Leadership Cases
Coordinating a Role Transition
Abstract
A role transition is a stressful time for all stakeholders. It must be managed to make sure that the person who is selected to make the transition is successful. Of course, having a good fit is a good starting point. In this case, there are difficulties at EcoElectric because operations and R&D are not effectively working together. Technology can help to reduce operational costs but only if the technology works. The company decided to commit to a set of technologies to help reduce cost and now they needed someone to use what had been assembled or built. A candidate was chosen and now the transition into the role needed to be executed. This case considers role transition theory and gives the learner the opportunity to compare the theory against an actual scenario. Technology transfer from R&D to operations is complex and should not be underestimated in terms of the effort needed for full deployment. Several challenges must be overcome for an organization to realize the benefit of technology investments.
Employee Onboarding: Optimizing the First Impression
Abstract
Employees get their first impression of a company when they come on board. This is a chance for the organization to back up their words about excellent performance. Conversely, if a company says that they are all about excellence and then the onboarding process is poorly organized and executed, then the contradiction between words and actions becomes clear. Trust is in jeopardy between the employee and the organization. Onboarding gives any hiring organization the opportunity to show that they are exceptional and that they hired you because you are also. Without going into detail, the cost of mediocrity is very high while the cost of excellence has a positive return on investment. Excellence eliminates the costs associated with waste. There is significant waste in onboarding processes. An employee that cannot function on ‘Day 1’ is keeping the company from the revenue that they were going to produce per day multiplied by the number of days that it takes to become productive. Furthermore, the learning curve is expedited if the new employee doesn’t have to worry about onboarding tasks.
Evolution in Hospitality to Scale Hotel Properties
Abstract
Hotels have evolved since the sixties. Chains have sprung up and had significant success while others have died off. New challenges have now emerged that may rock the foundation of hotels and motels as we know them. Technology has made it possible to stay at a house for the price of a motel room. This transaction can happen without seeing an attendant. While hotels are not the same as private houses, something can be learned from the drain of hotel customers in favor of more automated solutions. Technology needs to increasingly be considered as competitors become strong by enhancing the experience of their guests. Premier Stay Hotels is challenged with upgrading their properties and moving into new boutique-style properties that penetrate new markets. The Chief Strategy Officer uses McKinsey’s 7-Step change plan to enhance the health and future outlook of the company.
Future-Proofing Talent Through Enhancement and Replacement
Abstract
Combining technology with customer service can be a challenge for a staff to transition to. A culture of service can be enhanced by supplying the tools that hotel functions can use to provide fast excellent service to guests. Some staff may be able to make the transition while other staff may not be able to absorb the changes. This case discusses a scenario and some tools to help decide how to optimize staff while making a significant transition enabled by technology. The technology will need to be embraced and leveraged. In any transition, there is some staff that will not want to come along. It may be better for them not to be with an organization that embraces technology to enhance and achieve service excellence.
Going Global with Crypto Currency and Fintech
Abstract
USBC wanted to take their technology into several key countries to expand their market, increase their profits, and help their executive team adjust to working with different cultures. In order to expand their product lines in these countries, they needed to set up locations in each of three countries. The executive management team needed to adapt their leadership styles to the cultural values of the countries that would make the expansion of USBC’s portfolio possible. The products offered also needed to fit the needs and the cultural norms of their prospective new customers. While cryptocurrencies are a bit of a novelty at the moment, USBC wanted to use their advanced portfolio and their fintech as a differentiator allowing for penetration into these somewhat mature and saturated markets. They had to be different in order to attract a clientele that could make their profits increase significantly. It was their intent to use this expansion model as a penetration strategy for other emerging economies.
Hardening Processes for Growth: Regional Airways
Abstract
The economic indicators suggest that people will have more disposable income over the next four years than they had previously. This will result in more air travel. While there will be an increase in business travel, there will also be an increase in leisure travel. Business travelers are less reactive to price fluctuations than leisure travelers are. Regional Airways (RA) is poised to take advantage of these current trends by focusing on pre-flight and in-flight technologies. RA will add to their destinations popular and trending vacation locations in Canada and Central America.
Leveraging Organizational Performance for Growth
Abstract
Movie Trailer Services (MTS) was in an industry that required significant growth rates and market share to be successful. Fast growth rates increased cash flow. Market share helped to stabilize pricing. A number of functions occur in the trailer supply chain. In order for MTS to double their throughput, some cultural and functional elements would need to change. There are interdependencies between business units that are strengthened when synergies are recognized and exploited. Strategically, a system that is appropriately designed, implemented, and updated at a suitable cadence is critical for the realization of growth. Supply chain systems, when appropriately deployed and utilized enhance organizational performance and efficacy in the eyes of their clients. Further to this, economies of scale can exploit synergistic attributes found in supply chain-oriented companies to reduce costs. This is accomplished when a system is appropriately designed, transparent, and available. In this case, the owner provides a recalibration strategy for the employees to achieve the expected growth. This growth will help the company to invest in itself and stabilize prices.
