In November 2005, World Peace Industrial Group was at an important milestone as it prepared to join two other major electronics components distributors to form the WPG Holdings and become a dominant player in its industry. As its chief executive officer prepared for the merger, it became apparent that the company’s financial position was threatened by inventory management and forecasting problems. Although sales and market share were increasing, profit .....more

Teaching note for product 9B16D024.

Excel spreadsheet for instructors.

Alara Agri, based in Bursa, Turkey, is one of the world's foremost cherry and fig producers. The president and chief executive officer (CEO) was concerned about a recurring capacity problem at the end of the process where cherries were packed. On some of the plant's conveyor belts, piles of cherries of one size waited to be packed while other belts had too few cherries to keep workers busy, and thus delayed order fulfillment. Diverting excess .....more

If the participation of labour in management decisions leads to a more responsive, better-run GM and Chrysler, then this economic recession will have yielded a proud legacy, proof that management-labour cooperation really does work. This author believes that the time has come for such cooperation to roll down the assembly line. He also suggests tried and true work practices that will create efficiencies, and in the end, build an enduring trust.

The note on material requirements planning (MRP) explains MRP at an introductory level, indicates some of the essential ingredients for success, and suggests the implications for MRP adopters who are unable to provide them.

ForeFront Wood Products produces high quality wooden door-sets. The company faces capacity constraints and inefficiencies resulting from its processes and culture. As a consequence, it struggles to be profitable. ForeFront's parent company, ForeFront Holdings, plans an initial public offering in 2007. It has recently hired a new operations manager with the mandate to turn the factory around. As the operations manager begins his job he tours the .....more

Teaching note for product 9B06D020.

Teaching note for product 9B04D017.

CPSim2 is a Critical Path Simulator that runs under MS Windows. Participants use the simulator to manage the construction of an automated factory - a fairly complex, 43-activity project that must be completed in 107 days if penalties are to be avoided. As project manager, students must make effective trade-offs between the costs incurred by crashing (speeding up) activities, and the financial penalties for late completion. Unforeseen delays and speedups .....more