Supply Chain Management and Fresh Connections
Suggested Assignment Questions
Industrie Pininfarina
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a niche manufacturer? How has the competitive environment of niche auto manufacturers been changing over the past few years? What factors are affecting the competitiveness of niche manufacturers such as Pininfarina compared to the volume manufacturers?
- As Renato Bertrandi, what do you see as the most significant challenges facing Pininfarina over the next five years? What are Pininfarina’s options for the future?
- Should Bertrandi accept the Mitsubishi business? If yes, what are the changes Pininfarina has to go through? If no, what can he do? How should Pininfarina position itself to compete in the future?
• Virginia Mason Medical Center
- What is Gary Kaplan trying to achieve?
- How does TPS fit into his strategy?
- What is your opinion about “people not cars” debate?
- Is Kaplan’s approach transferable to other US hospitals?
Solagen - Process Improvement in the manufacture of Gelatin
- How is Kodak currently achieving quality? Is the movement from art to science inevitable? Really desirable?
- Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the Solagen process from the point of view of Alex Blanchard (CEO of Kodak); of Bolten (plant manager); of Carson (Head of Chemical Processing and Engineering).
- What should Bolten do?
- How should the new technology be evaluated? Who should set specifications that define success or failure?
• Innovation at Progressive (A): Pay-as-you-go Insurance
- 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
Industrie Pininfarina
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a niche manufacturer? How has the competitive environment of niche auto manufacturers been changing over the past few years? What factors are affecting the competitiveness of niche manufacturers such as Pininfarina compared to the volume manufacturers?
- As Renato Bertrandi, what do you see as the most significant challenges facing Pininfarina over the next five years? What are Pininfarina’s options for the future?
- Should Bertrandi accept the Mitsubishi business? If yes, what are the changes Pininfarina has to go through? If no, what can he do? How should Pininfarina position itself to compete in the future?
• Virginia Mason Medical Center
- What is Gary Kaplan trying to achieve?
- How does TPS fit into his strategy?
- What is your opinion about “people not cars” debate?
- Is Kaplan’s approach transferable to other US hospitals?
Solagen - Process Improvement in the manufacture of Gelatin
- How is Kodak currently achieving quality? Is the movement from art to science inevitable? Really desirable?
- Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the Solagen process from the point of view of Alex Blanchard (CEO of Kodak); of Bolten (plant manager); of Carson (Head of Chemical Processing and Engineering).
- What should Bolten do?
- How should the new technology be evaluated? Who should set specifications that define success or failure?
• Innovation at Progressive (A): Pay-as-you-go Insurance
- 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