Turnaround of struggling plant of DJSL Limited: capital investment or operational improvement

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Somnath Chakrabarti ◽  
Nripendra Kumar ◽  
Anupam Upadhyay

Subject area Strategy. Study level/applicability The case can primarily be used for a Strategic Management course for teaching the revival strategies for financially weak plants. The case highlights the need to shift from a product manufacturing perspective to a market orientation perspective and, hence, may add value as an add-on case in a Strategic Marketing course. The case also covers the topic of benchmarking which may be of use in an Operations Management course. Case overview DJSL Ltd. is the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India in the energy-related/infrastructure space in the public sector. Its Lucknow unit, manufacturing porcelain insulators and wear resistant ceramic lining (CERA LINING), has started reporting losses. A change of management took place in October 2015, whereby Mr. S P Singh was appointed as the Head of the Lucknow Unit. Mr. Singh had rich functional experience of 30 years, mainly in the domains of strategy, project execution and commercial aspects. He was asked to come up with a revival plan for the Unit by the top management of DJSL. The case highlights the importance of operational issues in turnaround management. Expected learning outcomes Students may be encouraged to debate the benchmarking practices that are best suited for the Lucknow unit. They can also discuss the impact of benchmarking efforts upon turnaround strategy. Students are also encouraged to understand the constraints which may limit the success of initiatives impacting operational improvements. Students need to develop the understanding of marketing strategy to perform a SWOT analysis of each product of the Lucknow unit and to sense the business opportunities in and around the environment. Students need to discuss how productivity may be improved with the adoption of appropriate people development strategies. Students are encouraged to discuss the revival/turnaround strategies and to identify the influence of improvement in operational efficiency/productivity upon revival plan. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS: 11: Strategy.

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Joshi ◽  
Apoorva Srivastava

Subject area – Entrepreneurship, strategy, family business. Study level/applicability – MBA, PhD (Mgmt) Case overview – DK Dies and Tools was set up initially as a tool room by its founder Krishna Verma. It manufactured machine parts, sheet metal tools, jigs and fixtures, plastic/rubber moulds and metal fabrications. The firm came to be known as DK Exports (henceforth DKX) when it was professionalized in the year 2003 for merchant exporting. Lately, after the founder's demise, professionalization had become a dire need when the firm faced with loss of customers, the market share was taken over by the Chinese, workers' expectations had risen, poor internal communications, search for dynamic capabilities and finally a need to diversify had arisen. Unexpected death of the founder had pushed the firm into doldrums. It was because of the founder's relationship and reputation in the market that the business prospered. Unfortunately, the tacit knowledge he possessed could not be handed over to his son Kunal, which led to complexes in business. Hence, there arose a need for internationalization for finding new customers and markets. Entrepreneurial orientation needed a change. The new Chairman, Kunal, had expertise in operations management, with his wife, Priyanka, looking after development via overseas collaborations. The firm had been struggling to create a two-tier top-level management to decide on operational issues, besides search for newer destinations for increasing the scale of operations. Expected learning outcomes – To understand how multilevel entrepreneurship happens and the importance of translating tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge, especially at times when the founder has to pass the baton to the second generation. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Andrew Tiger ◽  
Robert Howard

TitleKiwanis Pancake Day – a service operations management case study.Subject areaOperations management.Study level/applicabilityUndergraduate and MBA OM courses.Case overviewKiwanis International is a global service organization dedicated to improving the world by helping children. The Durant, Oklahoma chapter holds its primary annual fundraiser the first Tuesday of November, which is also Election Day. The chapter sells and serves fresh pancakes throughout the day; therefore, the event is the Kiwanis Pancake Day. While serving in his first Pancake Day, Robert Howard, a new Kiwanian, notices service operations management issues such as long lines, spiky demand, and customers leaving before being served. Based on his management experience in the grocery business and his academic training in queuing systems, Robert performs an analysis of the system with the purpose of improving service operations.Expected learning outcomes Perform queuing analysis., Understand demand management., Explain the psychology of waiting.Supplementary materialsTeaching notes and spreadsheet‐based multiple‐server simulator.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nell Musgrove ◽  
Naomi Wolfe

