...Zara: IT for Fast Fashion This case is part of the course Managing in the Information Age (MIA) at Harvard Business School. [pic] Managing in Information Age IT Categories |IT Category |Definition |Example | |Function IT (FIT) |IT that assists execution of discrete function |Simulators | | |or task |Spreadsheets | | | |CAD/CAM software | | | |Statistical software | |Enterprise IT (EIT) |IT that integrates multiple functions by |Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems | | |imposing new work structure |Supply chain management (SCM) systems | | | |Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems | | | |Sourcing/procurement software ...
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...Part 1: Executive Summary This case focuses on the Spanish retail giant, Inditex and how its largest retail chain Zara has been so successful through its simple business model of speed, flexibility, and high fashion. As of 2002, Inditex had six separate chains: Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, and Oysho. Each chain operates independently and is responsible for its own strategy, product design, sourcing and manufacturing, distribution, retail. Zara is by far the largest, most profitable, and most internationalized of the chains. In 2003, Zara's CIO must decide whether to upgrade the retailer's IT infrastructure and capabilities. At the time of the case, the company relies on an out-of-date operating system for its store terminals and has no full-time network in place across stores. The problem to the company is to decide whether it has to upgrade the present system and by doing so, risking the reliability they have with the current system or to continue with the present DOS based system which will not be compatible for future changes or improvements. Part 2: Issues Identification In 2003, Salgado, head of IT for Inditex, must decide whether to upgrade their pilot retailer - Zara's IT infrastructure and capabilities. At the time of the case, the company relies on an out-of-date operating system MS-DOS for its store terminals and has no full-time network in place across stores. In the short term, the going MS-DOS based system seems to be working...
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...while Inditex achieved a 22.9% return on investment. The case shows that The Gap outsourced more than 90% production while Zara has its own factories and half of its productions are kept in-house, which means The Gap has insufficient control over production and capital costs. That is to say, Inditex is much more profitable than The Gap and has a relatively better operating economics. Zara has several distinctive features in its business model that has affected its operating economics. Firstly, it manufactures most of its fashion sensitive products internally under a just-in-time manufacturing system. In order to control the manufacturing process and to allow information flow more smoothly, it centralizes its design and production facilities in its home office. It produces about 11,000 distinct items every year, compared with 2000- 4000 items for key competitors. They shipped these products twice a week to reduce its inventory holding costs. Its short cycle time reduces working capital intensity and facilitated continuous manufacture of new merchandize, even during the biannual sales periods. Also, under its unique information system, its designers can not only constantly contact with the stores, but also communicate waith store managers to get some subjective impressions of the fashion trends. Moreover, Zara sources fabric, other inputs, and finished products from external suppliers, especially China. This gives Zara a competitive advantage towards the costs of goods sold...
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...ARCTIC MINING CONSULTANTS Case Synopsis Arctic Mining Consultants is a mining company that deals with mineral exploration. In this case study, the project given is staking 15 claims in Eagle Lake, Alaska. The project Manager was Tom Parker, who has a wide experience and specialized knowledge in all nontechnical aspects of mineral exploration. He is a geological field technician and field coordinator for Arctic Mining Consultants. He assigned his previous field assistants John Talbot, Greg Boyce and Brian Millar to help him complete the project. The job required them to stake at least 7 lengths each day in order to be completed on time. However, the whole team has became very tense and agitated, especially Tom Parker, as the deadline was just around the corner and there’s still many to be finished within the limited time. The problem became worse with the way Tom managed and treated his team. The only motivation to the team was the $300 bonuses promised by the company when the job is done on time, otherwise, they might wished to give up already. This happened because working as a field assistant and in long-working hours only giving them low wages, which is considered unreasonable compared to what they have to do. During the eight hard days, everything had actually proved the strengths and weaknesses of each of the team members, including Tom. Case analysis symptoms 1) What symptom(s) exist in this case to suggest that something has gone wrong? The symptom(s) to suggest...
