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August 1981
Background Note

Types of Processes

By: David A. Garvin

Provides a general introduction to the major types of production processes, their differences, and the implications that those differences have for management. View Details

Keywords: Management; Production; Business Processes

August 1985 (Revised November 1987)
Background Note

Videogame Design Process

The videogame industry grew explosively in the early 1980s. It is an example of a business which is highly dependent on the efforts of creative people. Videogame companies have shown a wide variation in their approach to managing creative resources, seen in such terms... View Details

Keywords: Management; Creativity; Video Game Industry

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Other Article

High Velocity Business Experiments

By: Stefan Thomke and Jim Euchner

Keywords: Experiments; Innovation; Operations And Processes

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October 1990 (Revised November 1992)
Case

Ceramics Process Systems Corp. (A)

By: Clayton M. Christensen

A small ceramics company started by a group of MIT professors struggles with some basic technology strategy issues. A plan to take "one commercializable step" at a time in order to get a foothold in the market goes awry because of incompatibility between the company's... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Technology; Problems and Challenges; Market Entry and Exit; Innovation Strategy; Technological Innovation; Research and Development; Production; Manufacturing Industry; Cambridge

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July 1990
Case

Ceramics Process Systems Corp. (B)

By: Kim B. Clark and Brent D. Barnett

Ceramics Process Systems (CPS) is an advanced ceramics company facing problems with lead time in product/process development, and late delivery of prototype parts to its customers. Engineering is confronted with difficult technical problems and multiple objectives... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Business Processes; Management Practices and Processes; Supply Chain Management; Machinery and Machining; Goals and Objectives; Resource Allocation; Customer Satisfaction; Customer Value and Value Chain; Manufacturing Industry

December 2009 (Revised March 2013)
Case

Woolf Farming and Processing

By: David E. Bell, Laura Winig and Mary Louise Shelman

Woolf Farming Company, a privately owned family farming business in California's Central Valley, found its business threatened by a lack of water, brought on by a combination of drought, poor quality well water and unavailability of surface water due to federally... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Resource Allocation; Quality; Business and Government Relations; Decision Choices and Conditions; Infrastructure; Investment; Growth and Development Strategy; Climate Change; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; California

November 1992 (Revised January 2002)
Case

Process Control at Polaroid (A)

By: H. Kent Bowen and Steven C. Wheelwright

Describes the initial efforts at a film production plant to shift from a traditional QC inspection mentality to a worker-based process control mentality. Students can prepare SPC charts, propose actions needed, and combine steps into an overall action plan. View Details

Keywords: Management Systems; Operations; Quality; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Business Processes; Change Management; Consumer Products Industry; Manufacturing Industry

03 Apr 2018
News

To save your relationship, outsource your most dreaded chores, research suggests

06 Jun 2013
Op-Ed

How to Do Away with the Dangers of Outsourcing

facing a one-time problem or a one-industry or one-nation crisis. If firms are going to continue to operate in an outsourced world—and there's no inherent reason they should not—they need to find a more systematic way of thinking about... View Details

Keywords: by Ranjay Gulati; Manufacturing; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion

Web

Application Process | MBA

Application Process Start Your Harvard Business School Journey The Harvard Business School (HBS) classrooms and community thrive when we bring together people who can share a... View Details

April 1984 (Revised November 1988)
Background Note

Statistical Quality Control for Process Improvement

Describes systematic methods for process debugging and improvement, based on statistical quality control. Examples are from manufacturing settings, but techniques are also useful for services and sales, and to quantity improvement as well as quality improvement. View Details

Keywords: Quality; Performance Improvement; Business Processes

May 2003
Module Note

Product Development Process Design and Improvement

By: Stefan H. Thomke

Describes the conceptual foundations and pedagogy for a module on the design and improvement of processes for the development of products and services. Can also be used as part of a more general course on Managing Technology and Innovation. Central to Managing Product... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Design; Performance Improvement; Innovation and Management; Information Technology; Customers; Information Management; Business Processes; Learning; Transformation; Service Operations

Web

Hiring Process | Employment

Hiring Process Harvard is a large organization, employing 15,000 employees. To simplify hiring, each major business unit or school is responsible for its own. The following are details regarding the Harvard... View Details

05 Aug 2002
Research & Ideas

Understanding the Process of Innovation

Michael Collins is looking to diversify. His company, Big Idea Group, currently produces only children's toys, but he thinks his process for discovering, refining, and bringing ideas to market can work in other niches. As the Harvard... View Details

Keywords: by Loren Gray

September 2006
Tutorial

Management Control Process - Online Tutorial

By: David F. Hawkins

Introduces the Management Control Process by detailing its six components: 1) the management control environment, 2) organizational structure and responsibilities, 3) information and communication, 4) management control systems, 5) incentives, and 6) monitoring.... View Details

Keywords: Communication; Information; Business or Company Management; Management Practices and Processes; Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Structure; Behavior; Motivation and Incentives; System

24 Oct 2018
News

H-1B lottery change would help Google, Facebook, Apple and hurt outsourcers

30 Sep 2010
News

Democrats' failed bid to curb outsourcing had some crucial flaws

October 2001
Background Note

A Note on Team Process

By: Linda A. Hill and Maria Farkas

When tasks are highly complex, demand a diversity of skills, or require a commitment from the involved parties, teams are usually the most effective way to approach them. But a group of people working together does not automatically equally a team, and groups are often... View Details

Keywords: Competency and Skills; Decision Making; Management; Business Processes; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Efficiency; Groups and Teams; Conflict and Resolution