Publications

Find at Harvard

January 2007 (Revised January 2008)
Case

Amanco: Developing the Sustainability Scorecard

By: Robert S. Kaplan and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho

Describes the challenges of using the Balanced Scorecard to implement a triple-bottom-line strategy for delivering excellent economic, environmental, and social performance. The owners and senior executive team of Amanco, a producer of plastic pipe and complete water... View Details

Keywords: Balanced Scorecard; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Social Issues; Strategy; Construction Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Latin America; Brazil

January 2007 (Revised August 2007)
Case

Fulton County School System: Implementing the Balanced Scorecard

By: Robert S. Kaplan and Monica Nah Lee

Illustrates the adaptation and implementation of a private sector management tool, the Balanced Scorecard, to a public school district. As part of a continuous improvement initiative, the Director of Planning and Policy facilitates the development of a strategy map and... View Details

Keywords: Education; Governance; Leadership; Balanced Scorecard; Performance Improvement; Strategy; Education Industry

2006
Working Paper

The Demise of Cost and Profit Centers

Read Now

April 2006 (Revised November 2020)
Background Note

Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing

Introduces the role for time-driven activity-based costing. Identifies the value from an accurate costing model, describes the difficulties of traditional ABC, and illustrates how time-driven ABC provides a simpler and more powerful method. View Details

Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Value

April 2006 (Revised June 2008)
Case

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.

By: H. Kent Bowen, Robert S. Huckman and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Considers whether New Balance, one of the world's five largest manufacturers of athletic footwear, should respond to Adidas' planned acquisition of Reebok--a transaction that would join the second- and third-largest companies in the industry. Highlights the unique... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Production; Supply Chain Management; Performance Improvement; Competition; Consolidation; Apparel and Accessories Industry

April 2006 (Revised September 2009)
Case

BYD Company, Ltd.

By: Robert S. Huckman and Alan D. MacCormack

Considers whether BYD Co., Ltd., the largest Chinese maker of rechargeable batteries, should enter the Chinese automobile industry by acquiring Qinchuan Auto, a state-owned car manufacturer. Set just after BYD's initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Labor; Production; Competitive Advantage; Diversification; Auto Industry; Battery Industry; Manufacturing Industry; China

March 2006
Article

How to Implement a New Strategy Without Disrupting Your Organization

By: Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton

Keywords: Organizations; Policy

Find at Harvard

February 2006 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Sippican Corporation (A)

Presents a time-driven version of the Wilkerson Co. activity-based costing case (101092). Faced with declining profits, Sippican Corp. is struggling to understand why it is encountering severe price competition on one product line. The controller collects data that... View Details

Keywords: History; Business Model; Strategic Planning; Cost Accounting; Motivation and Incentives; Resource Allocation; Activity Based Costing and Management; Profit; Business Strategy; Budgets and Budgeting

February 2006 (Revised March 2007)
Supplement

Sippican Corporation (B)

October 2005
Article

The Office of Strategy Management

By: Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton

Keywords: Strategy; Management

Find at Harvard

August 2005 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Kemps LLC: Introducing Time-Driven ABC

Kemps is making a strategy shift: from being focused on fulfilling customer requests to becoming the best cost dairy producer in the industry. Its existing manufacturing cost system, however, fails to capture the costs associated with handling special flavors, small... View Details

Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Customer Relationship Management; Cost Accounting; Managerial Roles; Cost Management; Earnings Management; Business Strategy; Time Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Teams; Decisions; Food and Beverage Industry

June 2005
Teaching Note

Midwest Office Products (TN)

Teaching Note to (9-104-073). View Details

Keywords: Computer Industry; Service Industry

June 2005
Teaching Note

Accounting Fraud at WorldCom (TN)

Teaching Note to (9-104-071). View Details

Keywords: Accounting Audits; Financial Reporting; Financial Statements; Accounting; Crime and Corruption; Governing and Advisory Boards; Telecommunications Industry

June 2005 (Revised September 2005)
Case

Accounting at MacCloud Winery

By: David F. Hawkins, Robert S. Kaplan and Gregory S. Miller

Uses a fictional new winery to introduce accounting concepts and practices such as assets, liabilities, expenses, the matching principle, and contingent activities. Designed to approach the subject at a conceptual level, allowing class discussion to focus on the... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Theory; Accounting

June 2005 (Revised March 2006)
Case

Domestic Auto Parts

Describes a meeting of an executive team to discuss strategy for a company turnaround. The exercise is to construct a strategy map and Balanced Scorecard to capture the new strategy. View Details

Keywords: Balanced Scorecard; Strategy; Business Strategy

2005
Working Paper

Creating the Office of Strategy Management

By: Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton

Read Now

March 2005 (Revised March 2006)
Background Note

Activity-Based Costing and Capacity

Discusses the use of budgeted rather than historical data in an activity-based costing (ABC) model and argues for calculating rates using practical capacity, not actual utilization. An ABC model need not be limited to analysis of historical data. When cost driver rates... View Details

Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Accounting Industry

January 2005
Tutorial

Buying Time

Managers must frequently make decisions involving trade-offs between cash flows to be paid or received at different points in time. Accountants, in turn, must describe transactions that involve the payment and/or receipt of cash far in the future. This interactive... View Details

Keywords: Cash Flow; Value; Interest Rates; Financial Statements