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...1. Would a TNA be needed in this situation? Why or why not? If yes, who would you want to talk to? Training Needs Analysis is a formal process required for the purpose of identifying the training gap that is in existence and its related training need. Considering the IMP case analysis, training needs analysis is required since there are different sectors within the organization which require an individual to possess the necessary skills to perform the expected work within that department. In addition, training is also offered to people working within the ‘different sectors’ in that organization despite the fact that equality is not displayed while offering that form of training. Talking to the HR manager at North America International Airport’s about training needs analysis is a good idea since the HR manager is the one with the authority over the individual’s directly concerned with training such as Mr. Pettipas. 2. Based on the case as presented above, what KSAs need to be trained? From the case analysis at IMP, it is evident that there are several knowledge, skills and abilities that have to be addressed during training to all the employees within those departments. Leadership skills need to be addressed since the HR was not able to assist Ms. Dillman in her case which portrayed that he lacked the leadership skills. Technician skills required for the metal sheet shop needs to be trained since Ms. Dillman lacked knowledge on the requirement of a metal sheet shop technician...
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...✓ Materials Needed Performance Measurement & Control Systems for Implementing Strategy: Text and Cases, by Simons, Robert. Prentice Hall, ISBN #0-13-234006-2 Cases in Management Accounting & Control Systems 4th Edition, by Allen, Brownlee, Haskins and Lynch, Pearson-Prentice Hall, ISBN #0-13-570425-1 Freakonomics: A Rouge Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Harper Collins, ISBN#0-06-073132-X ✓ University Communication with Students All email communication from the University is sent to the student’s wsu.edu address. Please be sure that you have set up the link to forward your personal email address (aol, hotmail, etc.) or you will miss announcements and information that is very important to you. This is the email I use to contact you regarding class matters. If you change your email address, be sure to update again. ✓ Catalog Course Description with Prerequisitites 3credits: Managerial evaluation of budgeting, cost accounting, and financial analysis techniques; their utilization in control of operations. (pre-requisite acctg 550 or equivalent). Please note that pre-requisites are strictly enforced and that students will be disenrolled if they do not have course pre-requisites). ✓ Instructor Course Objectives Knowledge and Skill Expectations: Students should have the knowledge and skill level to record economic events, read and analyze financial information through the topic areas covered...
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...Title Page Course – MKTG 6300 Fall 2007 Service Marketing Student Name: Maria E. Kobayashi Individual Case Analysis Individual Case Summary: Ritz – Carlton Hotels 1. Key issues Ritz – Carlton (RC) wants to be perceived as the premier luxury hotel, with differentiated and personalized service, high levels of guest retention and guest recovery rates, and low levels of service defect incidence. The group wants to achieve this goal by optimizing the balance between human relationships and the systems. Nevertheless, the systems and databases RC had in place at the time of the case do not deliver the level of information needed to reach their objective. Moreover, they do not allow for smooth interaction with the RC team, who are able to gather highly valuable information regarding customers’ preferences, dislikes, or potential problems experimented by the guests. 2. Recommendations First of all, the Encore system should be modified to include real-time updating of customers’ preferences and of potential problems the guests might have experimented during their stay. This should be standardized across all RC properties. Guest categorization should also be standardized and input into the system. This system should be available in a user-friendly way to any member of the RC staff in convenient locations. It should also include a common defect reporting module with the functionality to cross data between different locations. After all these processes...
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...In the case, a man who goes by the name Moto is sent to Chicago to do business. Here his “responsibility was to hire a contracting company and check on the pricing details.” He works for an auto parts supplier, KKD, who had been researching American contracting companies for the past year and a half. They decided to use Allmack due to it having the best track record. Moto went to meet with a man who worked for the company and was shocked by his rudeness and unprofessional manner. He wasn’t prepared for this and had no idea what to think of it. Also, he was not so used to moving so quickly and rushing around. In America, people are very fast passed and try to get things done as quickly as possible. He presented Mr. Crowell with a gift and he just stated that his daughter would love it. When Crowell said this, Moto should have gone in to a discussion explaining what the dolls meant and the importance of them. This way he could have shown Crowell the value in the gift he was giving him and he would have taken back the comment about his daughter loving them. Throughout the case there are many differences that Moto is shocked by. One of these is the fact that he is used to being called by his last name. He was surprised when Crowell asked for his first name and began calling him by that instead. Also, he wanted proof that the Allmack group was actually as good as they say they are. He asked for records and one of the workers got offended and was wondering why he did not trust them...
