Disney announced it would acquire the majority of 21st Century Fox's assets including its movie studio, TV production company, cable channels and regional sports networks. If approved, the deal would give Disney the scale and content to develop its own streaming service by 2019, when its contract with Netflix expired. The rise of streaming had contributed to the steady decline of cable-TV, DVD sales and cinema attendance in the US. The case discusses the transformation of the media landscape with the growth of digital. Was Disney's apparent move away from "content is king" - its strategy since 1923 - recognition of the importance of distribution channels in the digital age?

In March 2017, a pharmacy in Berlin encountered a personnel scheduling problem. The pharmacy’s key activity was serving customers in-store with ready-made medication. These services had to be offered during regular opening hours, on occasional Sundays, and during pre-assigned emergency-service shifts. In addition, customer-specific formulations had to be prepared, and certain office duties had to be performed. A particular aspect of the problem was that, in addition to differences in the employment contracts, the employees’ preferred attendance times had to be considered. Although the issue was presented as an operational problem, long-term considerations of determining the cornerstones of the employment contracts could be addressed.

Instructor spreadsheet to accompany product 8B18D022.

Student spreadsheet to accompany product 9B18D022.

Komatsu's Komtrax system started as a way of remotely monitoring and tracking equipment for the purpose of improving operational efficiency. This case follows its evolution towards other uses including demand forecasting for its sales, marketing, and production operations.

In June 2015, Vasant Farm Fresh (VFF) was creating a supply chain in Ahmedabad, India, to integrate farmers with retailers and provide fresh produce to customers. Fruits and vegetables have a short shelf life, harvesting operations tend to be labour intensive, and produce quantity is unlikely to grow substantially. To increase the shelf life of fresh produce, farmers need storage facilities, such as refrigerators or cold-water vessels, to store freshly harvested produce. VFF established a collection centre to aid farmers in selling their produce and in receiving higher returns. The collection centre was close to the farms so that the produce could be distributed to the agricultural produce market committee market and to VFF’s new retail venture, Vasant Veggies. However, wastage was still considerable even after the centre was established. The founder of Vasant Veggies must identify the optimal procurement quantity for fresh produce.

Instructor spreadsheet to accompany product 8B18D023.