Publications

August 1986
Case

Hannaford Brothers: Warehouse Inventory

By: David E. Bell

Keywords: Logistics; Management; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry

Find at Harvard

January 1985 (Revised December 1985)
Case

Olivetti: Purchasing Policy

By: Roy D. Shapiro

Keywords: Logistics; Policy; Information Technology Industry

Find at Harvard

12 Jul 2010
Research & Ideas

Rocket Science Retailing: A Practical Guide

describes how investors can—and do—pay closer attention to retailers' inventory levels. “When it comes to implementing science in retailing, the 'missionary' is more important than the scientist.” Raman, who specializes in operations management, is the UPS Foundation... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Retail; Auto

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System

The Toyota Production System is a paradox. On the one hand, every activity, connection, and production flow in a Toyota factory is rigidly scripted. Yet at the same time, Toyota's operations are enormously flexible and responsive to customer demand. How can that be?... View Details

Keywords: by H. Kent Bowen & Steven Spear; Manufacturing; Transportation; Auto

November 2017 (Revised May 2019)
Case

Wayfair: Fast Furniture?

By: Janice H. Hammond and Anna Shih

Keywords: Supply Chain; Logistics; Distribution; Web; Retail Industry; United States

Other Unpublished Work

Cross Sectional Analysis of Phantom Products at Retail Stores

By: Zeynep Ton and Ananth Raman

Keywords: Distribution; Logistics; Retail Industry

Other Unpublished Work

The Role of Inventory in Empowered Work Settings: Model and Empirical Analysis

By: S. Datar, M. Alles and R. Sarkar

Keywords: Logistics; Mathematical Methods

November 2015 (Revised June 2017)
Case

Mission Impossible? Yummy77 Delivers Groceries within the Hour

By: Benjamin Edelman

Yummy77 considers alternative operational models to reduce cost, improve speed, and increase appeal. Can one of these approaches succeed where others have failed? View Details

Keywords: Grocery Delivery; Operations; Platforms; Logistics; Distribution; Food; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry; China

Annenberg built a fledgling, debt-burdened newspaper business into a publishing empire. He introduced Seventeen in 1944 – sparking a new trend in targeted publications to America’s youth. In 1953, he overcame numerous logistical... View Details

Keywords: Publishing & Print Media

01 Dec 2016
News

Summing Up the New Students

been an investment banker for seven years, which was so intimidating.” Anja Anliker Brooklyn Park, Minnesota CV: Logistics officer, US Navy, San Diego (active duty) “I drove over 5,000 miles this summer. From San Diego, I detoured north... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna

September 2019 (Revised July 2021)
Case

Port Competition in the Pearl River Delta

By: Willy Shih

This case examines the competition between ports and port operators in the Pearl River Delta over the last four decades. The cities surrounding the Pearl River estuary are the "workshop of the world," and the development of manufacturing in the region was heavily... View Details

Keywords: Trade Links; Global Business; Globalization; Trade; Supply Chain; Logistics; Transportation Industry; Asia; Hong Kong; China

April 2003 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Operational Execution at Arrow Electronics

By: Ananth Raman and Zeynep Ton

Distribution center operations (from order taking to order fulfillment) and the importance of attending to process details at Arrow Electronics, a large distributor of electronic components and computer products are described. The case also details the actions the... View Details

Keywords: Information; Distribution; Logistics; Strategy; Electronics Industry

21 Oct 2010
News

Hell? Maybe Not.

part of the 25 employees of MBA Career and Professional Development. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation,” says Director of Employer Relations Kristen Fitzpatrick (MBA ’03). Logistics and prepping aside, the week represents a prime... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

April 2008
Journal Article

Inventory Record Inaccuracy: An Empirical Analysis

By: Nicole DeHoratius and Ananth Raman

This study explores the systematic variation in inventory record inaccuracy (IRI) observed both within and across stores. Traditional inventory models, with a few exceptions, do not account for the existence of IRI and those that do treat record inaccuracy as random.... View Details

Keywords: Information Management; Measurement and Metrics; Logistics; Retail Industry