PurposeThis article considers the impact of competing knowledge structures in teaching Australian Indigenous history to undergraduate university students and the possibilities of collaborative teaching in this space.Design/methodology/approachThe authors, one Aboriginal and one non-Aboriginal, draw on a history of collaborative teaching that stretches over more than a decade, bringing together conceptual reflective work and empirical data from a 5-year project working with Australian university students in an introductory-level Aboriginal history subject.FindingsIt argues that teaching this subject area in ways which are culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students, and which resist knowledge structures associated with colonial ways of conveying history, is not only about content but also about building learning spaces that encourage students to decolonise their relationships with Australian history.Originality/valueThis article considers collaborative approaches to knowledge transmission in the university history classroom as an act of decolonising knowledge spaces rather than as a model of reconciliation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Towers ◽  
Ismail Abushaikha ◽  
James Ritchie ◽  
Andreas Holter

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the non-academic impact in supply chain management (SCM) research through the application of three distinctive approaches to phenomenological methodology in different contexts. Design/methodology/approach Evidence-based examples from three case studies using interpretivist, social constructivist and critical realist methodologies are presented. They reflect non-positivist approaches commonly used in phenomenological methodology and adopted in SCM investigative research. Findings Different types of non-academic reach and significance from each research methodology are discussed to illustrate the non-academic impact benefits from each case. The three distinctive phenomenological approaches have been shown to contribute to innovative research methodology development on their own philosophical merit and produced novel contributions to SCM research in particular. Research limitations/implications The non-academic impact examples have been shown to have wider influence and implication to business, the economy and society at large. Originality/value The paper highlights the relevance of phenomenological research methodology for SCM. It also contributes to the development of the SCM subject area and is hoped to encourage further reporting of non-academic impact of supply chain research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Mithilesh Pandey ◽  
Yupal Sanatkumar Shukla

Subject area The subject areas are strategic management, international marketing business-to-business marketing. Study level/applicability The study is applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Case overview Dalmec Industries Manipulators India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in 2011 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. The company was formed to carry on importing machinery and distributing it to the clients. This case focuses on the dilemma faced by the company: whether it should establish a manufacturing unit in India or continue with the current operation procedures. Dalmec has faced various problems in India regarding local players, low-cost material handling equipment and the nascent stage of material handling industry. In Europe and the Middle East, the industries are more focused on safety standards and provide high quality material handling products to their workers, compared to the Indian industries. As local players in material handling sectors price their product very low, to compete with them with quality products is a major challenge for foreign companies. The company needed to build a strong and unique brand for non-European markets. In India, the material handling equipment market is crowded with local players. So, Dalmec needs to establish its reputation as a reliable partner and create a distinct identity. It has to create brand awareness among Indian companies and influence the decision makers of the corporates. The case discusses the impact of Make in India campaign on Dalmec and examines whether the Make in India initiative will prove helpful to Dalmec. Expected learning outcomes This study enables to familiarize students with the expansion strategy of a company; help students understand the international market entry strategies frequently used by multinationals to expand their business.; examine the feasibility of entering into emerging markets like India; and make students understand the relevance of the Make in India campaign for foreign corporate players. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Farías

Subject area The focus of the case is on the concepts of customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer equity (CE). Monitoring, measuring and maximizing CLV and CE have become a key priority for all marketers. Instructors can introduce these concepts and its key components. The main focus of the case is a quantitative assignment that asks students to analyze the convenience for the existing five AFPs (Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones, Pension Fund Administrator) of winning the tender. The use of CLV and CE measurements is particularly relevant. Students need to estimate the impact of pricing on the CLV and CE of the existing five AFPs. Study level/applicability BA, MSc, MBA Courses: CE, Marketing Metrics, Pricing. The case can also be used in courses that focus on Marketing Plan, Marketing Research or Services Marketing. Case overview In early 2009, Valentina Vial was given the assignment to develop the pricing strategy of Alianza to enter the pension industry. The company will propose a commission fee to compete with the country's existing five AFPs. Whichever AFP presents the lowest commission will be awarded the tender. When there are several competitors, the company must guess each competitor's likely pricing decision. In the analysis of the convenience for the existing five AFPs of winning the tender, the use of CLV and CE measurements is particularly relevant. Valentina Vial needed to estimate the impact of pricing on the CLV and CE of the existing five AFPs. Expected learning outcomes Understand the concepts of CLV and CE and the importance of maximizing a customer's lifetime value for the firm by calculating the CLV and the CE based on a combination of financial and non-financial data. Illustrate the importance of adopting a long-term strategic perspective (using CLV and CE) in choosing a pricing strategy. Once a firm commits to a pricing strategy, it is difficult to shift course. Given this, the choice of pricing levels should be informed by long-term strategic thinking, including consideration of potential competitive pricing decisions. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Zhang ◽  
Xujing Dai ◽  
Zhen He

