Case questions for the case to be presented:
Genentech
What are the order winners/competitive dimensions for Genentech?
Evaluate various capacity expansion and location options faced by Genentech in the
light of uncertainties (and associated risks) involved with the future demand of
Avastin. Assess options w.r.t. size, location and timing of expansion.
Compare other options too, such as outsourcing production, re-engineering of
exiting production process and yield improvement.
If Genentech decides to go for CCP3, is there a way to mitigate potential risk
associated with it?
Pagoda Enterprises: Challenges of a Small Engineering Firm
What are the strategic imperatives for Pagoda?
What capacity investment and location option should Pagoda select and why? How
will it support its strategy?
What other operations challenges should Pagoda address and how? What is the link
of those challenges with strategy?
What are the lessons for operations strategy of SMEs?
National Automobiles (Mahindra & Mahindra)
Should BPR necessarily precede ERP implementation? Why?
Analyse NAC’s BPR design and implementation in the context of changing
competitive scenario in the Indian automotive sector and changing market needs in
the 1990s and beyond. Did the changes implemented by NAC make strategic sense?
If possible, try to gather more information on the major changes Mahindra has
undertaken post 2000 and comment on their fit with strategy.
V F Brands:
How have the product portfolio and markets of V F Brands changed historically as
the company grew? How has it impacted V F Brands’ strategic objectives?
How has V F Brands been meeting the market requirements of Heritage brands and
Lifestyles brands? What kind of supply chain, production and procurement strategies
has it pursued?
What are the main problems it is facing? What are the possible causes?
What is the “Third Way” sourcing? Will it help V F Brands get over its problems?
Could it provide a strategic advantage? How?
BMW: The 7-Series Project
What was BMW’s core market? What were its differentiators and how was it
competing before? How was its product design & development process organised?
What triggered BMW’s management to consider the need for change in its product
design & development process? How was the proposed development process
different from the older one?
Would you recommend change towards the newly proposed development process?
What would determine its success?
Boeing 787: Manufacturing a Dream
Assess the new global partnership model and collaborative product development
strategy of Boeing involving distributed engineering and manufacturing? What
worked and what didn’t? Did it make strategic sense?
What could Boeing do to recover from the failures?
Respond to the challenges faced as mentioned towards the end of the case.
Apple Inc. in 2023
What, historically, have been Apple’s competitive advantages and core
competencies? What has driven consumers’ willingness to pay?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Apple’s walled garden system?
At what stage of the industry lifecycle would you place smartphones? How
sustainable is Apple’s competitive position in smartphone? Will the iPhone remain as
profitable in 5-7 years as it was in 2023?
Apple is pivoting from a more product-oriented company (iPod, iPad, iPhone, Apple
Watch, Air Pods) to a more service-oriented company. Why? What are the
challenges and opportunities with this pivot?
As Tim Cook, would you continue to invest aggressively in services and/or make big
bets on Vision Pro and autonomous cars? What are the pros and cons? What can be
done to extend Apple’s competitive advantage?
Benihana of Tokyo
What is Benihana’s marketing concept? What is it trying to create for the customer?
Compare Benihana with a conventional sit-down, table-service restaurant. Does
Benihana’s cost structure improve its profitability?
In what way does operating system and process flow at Benihana contribute to its
efficiency and cost structure?
Innovation at Progressive (A): Pay as You Go Insurance
How does Progressive compete and what are its core value propositions for
customers?
How does Progressive's performance as an auto insurer compare to that of typical
insurance companies? How has its performance changed over time? What explains
the difference in performance?
Customers of auto insurers are very price sensitive. How problematic is it to
Progressive that customers almost always select the insurer that offers the best
price?
Assess the viability of the Autograph system. What level of consumer acceptance will
it take to make Autograph successful? What are the barriers to consumer
acceptance? Should Autograph be expanded nationwide?
Komatsu Smart Construction
· What is Komatsu’s ‘Smart Construction’ business model? Who are the potential
users of this model/platform besides Komatsu? What are the potential benefits for
each user (including Komatsu)?
· Should Komatsu commit to the investment required to advance ‘Smart
Construction’? Is the potential value worthwhile?
· Why is there resistance to the adoption of ‘Smart Construction’ inside and outside
the company? What can be done overcome these obstacles?
· What should Komatsu do accelerate the acceptance of ‘Smart Construction’ and
increase the likelihood of its success? What new capabilities should be
built/enhanced in R&D, operations, and customer service?
