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Strategic Sourcing at Whirlpool China: Finding the Ideal Supplier
Martin Lockstrom; Thomas E. Callarman; Shengrong (Linda) ZhangCase IVEY-9B12D012-EService and Operations ManagementIt was April 10, 2011, when the head of Whirlpool’s Asia International Procurement Office in Shanghai was informed by his colleagues that the company was about to launch a new energy-efficient refrigerator model in just six months. For the new refrigerator model, the basic difference was in the motor; the current AC motor would need to be replaced with a DC motor, which was more efficient but also more expensive. He would have to find a suitable ...Starting at €8.20
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High-Tech Metal Components: Finding Local Suppliers
Martin Lockstrom; Shen LiCase IVEY-9B12D004-EEntrepreneurship, Service and Operations Management, StrategyIn May 2009, High-Tech Metal Components (HTMC) inaugurated its brand new production plant of forgings and castings for automotive supplies in Suzhou, a city of 13 million close to Shanghai, China. After the successful installation of machinery and placement of workers, the company was prepared to begin production. A month later, the general manager of the Chinese division of HTMC received a phone call from the chief operating officer of its Germa...Starting at €8.20
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Komatsu in China
Palepu, Krishna G.; Kanno, Akiko; Sato, NobuoCase HBS-114004-EAccounting and ControlKomatsu built a very successful business in China over the last two decades. But it is now facing rising competition from lower cost domestic Chinese companies, which are themselves trying to become global players. Facing the same situation, Caterpillar is implementing a two-brand strategy. What should Komatsu do to retain its leadership position in China?Starting at €8.20
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Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Eccles, Robert G.; Edmondson, Amy C.; Iansiti, Marco; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-610053-EService and Operations ManagementRicoh, the Japanese copier manufacturer, is committed to reducing its environmental impact to one-eighth of its 2000 levels by 2050. It has already introduced three stages of environmental awareness to its operations, and its recycled copier business broke even in 2006. The company developed environmental accounting methods and produces annual environmental and sustainability reports, but Ricoh is concerned that investors may not take these effor...Starting at €8.20
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Sony
Thomke, Stefan; Osanai, Atsushi; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-618045-EKnowledge and CommunicationSony used to be synonymous with "innovation" and "cool products". The case reveals how the company lost its edge and describes the leadership initiatives to restore its former glory. In 2012, Kazuo (Kaz) Hirai becomes CEO and successfully transforms Sony, including a relentless focus on differentiation through "wow" products instead of chasing scale. How should he organize and manage the company's response to digital opportunities, such as virtua...Starting at €8.20
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Godiva Japan: Think Local, Scale Global
Deshpande, Rohit; Cekin, Esel; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-517056-EMarketingThis case tracks Jerome Chouchan's strategies and execution for a successful turn around of Godiva Japan's operations which was experiencing a decline in sales when he became the managing director of the company in 2010. Through various initiatives and innovations, Godiva Japan had targeted a variety of demographic segments in different sales points, acquired new customers and created a moment of luxurious consumption for all ages. Accordingly, w...Starting at €8.20
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Consumer Lending in Japan: Citi CFJ (A)
Trumbull, Gunnar; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-709017-EEconomicsDespite a tradition of high household savings, Japan has supported a dynamic and technically sophisticated consumer lending sector. The high profitability of the sector has periodically attracted interest from domestic banks as well as international investors. Most recently, in 1998 and 2000 respectively, GE Capital and Citi Financial both acquired Japanese consumer lending companies. In 2006, when the Japanese Supreme Court rules that one of the...Starting at €8.20
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LIXIL Group Corporation: Building a New Company in an Old Industry
Groysberg, Boris; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-419009-ELeadership and People ManagementIn the spring of 2018, Kinya Seto, president and CEO of LIXIL Group Corporation, a major housing and building products and services company, called a meeting at the company's head office in central Tokyo to discuss how to implement the new three-year strategic plan. LIXIL had been established in 2011 through a merger of five of Japan's major companies across a broad spectrum of building materials and other housing-related businesses. The company ...Starting at €8.20
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NTT DOCOMO's Race to 5G
Alcacer, Juan; Melcher, Horst; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-720413-EStrategyWhat new services could they offer? Should they target corporate customers? Can NTT DOCOMO return to a sustainable growth path through 5G? How can they capture a larger share of the value created through 5G enabled internet ecosystems?Starting at €8.20
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Raksul
Kominers, Scott Duke; Kotosaka, Masahiro; Sato, Nobuo; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-819115-EEntrepreneurshipRaksul, 2018 Forbes Japan "Startup of the Year," ran an e-commerce platform drawing upon thousands of individual suppliers. Launched as a business-to-business printing services marketplace, Raksul had recently expanded to operate both a logistics/delivery marketplace and a television advertising marketplace. Each marketplace faces its own growth challenges; at the same time, the CEO must consider whether and how each marketplace can enhance the o...Starting at €8.20