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Early in 2008, Tony Truesdale, President of the Vitamin Shoppe, was preparing for a meeting with the company's investment bankers. In particular, he was wrestling with supply chain issues that were becoming increasingly pronounced in light of the company's aggressive growth plan. Truesdale recognized that it was nearly impossible to effectively manage the company's large and fragmented supply base, resulting in higher than necessary costs and lower than desired performance. The company also relied too heavily on one supplier for a significant amount of the company's volume. Truesdale recognized that it was nearly impossible to effectively manage the company's large and fragmented supply base, resulting in higher than necessary costs and lower than desired performance. The company also relied too heavily on one supplier for a significant amount of the company's volume.

Further, in the company's single distribution center, 95 percent of the available storage capacity was utilized throughout most of 2007; well above what was considered optimal. The lack of space was driving excessive product handling and increasing operating expenses. The company's inbound and outbound transportation strategies also contributed to inefficiencies and unnecessary costs. Operating efficiencies could be achieved if all transportation needs were brought together under one strategic umbrella. Truesdale was certain that in order to reach the company's growth targets and maintain its competitive advantage, addressing these supply chain issues was critical. Students are asked to describe the specific issues affecting supply chain performance and recommend approaches to solving the problems

This case is intended for use in a course on supply chain management.

The study is applicable to MBA or executive MBA programme.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) is an Indian non-governmental organisation which provides free mid-day meals to students in government schools. This case revolves around one of its kitchen facility (TAPF Bhilai) located in Bhilai in the Chhattisgarh province of India. TAPF Bhilai is about to witness a significant increase in the number of students to cater for. The Unit President, Vyomapada Das, is determined to ensure that there is no compromise in the standards of service in terms of quality and hygiene of meals in the wake of present expansions. As such, he recognizes that addressing a social cause brings additional responsibilities to them towards ensuring superior quality meals. He thereby lays a special emphasis upon the role of purchasing and supply in facilitating the scale expansion.

This case intends to demonstrate the process of managing, purchasing and supply for a socially responsible supply chain. Students must be able to appreciate the challenges associated with such a system. By applying the key theoretical concept of the social capital theory, they must also understand the nature of managerial responses inherent in these challenges.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.

Entrepreneurship, Corporate sustainability, CSR, Supply chain.

Master's courses: Entrepreneurship, Strategic management.

In 2002, potential risks deriving from emerging normative demands in the CSR debate prompted Axel Springer (AS) to rethink their supply chain strategy for Russian wood. Being one of the first movers in CSR in the publishing business, AS realized that current practices could spark future public discussion that might put pressure on AS, a key player in these supply chains. In early 2002, AS and one of their main suppliers, Stora Enso, started a joint initiative to redesign the supply chain processes in two of the major Russian logging regions to improve their social and ecological performance. Sometime later, other major players in the publishing sector as well as critical reviewers from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were invited to participate in the design of the new voluntary sustainability initiative called “Tikhvin Chalna project”, the second phase of which was accomplished by the end of 2006.

Learn that organizations (specifically high-brand owners) are responsible for practices within their entire supply chains (social as well as environmental performance).

Explore proactive corporate sustainability, CSR strategies are market but also institutional driven; Strategizing involves forming and transforming the rules, norms and standard models of customers as well as institutions such as NGOs or governmental bodies. Whether the initiator of such strategy is successful in increasing or manipulating demands is dependent on its resources and capabilities as well as on its network position. The case supports students in understanding resources being used to successfully transform or create institutional arrangements.

Discover that the value of a business' relationships and its network position.

Teaching note, Video files

As an Internet fashion brand, HSTYLE has developed into an Internet enterprise with annual sales of 1.5 billion RMB within 10 years, establishing its position as the top industry performer in China. This case studies HSTYLES' innovation in business model and organizational management. HSTYLE's workgroups have achieved the balance of responsibilities and rights in a small team of three members at minimum, while mobilizing the enthusiasm and initiative of the line managers with the support of public service sector. At the same time, HSTYLE enriches its brand style, establishes a fashion cloud platform, and integrates individual and organizational consumers into its existing fashion design, manufacturing and sales system.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand ABC analysis and develop a systematic approach using PDCA, analyze processes, technology, employee training and supplier relationships when analyzing shrink and developing solutions, evaluate how technology improves production inventory control and visibility and recognize the importance of fostering a culture of employee accountability and ownership to minimize inventory loss and improve overall operational efficiency.

On June 2, 2023, sitting in his office in Karachi, Pakistan, Khan Aamir, the manager of store and inventory at Euro Manufacturing, found himself immersed in a cloud of confusion. The incessant loss of inventory items, particularly the nut bolts and small accessories, had become a perplexing challenge. To address these losses and provide a cycle count report to the director of supply chain, Aamir, manager of store and inventory, was given the responsibility to take action. He was looking for a comprehensive approach to address the current problems and prevent further losses in the future. This case study examines the various reasons for the losses, including theft, inadequate inventory control methods, human error and problems with suppliers. It highlights the importance of established procedures, the use of technology (such as barcode scanning, radio-frequency identification tagging and inventory management software) and the cultivation of a culture of accountability among employees.