Recalibrating the Growth Profile of an E-learning Company
Abstract
WisdoMedia was absorbing work from other clients. With this rapid growth, there was a need to recalibrate. Three clients that were quite upset with the service levels from WisdoMedia were consulted to help improve its performance. Using high-end visual effects, WisdoMedia will solidify its position in the corporate e-learning industry. For this to happen they had to solicit and receive feedback. Furthermore, they had to respond to the feedback and make their most unhappy clients satisfied with the changes that were made. This transformational event would mature and strengthen WisdoMedia’s position in their market.
Rental Car Congestion Mitigation
Abstract
Another branch was opened, and Easy Rent-a-Car was in business again in a new location. Fred, the site manager, was overseeing the branch and it was chaotic. This site office was placed in a town outside of a large city and there were many hotels in the area. This was also a great place for distribution centers and their suppliers as several critical interstate highways cross paths nearby. The universities in the area contributed to the workforce. Each of these aspects of the location would be driving up rental revenues. This branch might be the fastest growing site in the company. If Fred could manage the growth, he had a great chance of being the model site. He had an entrepreneurial spirit and was given some leeway to figure out how to handle the growth. This case reveals the tactical actions he took to increase productivity and manage the growth.
Resisting Caffeine is Futile at StarCafé
Abstract
Star Burger is one of the largest foodservice providers and quick-service restaurants on the planet. As competitors have risen and consumer preferences continue to shift, Star Burger is faced with the dilemma of how to maintain and grow its market share. As modern customers increasingly demand more personalized options, as well as health-conscious options, upper management must adapt the product offering to reflect these trends, as well as increase the quality of ingredients. Star Burger introduced the concept of the StarCafé. These developments represented a significant shift in the way Star Burger has operated. The training and development initiatives and their execution are of paramount importance. A critical aspect of the deployment plan is to understand resistance. Consequently, one of the best offensive strategies an organization being changed can develop is a resistance mitigation plan to help minimize the potential losses caused by unintended consequences or lost revenue due to an inability of the company to adapt.
Scanning the Mexican Food Business Environment
Abstract
MMG was a leading Mexican-style restaurant with big plans to expand worldwide. Mexican food is popular in many countries, it is easy to make, and it has healthy ingredients. The founder of MMG, Steve Martinez, started as a food stand owner near a manufacturing center. The company grew into an international organization with restaurants in many countries. It was time now to grow the company and saturate markets that did not have access to Steve’s cuisine. The founder decided to use environmental scans to help them with their strategic planning. The information from the scans exposed risks and opportunities. This was valuable information as decision-makers were deciding in which countries expansions should take place.
Segregating Operations, QC, and Client Services to Make Grass
Abstract
A sod farm transformed itself into an international turf manufacturing company. One thing led to another as the business environment and sod environment changed. With the growth came iterations of change in the organizational design. The envisioned design had clear lines and the segregation of duties. Even so, the current design had evolved to something that was sloppy and hard to manage. Stakeholders were not sure to whom they should go if they had a suggestion or a struggle. STL decided to increase its ability to be profitable by implementing a clear organizational design. The result was improved performance and reliability. STL was better able to grow and keep its promises.
The Geographic Expansion of Joe’s Supermarket
Abstract
Joe’s Supermarket is about to expand into Asian and South American markets. They want to expand by 400 stores in the next year. To accomplish this, they will start by changing the organizational structure to include geographic divisions. These divisions will duplicate the functions that already exist and report to the CEO. This redundant functional design will need to maintain a synchronized stance with the legacy functions. For example, the HR function in the Asian division will need to stay coordinated with the existing HR function. The same applies to finance and operations to avoid billing issues and to make sure that operational best practices are maintained. Joe’s Supermarket will need to make sure that the affected staff is ready to make this change before actually executing the change.
Best in Class Body Armor Production
Abstract
Motorcycles have been a source of fun and adventure for many years. More so lately as sales have been increasing. Injuries from impact and sliding during accidents are an increased concern. Birota, Inc. has decided to move towards selling body armor as a core competency. This has led the company to focus on an aspect of safety through performance, quality, and a quick turnaround time on orders to penetrate the safety product market. This will likely lead to other opportunities as brand equity is established through a synergized product line. This case discusses the product portfolio and penetration drivers for the growth of a company that had been languishing in the status quo.
