Case Studies
Great for research, training, or teaching these informative case studies provide quality operational, tactical, and strategic decisions and solutions to supply chain management processes. These real-world case studies cover a variety of supply chain disciplines giving you an exclusive insight into the SCM process of leading organizations.
There’s more! Every year CSCMP recognizes organizations with flawless supply chain processes, either through innovative technology or well-designed procedures, through CSCMP’s Supply Chain Innovation Award. Gain valuable insight from the best in the profession, view the winner’s case studies.
Designed For Academics
The following case studies are designed for a classroom or training session. With using current research on real-world industry challenges, but without supplying the solution, this makes a great tool for prompting your students or your employees to use their own ideas on how they would solve the stated problem. Each case study is accompanied by teaching notes and the solution. The teaching notes are available to academics and practitioners. To request the teaching notes please contact education@cscmp.org, to learn the guidelines of receiving your answer key.
Interested in providing a case study for education or training? View the guidelines for academic case submissions.
NEW – 2008 The Clorox Company
Remko van Hoek, Cranfield School of Management
This case study explains what happened when a growing company added several products to their portfolio to fuel company growth but experienced an underperformance on their products as a result. The CFO strategically came up with better and smarter ways to obtain growth.
NEW - 2008 Bertelsmann China: Supply Chains for Books (A)
Stephan M. Wagner, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management,
Viviane Heldt, Katrin Lentschig and Jennifer Meyer
This case Bertelsmann China: Supply Chains for Books (A) focuses on one of the world’s leading media companies to illustrate a widespread problem in the supply chain strategy in extremely fast-growing markets. You will learn about the basic challenges of supply chain strategy in an international context.
NEW - 2008 Bertelsmann China: Supply Chains for Books (B)
Stephan M. Wagner, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management,
Andreas Breiter and Gunnar Froh
This case study is situated in China in the beginning of 2006. Bertelsmann Direct Group, the Chinese subsidiary of the worldwide Bertelsmann AG, is one of the leading book retailers in the country. Supply chain management is essential for success in retailing, which is why Bertelsmann puts a lot of effort into the optimization of its supply chain design. The case provides a thorough analytical process towards the calculation of logistics costs and supply chain network optimization.
NEW - 2008 Procurement Contract Design Challenges at the Norwegian Railway Company
Tim Coltman, University of Wollongong, Nidthida Perm-Ajchariyawong, and Timothy M. Devinney
This case study shows how the static approach to contract design fails to deal with problems arising from flawed human biases; illustrates the benefits of a process-based approach that shows how firms can adjust contracts on an ongoing basis and evolve from complete to less complete forms of contract governance; and last, shows that the process mapping activities provide the catalyst for greater collaboration that is critical to new catering contract success.
NEW - 2008 Jim’s Good Time Creams
Matthew Waller, University of Arkansas and Nirmal Devarajan
The purpose of the case is to encourage analysis and discussion regarding the application of many fundamental logistics concepts to direct store delivery (DSD) as well as familiarizing the students with typical DSD business processes.
easyInternet Café
David Menachof, City University
This case offers an examination of the operational and logistics challenges faced by service providers with multiple site locations and addresses the added complexity of managing franchisees. For: Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate Students.
CPFR Texan Foods
Chad Autry, Texas Christian University
The company has just completed an initial CPFR pilot with mixed results. Angela Preston, a senior inventory manager with experience in the retail industry prior to her current position, truly believes that with the right supplier, right products, and by adopting a process orientation to CPFR, the project will deliver significant benefit to the company. For: Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate Students.
UPS Case
Remko van Hoek, Cranfield School of Management
Dialog: The Evolution of the Logistics Function Bid Proposal
This case examines the challenges faced, and lessons learned, by United Parcel Service as they made the transition to including 4PLs in their supply chain model.
Practitioner Case Studies
A perfect tool to use for research or training your staff. These best-practice case studies provide innovative solutions to some of supply chain’s toughest challenges.
Alpargatas S.A.
2000 Alpargatas Case - (110K)
2000 Alpargatas Spreadsheet
Dialog: The Evolution of the Logistics Function Bid Proposal
The case study goes through the motions of the transformation of Alparagatas S.A.'.s central distribution operation into a true third party logistics company.
ATP Haulage Company
2000 ATP Haulage Case - (117K)
Logistics Decisions for Restructuring
This case study addresses the problems facing a road haulage company in a formerly centrally-planned economy as it goes through a re-appraisal of its role, and of its future emphases.
Baxter
1996 Baxter Case
1996 Baxter Exhibit
This case demonstrates how purchasing, traffic, and distribution functions have been affected by shifting regulatory regimes, emerging markets, competition, and the changing economics of the health industry.
Coastal Logistics, Inc.
1999 Coastal Logistics Case - (41K)
Establishing Third Party Logistics Services
This case reviews startup 3PL operations at Coastal Logistics, Inc. (CLI) a provider of logistics services to offshore petroleum platform operators in the gulf of Mexico, where usually each petroleum company provides its logistics services in-house.
E-Business Study
2001 E-Business Study - (42K)
Figure 1, 3-6 Figure 2
E-Business Tables 1- 8
This case study examines the strategy of two significant total service providers that are taking completely different approaches to their development: 1) technology approach, represented by Electron Economy, a highly regarded start-up and 2) operations approach.
Ergonomics, Inc.
1997 Ergonomics Case - (759K)
Ergonomics, a $100 million dollar company, is currently developing a new office furniture product that is faced with major environmental production and sourcing issues.
Guinness
1998 Guinness Case - (1.74MB)
The case introduces the reader to co-managed inventory, as a stand-alone activity and as part of a wider efficiency consumer response program.
IKARUS Vehicle Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
1997 IKARUS Case - (1072K)
This case study uncovers the effects that a transition to a market-oriented (rather than centrally-planned) national economy, the need for privatization of industry, and recovery from the collapse of the Communist bloc can have on day-to-day business at an automotive body and coach manufacturer.
Jewel Box, The
1996 The Jewel Box Case - (89K)
A Life Cycle Case Study
Marks & Spencer Study
2001 Marks & Spencer Case - (208K)
The case examines the events leading up to the retailer’s fall from grace, it’s management’s efforts to put things right and the results of their endeavors.
Saturn Case Study
1996 Saturn - (83K)
This case focuses on the transportation of finished vehicles from Saturn’s Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant to Saturn retailers in the United States. The case provides insight into the delivery process, the objectives of the process stakeholders, and the performance of the current system.
Schott Zeiss
1999 Schott-Zeiss Case - (106K)
The case puts students in the position of senior managers at the Schott-Zeiss Group at the beginning of 1993 when management and the mechanics group discussed plans to implement a concept of consolidation of demand throughout their system of multiplant decentralized production and procurement.
SMART (Car) and Smart Logistics
2000 Smart Car - (133K)
A case study in designing and managing an innovative de-integrated supply chain.
Toyota Motor
2000 Toyota Case - (89K)
Expendable versus Returnable Shipping Containers at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc.
This case illustrates the debate surrounding the decision to use expendable or returnable shipping containers at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana.
Toys "R" Us
1996 Toys R Us Case - (83K)
Japan Study
The case describes the growth of Toys "R" Us (TRU) as the leading U.S. toy retailer to its international expansion and entry into Japan.
Walls (China) Co., Ltd.
1997 Walls China Case - (405K)
Logistics Operations Startup
This case reviews the business and cultural challenges faced in mid 1994 by Unilever’s Walls (China) Co., Ltd., as it started manufacturing and selling ice cream in China.