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...to time to write a good CAR. So, once you “get” the Big Picture of the Case, and recognize the major analysis elements (focal system(s), main problem/Alternatives, etc.): o focus on analyzing those Alternatives and coming up with some significant Findings, and especially Recommendations. o As your analysis results “solidify,” focus more and more on Writing a Good CAR and submitting by the Due Date! • Cases can contain more than 1 major “track” for their analysis, allowing for alternative versions of a CAR. So, do NOT simply imitate this Example CAR blindly for its “specific content.” Worse, DO NOT simply copy any of its parts. • Instead, use this Example CAR by way of “Reverse Engineering:” See how its contents arise logically if our Case Analysis Method (Guide) is applied to the Case. This will help you understand how our analysis method works! Then, use the same general analysis method (actually, the Approach) on the Case assigned for your CAR. • Don’t just imitate the pattern of alternative found here! Analyse and find out what alternatives make most sense in the particular Case you are working on. • No Case contains ALL the facts you want to know for its analysis. So, when analyzing Cases, be pragmatic! Do not worry about any facts beyond the Case (unless specifically instructed). Instead, conduct the “best possible” analysis using available Case-facts. • Leave Enough Time to Write a GOOD REPORT based on your...
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...discussing “case” materials in light of theoretical arguments advanced in “readings.” Case materials include standard Harvard Business School cases, book chapters about individuals (Robert Moses and Henry Kissinger), corporations (e.g., Lehman Brothers and Time Warner), and industries (e.g., the auto industry), and in-class videos (e.g., a “Bill Moyer’s Journal” segment on David Rockefeller). COURSE REQUIREMENTS Final course grades will be based on student performance on three written assignments and on student participation in class discussions. Written Assignments. Each student will be expected to submit two individual case analyses that indicate what the student learned from reading and discussing the case in question. The case analyses should be one single spaced typewritten page long and should be submitted the week after the case that they address is discussed in class. Individual case analyses will be graded on a scale from 1-3 and together will comprise 10% of a student’s final grade. Each student should also form a group with three to four other students to complete a case study of a real organization. The research for this case study can be carried out using primary sources (e.g., participation observation and/or interviews) or secondary sources (e.g., books, articles, or prepared cases about a target organization). Thus, group members need not have worked in an organization to use it as the subject of their final case analysis. Other case analysis topics...
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...ZhiQing | Student ID No.: | 22012511 | Unit Code & Name: | MNG91002 | Campus: | MDIS | Tutor’s Name: | Frankie-Lim | Assignment No: | 1 | Assignment Title: | Case Analysis Research – Striving for Best Academic Practice | Word Count: | 1193 | Due Date: | 21 Apr 2014 | Date submitted: | 20 Apr 2014 | Declaration: I declare that this assignment is my own original work and has not been submitted for assessment elsewhere. I acknowledge and irrevocably agree that the assessor of this assignment may, for the purpose of assessing this assignment: * Reproduce this assignment and provide a copy to another member of faculty for review and comment, including whether the work is an original work; and/or * Provide a copy of this assignment to a plagiarism checking service for review so that it may determine whether the assignment is an original work. The checking service may retain a copy of the assignment on its database for the purpose of future plagiarism checking. I have read and understand the Rules relating to Awards (Rule 3.17) as contained in the University Handbook. I understand the penalties that apply for plagiarism and agree to be bound by these rules. CHEN ZHIQING 20 Apr 2014 Signature (please type) Date Tutor's comments: Paper Title: Case Analysis Research –...
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...Northco Case Analysis Johannes Röder, 154BB14B 1. How should Michaels think about the costs of over and under-stocking? Identify the elements of over and under-stocking cost in this case. These two cost factors result from the lack of the ability to match supply with demand. The costs of overstocking depict the cost per unit that arise if actual demand is lower than the expected one. In this particular case the elements of overstocking are the orders of customers in advance without payment, the obsolescence of the goods owing to seasonally and frequently changing trends, the large number of variants and variety in fabrics as well as the requirement to order in considerable quantities. The costs of understocking show the loss of profit per unit if actual demand is higher than the quantity ordered. The components of understocking are the significant variation and the high uncertainty in demand, which lead to difficulties with the forecasts in the beginning of the season. Moreover, the fitting processes and managerial actions to avoid leftover inventory are influencing the understock. The shortcomings in delivery are substantially important in this special case, since the failure for one product could result in the loss of a whole account. With a relatively small customer base of 91 schools as well as the two largest clients representing 14 percent of the sales a loss of a customer would result in sharp decrease in profits. In addition, the defect of a...