Intelligent Marketing using a Demand Side Platform
Abstract
Millions of pets are lost every year. Some of these pets show up later in shelters in need of someone to adopt them. This noble cause was linked to products to care for pets on a platform created by a pet food company. The company used a platform to bid for ads across many channels to attract possible adopters of pets. The platform manages the bidding for the ads thereby controlling the advertising budget, but it also connected new pet owners with products that their pets need. The idea of the Demand Side Platform is discussed in light of this marketing strategy.
Acquiring a Pharmaceuticals Company to Improve Brand Strength
Abstract
Nakakuma Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. is a pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Asia. However, in the last year, they became the target for some lawsuits that have started to influence revenue trends in some territories. Nakakuma plans on increasing its brand image by purchasing a small company that has a mature drug pipeline and rigorous processes. Their brand equity is strong. Nakakuma hopes that the acquisition will turn into a positive reflection for the consolidated enterprise while providing for expanded market share. The clash of company cultures is listed as a significant part of the integration-related risk assessment. Nakakuma wants to reset the culture, base the new culture on a new set of values, and promote process rigor. The expectation is that the acquisition will be the catalyst for changes that are needed.
Logistics to a Large Group of Music Stores
Abstract
The current marketplace has competing variable sensitivities including product volume, volatility, and price. This sensitivity creates tension in the supply chain and makes success incumbent upon knowledge of pipeline requirements along the supply chain from marketing to raw materials requirements. A supplier to a chain of stores was able to manage their relationship by constantly evaluating their pipeline design. Profitability throughout the supply chain was sustained, as pricing for products with predictable forecasting was sourced with lower costs. Products that had poor forecasting accuracy were locally sourced using agile vendors with burst capacity. This case discusses how a supplier, which was a distributor of materials for a chain of music stores, was careful to avoid revenue cannibalization. Stockouts are the ultimate mistake, however, transparency throughout the supply chain enabled the flow of product at a pace that matched the appetite of the market that the chain of stores served.
Tracking Children to Stop Trafficking
Abstract
TreckID was a company with a mission. Their CEO had recently visited and become aware of human trafficking and wanted to make an impact at home and abroad. This case discusses how a product development team used product development and manufacturing methods to launch a product that was robust against the need and reliable not to fail. It was possible that this product will only be needed once. When the time comes, it will need to perform. Design for Manufacturability and Assembly is used to optimize both the reliability and the cost of manufacturing the product. A multi-disciplined design team was organized to launch this product with a purpose.
Competing to Reduce Congestion through Ridesharing
Abstract
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) has become more crucial with the megatrend of urbanization and the increase in economic activity around urban centers. Some smaller towns have grown without increasing the ability of their infrastructure to accommodate the increase in traffic. Employees and employers can benefit from enterprise-based ridesharing. How can this work? This case describes a company that developed an enterprise rideshare platform that benefitted all stakeholders. The results of the platform were a competitive advantage in a more crowded market. Rideshare solution providers are emerging with new services that are designed to accommodate niche markets.
Using a Structured One-on-One to Achieve Execution Goals
Abstract
The business environment was continuously changing, and Satuchi Company wanted to expand into domestic markets. A new plant was built and went through ‘shakedown’. Leadership stayed focused by using an accountability tool. This tool also enabled accurate information while getting feedback from direct reports. While the agenda’s critical items were driven by top-down methods, other critical items were discovered during bottom-up, or support-based conversations. The plan was a success because all of the leaders were aligned on the goals. This coordination and cooperation helped make sure that employees were listened to and cared for when there was potential for promotion. By keeping the talent at the facility, the plant was able to retain talent and encourage performance by promoting from within. In this case, the one-on-one activity that Satuchi used is shown and explained.
Access: Leveraging Biometrics and a Requirements Register
Abstract
The use of biometrics for access controls is becoming more of a reality. The advancement of this technology offers the opportunity to enhance access controls by using personal information far beyond the capabilities of passwords. AxEs, Inc. has a development plan driven by the Business Development department to meet their customer’s needs using biometric controls. To exploit the revenue opportunities the development team will need to supply the products that their customers are asking for promptly at a suitable cost. The leadership team has installed a steering committee to make sure that development resources are being used wisely. The steering committee will also make sure that all of the products being developed are in alignment with the company’s goals and values.
Recruiting Leaders to Grow an Automobile Company
Abstract
A vintage car company wanted to expand its market share and become cash-flow positive. To do this they would have to change their organization’s design and include several Vice Presidents as part of the structure. Mr. Martin was not able to grow the company that manufactures handmade automobiles with a new strategy. The new strategy includes setting up new marketing channels and implementing automation that reduces cost. This case discusses the critical attributes of the company and describes a talent acquisition strategy that will allow the company to expand significantly.
