Publications

August 2011 (Revised August 2012)
Case

JetBlue Airways: Deicing at Logan Airport

By: Douglas Fearing and Robert S. Huckman

The case explores a deicing capacity expansion decision made by JetBlue at Boston Logan International Airport in the summer of 2010. The need for capacity expansion was driven by significant challenges faced during the previous winter combined with substantial... View Details

Keywords: Operational Disruptions; Strategic Planning; Disruption; Cost vs Benefits; Air Transportation; Service Operations; Logistics; Operations; Air Transportation Industry; Boston

March 2004 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Paper and More

Provides a context and exercise for introducing retail inventory management, including cost optimization, service-level criteria, and forecasting in single and multiproduct settings. The owner of a single-location paper and paper products store considers the... View Details

Keywords: Management; Expansion; Logistics; Forecasting and Prediction; Pulp and Paper Industry; Retail Industry

01 Dec 2014
News

Creating the Shopping Experience of the Future

product developer and marketer, and self-proclaimed “child of curiosity”—has to sell Glass itself to a public that still seems uncertain about both its logistics and its usefulness. Google Glass has the lofty goal of “enhancing humanity... View Details

Keywords: Christine Lejeune; fashion; technology

2023
Working Paper

Operational Impact of Communication Channels: Evidence from Last-Mile Delivery Services

By: Natalie Epstein, Santiago Gallino and Antonio Moreno

Communication channels are often used to improve customer satisfaction and behavior. This paper studies how they can be used to enhance operational performance.
We partner with a last-mile delivery company and, through natural and field experiments, explore... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Consumer Behavior; Logistics; Communication

SSRN

01 Mar 2011
News

Fast Casual

electrical engineering, who designs the procedures and logistics that ensure smooth, efficient operations. Of PRG and its husband-wife leadership team, Peggy said, “We had to standardize everything from recipes to kitchens.... I think... View Details

Keywords: Food Services and Drinking Places; Hospitality

01 Oct 2021
News

Marking 10-Year Connection with Japanese Earthquake Region

Takeuchi’s decision to embark on the inaugural Japan trip involved a realistic assessment of both the logistical challenges and educational opportunities of the experience. But taking students to a disaster area entailed unprecedented... View Details

28 Apr 2016
News

New Venture Competition Winners Announced

competitions and judging by a panel of global HBS Alumni Angels Association members narrowed the field. Four alumni teams pitched at the finale: ConnectHealth; Cobli, a car fleet logistics data company based in Brazil; EverlyWell, a... View Details

25 Aug 2022
News

In My Humble Opinion: Road Tested

One and Revolution Money, Gregg shifted to B2B with a move to FleetCor, a provider of fuel cards and business-payment products, before becoming CEO in 2017 of RoadSync, a digital payment platform targeting drivers, warehouses, freight handlers, and merchants working in... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; trucking; leadership; fintech; career

01 Dec 1996
News

Victory Lap: Frazier, Olympics COO, Reviews the Games

to finish in the black. Practically everyone who came to Atlanta loved the Games. Virtually all the corporate sponsors signed up again for Sydney in 2000. For the athletes, I believe that the venues, the Athletes' Village, and the View Details

27 Jan 2003
Research & Ideas

New Cluster Mapping Project Helps Companies Locate Facilities

with which they can be used. Cheap labor is not really cheap if workers are unproductive. Input costs can be overshadowed by logistical costs, delays, and inefficiencies. There are hidden costs of outsourcing. The most obvious is the cost... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

January 2009
Case

When Supply is of Public Interest: Roche & Tamiflu

The case focuses on the challenges of Roche maintaining a supply network for a global influenza pandemic response initiative based on its antiviral drug Tamiflu. The Roche group is a 40 billion CHF company consisting of a pharmaceutical division and a diagnostic... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Health Pandemics; Distribution; Logistics; Production; Supply Chain Management; Performance Capacity; Pharmaceutical Industry

January 2018
Supplement

Jumia Nigeria PowerPoint Supplement

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell

Founded in 2012, Jumia Nigeria, a startup effort by Germany-based Rocket Internet, aimed to become an African Amazon. The company entered the nascent market and immediately enjoyed an uptick in consumer spending fueled by the strength of Nigeria’s oil-based economy. By... View Details

Keywords: Retail; Marketplace; Inventory; Nigeria; Africa; Ecommerce; Funding; Business Ecosystems; Business Ecosystem; Competition; Business Model; Globalization; Emerging Markets; Expansion; Logistics; E-commerce; Retail Industry; India; Nigeria; Africa

January 2018 (Revised March 2019)
Teaching Note

Jumia Nigeria: from Retail to Marketplace (A) and (B)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

Founded in 2012, Jumia Nigeria, a startup effort by Germany-based Rocket Internet, aimed to become an African Amazon. The company entered the nascent market and immediately enjoyed an uptick in consumer spending fueled by the strength of Nigeria’s oil-based economy. By... View Details

Keywords: Retail; Marketplace; Inventory; Ecommerce; Funding; Business Ecosystems; Competition; Business Model; Globalization; Emerging Markets; Expansion; Logistics; E-commerce; Retail Industry; India; Nigeria; Africa

March 2009
Case

The Home Depot: Leadership in Crisis Management

By: Herman B. Leonard, Marc J. Epstein and Melissa Tritter

Examines the challenges The Home Depot faced in the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Andrew. By providing 40,000 to 50,000 items sold by knowledgeable associates, The Home Depot became a destination place for customers in need of... View Details

Keywords: Disruption; Customer Focus and Relationships; Leadership; Crisis Management; Logistics; Natural Disasters; Retail Industry

August 2001 (Revised June 2024)
Case

Operations at the Donner Company

By: H. Kent Bowen

A small manufacturer of circuit boards faces product and operations-management problems. This case analyzes the production capacity at various stages and examines bottlenecks and product flow decisions. A detailed look at the problems and a discussion of the tools and... View Details

Keywords: Operations; Production; Performance Capacity; Business Processes; Logistics; Electronics Industry; Manufacturing Industry