Publications

24 Apr 2006
Research & Ideas

Managing Alignment as a Process

Capitalizing on the growth of suburban malls, SMI soon had more than one hundred retail stores, mostly in the Northeast. During the 1980s, it took the product nationwide, with outlets in more than four hundred malls. Growth slowed in the... View Details

Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

09 Jul 2008
Research & Ideas

Starbucks’ Lessons for Premium Brands

structure) or you have to cut distribution to restore the exclusivity of the brand. Expect the 600 store closings to be the first of a series of downsizing announcements. Sometimes, in the world of marketing, less is more. Schultz sought,... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Retail

Web

Entrepreneurial Sales 102: Building, Managing, and Scaling the First Sales Team as a Founder, Investor, or Advisor - Course Catalog

salesperson Train, manage, promote, and fire your first sales team Establish your first sales plan Manage the board’s expectations on revenue Instrument an accurate forecasting model “Superior sales and distribution by itself can create a... View Details

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Throwing Your Opponent: Strategies for the Internet Age

change their ideas constantly while they are trying to build complex new products and technologies." In addition, by making it possible to "organize businesses in new ways, offer new products and services,... View Details

Keywords: by Daniel Penrice

Adolphus W. Green

designs to increase distribution and invested in new product development. Under his watch, animal crackers (fashioned after the Barnum Circus) and Oreo cookies were introduced. View Details

Keywords: Food & Tobacco

10 Jan 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Operations Management

Sharpening Your Skills dives into the HBS Working Knowledge archives to bring together articles on ways to improve your business skills. Questions to be answered: Can "lean" productions methods improve service industries? How can a... View Details

January 2000 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Officenet (A): Making Entrepreneurship Work in Argentina

Describes the creation and financing of Officenet, an office supply distributor in Argentina. The company serves the business-to-business market through a catalog (combined with phone orders) and also through an Internet-based catalog. Officenet is a pioneer in both... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Argentina

September 1997 (Revised September 1997)
Case

Koc Holding: Arcelik White Goods

By: John A. Quelch

Management is considering its options for future international expansion. Koc is the dominant supplier of white goods (kitchen appliances) in Turkey and has been increasing its export efforts. As lower import tariffs invite foreign competitors to enter Turkey, Koc must... View Details

Keywords: Expansion; Multinational Firms and Management; Emerging Markets; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Turkey

May 2010
Teaching Note

Re-THINK-ing THINK: The Electric Car Company (TN)

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III

Teaching Note for [810105]. View Details

Keywords: Production; Product Launch; Entrepreneurship; Investment; Environmental Sustainability; Brands and Branding; Distribution; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Auto Industry; Indiana; Norway

19 Jul 2011
News

Brightening the Future

that inner voice led Ayala to launch Hybrid Social Solutions, Inc. (HSSI), a Philippine social business that distributes solar lanterns and water filtration devices specifically designed for the needs of poor communities. HSSI’s solar... View Details

Keywords: Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations; Personal Services

23 Oct 2006
Research & Ideas

Will the “Long Tail” Work for Hollywood?

than a Blockbuster store, stocking a limited number of popular movies? Intrigued with these questions, HBS assistant professor Anita Elberse and associate professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee analyzed the distribution of revenues in the U.S.... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Entertainment & Recreation

April 2010
Case

Globalization at Komatsu

By: Michael Y. Yoshino

The case captures the challenges Komatsu, the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment faced during the past five decades as it sought to globalize its operations. By 2007, it had become the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment... View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Distribution Channels; Production; Organizational Culture; Networks; Partners and Partnerships; Manufacturing Industry; Japan

February 2008
Teaching Note

DermaCare: Zapping Zits Directly (TN)

By: Richard G. Hamermesh

Teaching Note for [808064]. View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Innovation and Invention; Health Care and Treatment; Financing and Loans; Venture Capital; Advertising; Distribution; Health Industry

November 2019 (Revised June 2020)
Case

Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature

By: Marco Iansiti, Michael W. Toffel and James Barnett

Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds, which increase crop yields while reducing the need for fertilizers. In doing so, the company developed direct... View Details

Keywords: Carbon Sequestration; Operations; Supply Chain; Social Enterprise; Product Development; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Digital Platforms; Environmental Sustainability; Science-Based Business; Climate Change; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Massachusetts

June 2010 (Revised January 2011)
Case

Scientific Glass Incorporated: Inventory Management

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and William Schmidt

Scientific Glassware is a fast-growing, privately held company that provides specialized glassware for laboratory and research facilities. Excess inventory is tying up extra capital needed to fund the company's expansion plans. The newly hired Manager of Inventory... View Details

Keywords: Inventory Control; Inventory Management; Materials Management; Order Processing; Warehousing; Salesforce Management; Logistics; Operations; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Finance; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

07 Mar 2019
News

Smart Marketing Brings Rapid Growth to Latino Brands

accomplish that was to create their own distribution network. Therefore, we are able to control how the brand should look like, how the brand should be able to be established in the marketplace, and how that brand could revolutionize... View Details

March 1994
Case

Bose Corp.: The JIT II Program (A)

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Bruce Isaacson

Bose Corp. is evaluating an unusual plan to manage relationships with vendors that supply components for Bose speakers. The company must decide: 1) which planning and ordering activities should be performed by Bose and which can be performed by vendors, 2) how much... View Details

Keywords: Supply Chain Management; Planning; Production; Alliances; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Electronics Industry