Informing Panasonic
CASE STUDY – INFORMING PANASONIC
1. From the information supplied in the case, identify three information needs of Panasonic as an organization and explain why this information would be important to managerial decision – making at the company.
Three information needs of Panasonic
• Has the ability to create, store, share and analyze data about products, customers and suppliers in ways that were not even feasible just a few decades ago.
• It had developed numerous duplicative, inconsistent and incomplete records stored in multiple isolated databases across the enterprise
• It also prevented the company from making timely decisions, which diminished Panasonic’s flexibility and agility.
Importance of information to managerial decision making
• Helps in making effective problem – solving decisions
2. Explain how the new information system benefits both Panasonic and its various stakeholders.
• Panasonic was able to save millions of dollars per year
• Improves Panasonic’s time – to- time market
• Reduces the time required to bring a product to market from 6 months to 1 month
• Reduces the amount of time required for creating and maintaining product information by 50 per cent
• It allowed Panasonic to move away from it’s “push” inventory model, towards a “ pull” model.
• Improved its response to retailers’ orders so that its retailers have been able to cut inventory to seven days.
3. Compare and contrast the “push” and “pull” models of information supply outlined in the case. What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of each method? o Push inventory model
Information is centralized and delivered automatically to everyone who needs it, simultaneously
The company would push products to retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City
o Pull inventory model
Marketing and sales had to request both structured and unstructured information from numerous sources
vendors order products on as-needed basis
1. From the information supplied in the case, identify three information needs of Panasonic as an organization and explain why this information would be important to managerial decision – making at the company.
Three information needs of Panasonic
• Has the ability to create, store, share and analyze data about products, customers and suppliers in ways that were not even feasible just a few decades ago.
• It had developed numerous duplicative, inconsistent and incomplete records stored in multiple isolated databases across the enterprise
• It also prevented the company from making timely decisions, which diminished Panasonic’s flexibility and agility.
Importance of information to managerial decision making
• Helps in making effective problem – solving decisions
2. Explain how the new information system benefits both Panasonic and its various stakeholders.
• Panasonic was able to save millions of dollars per year
• Improves Panasonic’s time – to- time market
• Reduces the time required to bring a product to market from 6 months to 1 month
• Reduces the amount of time required for creating and maintaining product information by 50 per cent
• It allowed Panasonic to move away from it’s “push” inventory model, towards a “ pull” model.
• Improved its response to retailers’ orders so that its retailers have been able to cut inventory to seven days.
3. Compare and contrast the “push” and “pull” models of information supply outlined in the case. What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of each method? o Push inventory model
Information is centralized and delivered automatically to everyone who needs it, simultaneously
The company would push products to retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City
o Pull inventory model
Marketing and sales had to request both structured and unstructured information from numerous sources
vendors order products on as-needed basis