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...Connor Ferguson Admin 351 Jo-anne Goodpipe January 29, 2016 Full Case Analysis of Hallington Utilities Services Company Case Analysis: Case overview 1. Summary of the situation Hallington Utilities Services is first introduced as a utility that distributes electrical power to customers in the municipality of Hallington. In the mid-1990s, the Ontario government decided it should move to deregulate the electrical power market because residents and businesses in Ontario were drastically overpaying for services and were considered the third-highest electricity generation rates in Canada, with no choice of suppliers. HUS was reorganized. It now responded to a Board of Directors. This Board adopted the vision: Excellence in customer service with competitive electricity rates and knowledge of power that is 1st class, which meant focus, was now going to be mainly on providing second to none customer service in attempt to please the public. After this shift there became the growing concern that HUS would face major restructuring and reorientation challenges Hallington employees were beginning to be concerned about their future within the organization. With this growing uncertainty, employee’s morale can be greatly affected. After this introduction about what HUS was and the new regulations facing the company, the case shifts focus on to the human resource specialist, Marion Forbes. Forbes starts by meeting with CEO J. Swatridge. He highlighted three major concerns that have...
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...handle the numbers in case analyses. It contains hints and tips to guide such analyses, and it is intended for all functional areas of business analysis. The hints and tips range from the conceptual to the practical, from the complex to the blatantly obvious. The note's underlying philosophy is that, in case analysis, it is not true that there are people who are good at numbers and people who are bad at numbers. Ability to do numbers is not innate; it's all a matter of approach. How you attack numbers is what counts. There are good numbers habits and bad numbers habits. This note has been written to help the reader develop good numbers habits. Part One: The Essentials • Take it slowly: more haste, less speed. • Never pick up your calculator until you know why you are doing a calculation— what you intend to do with the result, how you plan to interpret it. • Always seek a reaction to the calculation's result by asking questions such as: What does this mean? What does it imply? Am I surprised? Is it good, bad, or indifferent? • One useful trick is to guess at the answer before you perform the calculation. Then, when you do it, you can see whether you are surprised or not. If you are surprised, you have found something to think about. Is your intuition just off, or is the result sending you a message? Either way you benefit: you make progress with the case and/or you train your business intuition. • In the final analysis (pun intended), calculations...
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...Ateneo de Davao University School of Business and Governance Entrepreneurship Department Progressive Insurance: A Case Study Submitted to: Mr. Rey Navacilla Submitted by: John Paul Dela Vega Jose Antonio Kintanar Clarence Mitchell Sy Dayle Lois Tulang John Way Keith Medina Table of Contents I. Introduction…………………………………………………..…… II. Statement of the Problem…………………………………..…... III. Objectives of the Case Study………………………………..…. IV. Methodologies and Approaches…………………………….… V. Analysis of the Case a. Qualitative Tool: Fishbone Diagram………….…. b. Quantitative Tool: Decision Tree Analysis……. VI. Alternative Courses of Action (ACAs) c. Alternative Course 1……………………………..… d. Alternative Course 2……………………………….. e. Alternative Course 3……………………………..… VII. Significant Findings…………………………………………….. f. Positive Findings…………………………………… g. Negative Findings………………………………….. VIII. Recommendations…………………………………………….... IX. Conclusions……………………………………………………… I. Introduction Progressive Insurance, an automobile insurer company, which is based in Mayfield Village, Ohio. On the year of 1991 Progressive Insurance had approximately $1.3 Billion in their sales. When the year of 2006 came that $1.3 Billion in sales suddenly became $14.5 Billion. What did they do to make this figures increase so high? Nothing. For 15 years Progressive insurance just did little advertising...
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