Purpose – E-retailing grows rapidly in recent years. The majority of previous research on e-retailing service recovery has been mainly focussed on the customers’ perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine service recovery from the operations management perspective of the e-retailing industry in order to investigate the impact of an integrated service recovery system on e-retailers’ capability improvement and market performance. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data consists of a sample of 256 employees from a leading e-retailer in China. Structural Equation Model was used to verify the relationship between the integrated recovery system and employees’ job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as well as e-retailers’ capability improvement and market performance. Findings – The empirical results reveal that e-retailers need to pay attention to establishing an integrated recovery system. The system can facilitate employee job satisfaction and OCB, ultimately the e-retailer’s market performance. However, the relationships between job satisfaction and OCB as well as market performance are found to be low in the context of e-retailing in China. Originality/value – This research contributes to the effectiveness of an integrated service recovery system in the context of e-retailing and the important role played by employees during recovery process.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shandre Mugan Thangavelu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of large inflow of foreign workers on the Singapore manufacturing productivity using a panel data at the disaggregated industry level from 1998 to 2008. The results indicate that foreign workers do make productive contribution to manufacturing productivity, but it is much lower as compared to local workers. However, the author observe the declining capital-labour ratio with the increase in the flow of foreign workers. This is expected to have direct impact on the competitiveness of the manufacturing in the export market. Since new technologies are embodied in new capital investment, the declining capital-labour ratio indicates that workers might be producing output with less technology-intensive capital. Conversely, local workers are more productive with high capital investment, indicating that local workers are more skilled and hence there is more complementarity between capital investments and local human capital. Design/methodology/approach – The author implement a panel estimation of disaggregated industry level data of Singapore manufacturing from 1998 to 2008. The author use GMM estimation to control for any endogeneity issues in the estimation. Findings – The results indicate that foreign workers do make productive contribution to manufacturing productivity; but it is much lower as compared to local workers. However; the author observe the declining capital-labour ratio with the increase in the flow of foreign workers. Research limitations/implications – The data for foreign workers at the disaggregated level is not publically available and this is given for this research purpose. The data for foreign workers is limited as it does not have by educational levels. Practical implications – This is the first paper to study impact of foreign workers on manufacturing sector at a disaggregated panel data. There are important policy implications for managing foreign workers and achieving sustainable growth for the Singapore economy. Social implications – The welfare and social impacts of foreign workers on the Singapore economy is discussed. There is also the issue of policy calibration to balance the flow of foreign workers in the Singapore economy. Originality/value – This is the first paper to study impact of foreign workers on manufacturing sector at a disaggregated panel data.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Alexandra Snelgrove ◽  
Ariane Ryan

Subject area The case addresses issues related to value chains, sustainable businesses, business environment in emerging economies and cross-cultural issues. applicability/applicability This case would be best addressed by students in upper years of their undergraduate degree or at a Master's level. Case overview The case addresses a project conducted by MEDA in Pakistan which focused on developing a value chain in the embroidery sector with the end goal of improving the livelihood of homebound rural women. The case walks the students through the local cultural constraints, the project design the development of the various value chain actors and the most significant outcomes. The primary issue requires the students to evaluate the most appropriate exit strategy for MEDA which would not harm the existing networks and allow the whole value chain to continue sustainably. Expected learning outcomes To appreciate the complexity of value chain development while understanding the benefits and opportunities they offer. To understand the importance of sustainability and how this can be achieved using market tools. To grasp the concept of exit strategies in the context of development projects and explore various ways these can be structured. To identify the impact of culture on business environment. Integrating the poor into thriving markets. Business as a development tool. Supplementary materials Teaching notes


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Kunal K. Ganguly ◽  
Siddharth Rai

Subject area The subject area of the case is operations management and capacity planning. The case adopts different operation strategies to use the idle capacity. Study level/applicability The case study is suitable for discussion in masters level classes. The case explains the situation of a company which is fighting for its survival. The case reveals the alternative operations strategies it applies to maximize its capacity utilization and reduce its costs. Case overview The case describes a paper producing company which is earning low margins. The company’s capacity remains unused during the off-seasons. The company then plans to share its capacity with another dying industry. Both the companies plan to cooperate and share resources. However, there are other attractive alternatives too and the dilemma situations leave the gap for continuous discussions. Expected learning outcomes The case aims at providing potential alternatives to the students and initiating healthy discussions. The students will be able to understand the capacity utilization dilemmas and applicability of the operations strategy concept in practice. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.


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