Teaching note for product W33379.

AutoNation Inc. (AutoNation), the largest auto dealership group in the United States, found itself in an envious position at the end of 2022. Sales and profits were at an all-time high, and AutoNation had a strong cash position and growth aspirations. However, the auto industry was undergoing changes, driven primarily by the electric vehicle (EV) revolution that was in full swing in early 2023. Committed to an EV future, original equipment manufacturers .....more

In 2014, Samuel Holmstrom and Jens Lundqvist took over Lundqvist Travaru, the conservative construction company owned by the Lundqvist family for the last 80 years. Through a revolutionary digital transformation process, they redefined the company as a technology-enabled logistics and building kit company. In the last eight years, they expanded operations and manufacturing space in Sweden and other parts of the world, and they added 52 new employees .....more

Teaching note for product W33535.

In 2021, Shein’s app was ranked as the most downloaded shopping app in the e-commerce space, surpassing that of the technology giant Amazon.com Inc. A driver of Shein’s high adoption was how it leveraged technology throughout its business model: from analyzing consumer data to designing garments and manufacturing products to shipping clothing in a timely manner, Shein disrupted the fast-fashion space through its use of information technology. With .....more

Teaching note for product W34176.

Many companies are very bad at hiring people—although they often don’t realize this—and they cannot get better if they don’t recognize that they need to improve. This note explores the common errors organizations make when attempting to hire employees and outlines the steps they should take to hire better and with improved diversity outcomes. The note is written from the perspective of someone who not only has interviewed thousands of job candidates .....more

Hairstrong sold hair scrunchies, and the business’s founder had experienced significant success since selling her first products in September 2019. Sales had reached CA$90,000, and media coverage came from outlets such as Good Morning America, Chatelaine, and Global News. However, the founder wanted to expand on the early success to double current total annual revenue and consider making Hairstrong her full-time occupation. This meant significantly .....more

Teaching note for product W34635.

In early 2023, the executive chef and owner of Craft Farmacy was considering the feasibility of expanding to a second location in Waterloo, Ontario. Craft Farmacy was a farm-to-table restaurant in London, Ontario that featured an upscale, rustic bistro style dining experience. During 2022, the owner had visited similar farm-to-table restaurants in the Kitchener-Waterloo region to verify his sales, investment, and cost assumptions; this data allowed .....more