July 2011 - Asian Business Cases

Un commentaire trimestriel présentant des études de cas provenant des archives de la Richard Ivey School of Business, offrant aux cadres et aux chercheurs un aperçu des défis à surmonter pour faire des affaires en Asie.

Volume 1, Issue 9, July 2011

Synnex Int'l: Transforming Distribution of High-tech Products

Synnex Technology International Corporation (Synnex) in Taiwan transformed itself from a local distributor of electronic components into a global logistic conglomerate of communication and information products between 1985 and 2007. The case analyzes the channel structure of electronic product distribution and explains how Synnex introduced innovative practices to transform its operation. It deals with fundamental issues related to distribution channel design and supply chain management. Learn More

Scotts Miracle-Gro: The Spreader Sourcing Decision

The Scotts Miracle-Gro company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products, with a full range of products for professional horticulture as well. Headquartered in Marysville, Ohio, the company is a market leader in a number of consumer lawn and garden and professional horticultural products. The case describes a series of decisions regarding the ownership and organization of the assets used to manufacture fertilizer spreaders. This case is intended to illustrate the application and tradeoffs between financial, strategic and operations perspectives in a relatively straightforward manufacturing "make-buy" decision. Learn More

Sanlu Group and the Tainted Milk Crisis

In late summer of 2008, a tainted milk scandal unfolded in China and shocked the world. Lethally high levels of melamine were detected in infant formula being sold on the market. Sanlu Group Inc., the core firm in the scandal, had manufactured a product containing melamine that was 5,125 times higher than the European Union (EU) safety units. All over the world, Chinese dairy products were recalled and banned. By December 2008, the official records indicated over 290,000 infants were sickened, 51,900 were hospitalized, and 11 deaths were suspected and three confirmed. By analyzing the lead-up and background to the scandal, the global reactions to the crisis, the Chinese political climate, can it be determined what could – and should - be done to prevent similar incidents of food and product safety issues in the future? Learn More

Commentary

Professor Hubert Pun is Assistant Professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.

Designing Upstream and Downstream Supply-chain Strategies in Asia

As supply chains of North American firms become increasingly global and Asia focused, efficient supply chain management is critical to the success of a company. The objective is for the firm to have a well-designed network of upstream suppliers and downstream retailers to satisfy customers' demands. In order to do this, firms must create incentives to align network members. Therefore, a firm must have a thorough understanding of the strategic incentives of both its suppliers and its retailers. In this article, Professor Hubert Pun will briefly review the expansion decision of a successful distributor and the thought process necessary for making a make/buy decision.