This case study is developed for class discussion in the course of operations management or supply chain management. This case study is suitable for use with undergrad students. This case study can be taught in a module on operations management or supply chain management, as part of a broader course in business management or industrial engineering.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS: 9: Operations and logistics.

The case of Bertelsmann China: Supply Chain for Books (A) focuses on one the world's leading media companies to illustrate a widespread problem in the supply chain strategy in extremely fast growing markets. Students learn about the basic challenges of supply chain strategy in an international context. The case covers important fields of management theory. Supply chain designs well as cost and performance drivers are revised by the use of frameworks.

Information management, IS alignment.

Undergraduate.

The case examines the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in one of Egypt’s top mobile service providers, through closely analyzing their systems, the way they work and how technology could be optimized to provide greater benefit and value to support an organization’s business goals. The main objective of the case was to identify business problems that information systems have managed to solve as well as grab a potential opportunity that the organization can or have captured. The main contribution of this case is to emphasize and provide real case application on information management concepts and theories related to Information Systems Alignment (IS Alignment), business value from IS adoption, IS implementation issues and information and process integration.

This case was written to present a practical example about the strategic use of ICT within a specific organizational context. It enables students to apply some theoretical concepts studied in information management courses (such as IS alignment – or strategic alignment –, IS assessment and IS implementation) on a real-case study. In particular, teaching this case aims to realize a number of learning objectives: understand telecom industry and acquire an overview about its environment and the challenges it faces in general and within a developing context in particular; identify the different technologies used by telecom companies; develop a business strategy based on a thorough analysis of an organization’s internal business operations as well as its external environment; and learn how to align IT use with organizational strategies and analyze critically both its tangible and intangible added values.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 11: Strategy.

This case looks at a recent shift in the way organizations look to leverage the benefits from India as a cost-effective destination to provide services. What started, around 15 years back, as an activity to outsource all non-core activities to Indian companies to take the advantage of cost-effective resources, has now given way to a new model where the focus is on two key aspects, namely, “insourcing of work” and “transfer of core activities to India”. This is because of the realization that outsourcing may be a short-term solution for non-core activities; however, to build a sustainable capability that is both cost-effective and value-oriented, insourcing is key. Also, it is not just non-core activities that can be supported remotely; many core activities that have been managed by on-shore teams are increasingly being shifted to India to leverage the depth of skills available in the country. First Telecom has undertaken pioneering work in this domain by moving some of the critical functions to India and has created Centers of Excellence (CoEs) providing niche services to rest of the world.

Target audience includes corporate executives, students of MBA/postgraduate program in management in strategic management and/or workshops for understanding the concept of insourcing, cost transformation, business environment analysis and growth strategies for future.

First Telecom has adopted what could be termed as “India 2.0” as the strategy to transform their operations worldwide to utilize the full potential of “India” as a service sector-outsourcing destination. The focus is not only on cost-avoidance but also on standardization of processes and mobilization of resources in a CoE setting to maximize the benefits. This case attempts to understand the way to go about it and the expected returns in a quantifiable manner.

To develop an understanding of business environment in the context of large multinational organizations that are constantly evolving to improve their operational excellence. Also, to develop an understanding of the outsourcing market and how companies are looking to move their core services to cost-effective locations to achieve the next phase of cost transformation after the outsourcing (non-core services) wave.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance

Critical analysis of observed practice.

Field study.

To expose accounting and MBA students to Lean management and the performance measures that support Lean management by presenting a case of a comprehensive and very successful Lean transformation; to give accounting and MBA students the opportunity to construct a strategy map and a balanced scorecard based on a rich case description; and to critically assess the suitability of balanced scorecards for a company that embraces Lean management.

The case describes a comprehensive transformation from conventional management to Lean management and business practices, with an emphasis on the largely non-financial performance measures used to support the transformation. Around the time of the Lean transformation, the balanced scorecard, a multi-dimensional measurement approach, was introduced to address the problems of excessive reliance on financial performance measures. Students are asked to compare and contrast Wiremold’s approach to the balanced scorecard.

Graduate or upper level undergraduate courses in cost accounting, managerial accounting and strategic management.

Sustainable development; business, government, and society.

The case is designed to be taught to students at MBA and MA level.

In February 2009, Justin Smith, manager of the good business journey at Woolworths, a leading South African department store, was a worried man. Woolworths had launched its five-year sustainability strategy just under two years before. After undertaking an impact assessment, Smith was concerned that the original targets – which covered transformation, social development, the environment and climate change – had been set without a clear understanding of exactly what it would take to achieve them. Woolworths had recently identified ten key risk areas that impacted on the achievement of its original goals. If the sustainability goals were not reached, Woolworths could lose credibility among its shareholders, staff, and consumers. What did Woolworths need to do to ensure that it achieved its sustainability goals? And had the company been too ambitious in the targets it had set initially, he wondered?

To examine the differences, if any, between sustainable development in South Africa and other developing nations and sustainable development in developed nations; to impart an understanding of sustainability in its broadest sense; to investigate the challenges in implementing sustainability strategies in business; to look at ways of measuring the success of sustainability strategies; and to explore whether and how sustainability strategies should differ across industry sectors and across companies.

Teaching notes.