Case Study Approach

Helps to develop:
- Group Working (Sharing personal knowledge and experiences)
- Individual study skill( Independent research outside of the
lecture/tutorial ewnvironment)

- Time Management- ( How best to carry out the work so that it is

completed as per set guidelines) - Presentation Skills- ( Presenting the work in various formats like oral presentation, ppt, articles, posters, reports)

- Practical skills- (Some case studies involve practical work on the

components of case study. It is an hands on approach that adds value in learning)

Typical cases
-Typical cases describe situations involving typical environments, issues related to management systems, organisations,and, processes -Cases create awareness in a conceptual domain and help to ask right questions about the situation identifying issues is usually harder than finding suitable answers - In a real life situation ,gathering useful facts and opinions is a part of problem solving process -A case is a depiction of what had happened; real problems are dynamic attempt to solve one problem can easily create another problem - A case focuses on the certain aspect of problem say, distribution system o0r organization and tends to omit other elements of the real situations. In real situation, elements might be interfaced with problems relating to competition, employees, government regulations etc. -Learners are asked to make decisions concerning cases but they are not responsible for implementing their decisions

Guidelines to analyse cases

-Go through the case to determine what the case is about and the type of information you are given. In particular ,look at the first few paragraphs at the beginning and at the end of the case and the exhibit, if provided. -Read the case carefully, visualize the situation ; put yourself in the place ; become involved with the situation. -Review the case and sort the relevant facts by the problem(s) to which they relate - Develop recommendations and use your analysis of the case to support them - Extend the learning to other cases you are familiar with

Problem Definition
Problem definition is a critical step in the analysis process. Sometimes problems are stated explicitly; sometimes they can be inferred from casual comments and observations. Sometimes, a symptom is given ( Distribution cost is very high) and the underdetermined fundamental problem must be determined and defined to address the core and explicit issue. The scope of the problem should be realistic and within the managers scope of authority. A broad question (Should we sell the plant and relocate elsewhere?) is unrealistic, if the manager in the case is not in a position to make such decisions Having defined the problem, list relevant factors for analysis. Support your views and recommendations with convincing facts and arguments Dont Judge your progress by whether your ideas were right or wrong. Judge it by how much you have learned from analysis and your experience of dealing with a case.

Typical Issues in analysis of SCM case studies

The following issues need to be addressed: Organizational strategy Inventory strategy Marketing strategy Pricing strategy Location strategy Distribution strategy Customer service strategy Information management strategy Supplier management strategy Information integration strategy Reverse logistic strategy

Aspects to be covered in a typical case:

Organizational Profile Location , History, Product range People profile Product profile Market and Environment Information Systems

THANKS