May 2024 | Case
Net Protections (A)(B)
By: Professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell; Nobuo Sato; Akiko Kanno
In Case A, set in early 2017, Net Protections (NP) is the largest Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) fintech service in Japan and is experiencing a slowdown in growth of its core product, NP Atobarai. Launched in 2002 as non-membership service, the NP Atobarai product has given Japanese consumers an alternative to paying with their credit cards when using ecommerce (EC) websites. Despite having strong adoption and industry low delinquency rates, NP is considering launching a membership-based BNPL service to expand to more categories and a wider consumer segment. The company needs to decide on the features that would go into the new membership service while being careful not to cannibalize their core product.
In Case B, set in spring 2017, the company has developed specific features and is at the stage of a "go/no go" decision.
March 2024 | Case
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Bets on Clean Hydrogen
By: Professor Gunnar Trumbull; Akiko Kanno; Nobuo Sato
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), an engineering manufacturer headquartered in Japan, was aiming to scale up its hydrogen production and establish a global hydrogen supply chain. The initiative was in line with Japan's energy strategy, as the country seeks to transition to clean energy. The company faced challenges such as the high cost of hydrogen production, uncertainty of demands, as well as competition from other countries. KHI was aiming to scale up hydrogen production and infrastructure by 2030, but the pace at which the market for hydrogen would develop was unpredictable and there was a risk that the timing of hydrogen availability would not align with market demand. Despite such challenges, KHI's past experience in scaling LNG infrastructure, its technological ambitions, and Japan's commitment to hydrogen provided a strong foundation for success. KHI could potentially lead the hydrogen industry and support Japan's decarbonization goals. Was it a smart choice for KHI to pursue its hydrogen strategy? Could KHI possibly scale up hydrogen production to a sufficient level and provide a solution at the scale that was necessary?
February 2024 | Case
More than Optics: Olympus's Vision to Become a Leading Global MedTech Company
By: Professor David J. Collis; Haisley Wert
In August 2022, CEO Yasuo Takeuchi reflected on Olympus Corporation's recent transformation from being known as a Japanese consumer camera company to becoming a leading global medical technology (MedTech) company. Over the past dozen years, Takeuchi and prior leadership had recovered from a major scandal and reinvented Olympus's purpose, governance, portfolio, organization structure and operating model. When asked if he could have done any better, he laughed with a humble smile. "There's no 'perfect' in the world-but we are doing almost perfectly. I am not a very optimistic type of person. But we are certainly advancing [the transformation] in the right direction. I have to say, it is working very well.'" Despite being on course, the journey was ongoing. Strategically, the evolving medical technology landscape demanded new capabilities-notably building an integrated digital solutions ecosystem. Organizationally, Takeuchi was at the helm of a matrix organization in which product divisions did not necessarily have full authority for all their activities; corporate functions were learning how to establish their global roles; and regional companies still drove local sales. And personnel issues remained a concern. Senior executive positions were staffed with "two in a box"-one Japanese and one non-Japanese manager-while Japanese employees were adapting to a job-based rather than a seniority system and the widespread use of the English language in meetings. How should Olympus navigate these challenges to deliver on its aspiration to be a leading global MedTech player?