Companies in every industry, including both manufacturers and service providers, must make decisions about their operational footprint -the amount of building space required for business needs such as storing inventory and equipment and providing work areas for employees. Changes to the existing...

In 2008 Intel released a low-power and low-cost microprocessor that opened up a new market for smaller mobile computers, commonly known as netbooks. During the subsequent two years, netbooks have grown to be a substantial component of the mobile computer industry, capturing a major share of...

Call centers are important for developing and maintaining healthy relationships with customers. At Dell, call centers are also at the core of the company's renowned direct model. For sales call centers in particular, the impact of proper operations is reflected not only in long-term...

The convergence of the information age with an improved understanding of the effects humans have on the environment provides exciting new opportunities to improve our impact on the world. Though modem companies collect and store an increasing amount of environmental data, it often remains locked...

As companies attempt to remain competitive throughout increasing market forces, many firms develop key operational strategies to differentiate themselves. One method that many companies such as Amazon, Dell, and Toyota, have established a competitive advantage through is supply chain management...

This thesis explores business opportunities in the "smart grid" environment for the Power Electronics Global Product Group (PE GPG) of ABB, Ltd. The goal of this thesis is three-fold: 1) Provide a detailed definition of the smart grid landscape. 2) Create a framework for decision makers in the...

Typically a company's second largest controllable expense, corporate travel affects many employees at Boeing. A challenge when implementing improvements in the travel and expense system, which is actually comprised of a system of systems, is the coordination of various solutions to ensure...

As a consumer packaged goods company, "Company X" manufactures products "make-to-stock"; therefore, having reliable demand forecasts is fundamental for successful planning and execution. Not isolated to "Company X" or to the CPG industry, current global economic conditions have forced companies...

For many biotech drugs, minimal competition has led to significant margins. Genentech's legacy product, however, faces intense competition from six other competitors. Competition necessitates contracting to ensure patient access to the product but this results in price erosion. An increase in...

Intel's current demand-forecasting processes rely on customers' demand forecasts. Customers do not revise demand forecasts as demand decreases until the last minute. Intel's current demand models provide little guidance for judging customer orders when the market changes. As a result, during the...