"OptiGuard. Inc.: Series A-Round Term Sheet" focuses on an entrepreneur in the cybersecurity industry who is attempting raise a first round of venture financing in November 2015. To date, the firm has been unsuccessful in attracting funding from venture capitalists (VCs) and has instead relied on a small seed round from local investors. With funds running short, the entrepreneur is again attemptin
In October 2012, Australian media giant Nine Entertainment Company (NEC) was in the midst of a major debt renegotiation that would determine whether the company received a renewed chance to survive and thrive or faced a long and potentially costly insolvency proceeding. Six years earlier, private equity firm CVC Partners (CVC) had taken a controlling position in NEC, culminating by 2008 in one of
Video 12 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 11 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 10 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 9 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 8 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 7 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 6 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 5 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 4 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 3 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 2 in the Random Walk video series.
Video 1 in the Random Walk video series.
Although it can be used as a standalone, this simulation is designed for use in conjunction with the case of the same name (UVA-QA-0355). Student teams select prices over several periods with the objective of maximizing contribution. The simulation is usually conducted prior to a discussion of the case. The simulation is web-based and simple for instructors to administer. Complete results are auto
In October 2016, Timothy Sloan, the newly appointed CEO of American banking giant Wells Fargo, faced a massive public-relations crisis. A few weeks earlier, a United States government agency had announced the results of its regulatory review of the bank and exposed a shocking practice common in the retail division, in which aggressive community bankers had created more than a million fraudulent ac
Dooly County Doughnuts (DCD), a south Georgia based doughnut shop, faces capacity issues as its sales continue to grow. As its doughnuts continue to increase in popularity, DCD must gain a better understanding of its current operational capacity. The DCD case captures three key concepts: capacity analysis, batches/setup times, and Little's Law. In particular, the case works well as a first time in
This case can be taught alone or as an epilogue to "Impact Makers (A): The Newman's Own of Management Consulting" (UVA-F-1797). The case is based on Impact Makers, an IT consulting company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company focus on creating value for a community led to an innovative corporate structure where original founders of the firm hold all voting rights, while the cash flow r
Design thinking challenges the myth that innovation and the creative process can only result when people with a special gift lead the way. This playlist comprises 22 videos that were created from the Design Thinking course at the Darden School. Developed by Jeanne Liedtka, they can be used either as a stand-alone instructional activity or with case studies that focus on a specific design challenge
The owner of Hamilton's has provided his CPA with all the company's invoices, bank statements, and a lot of other miscellaneous business-related information for the company's second year. He has asked the CPA to reconstruct, in summary form, all the company's second-year transactions and to create an income statement for its second year of operations and a balance sheet at the end of that year.
This note provides an introduction to operational systems thinking using the language of stocks and flows and guided by a scientific method-based mapping process. Operational mental models link explicit cause-and-effect relationships to the dynamics (behaviors over time) that unfold within the system. Such mental models improve students' ability to mentally simulate how different interventions in
This case requires students to evaluate alternative dual-share-class corporate structures that allow companies and entrepreneurs to pursue profit with purpose. The case explores Impact Makers, an IT consulting company based in Richmond, Virginia. While original founders of the firm hold all voting rights, the cash flow rights belong to two nonprofits setting the stage for a Newman's Own model of m
This note describes the application of queuing theory to planning work-force requirements in service operations. A step-by-step method is outlined and applied to several examples using tables and charts--not queuing-theory formulas. Eleven assignment problems are included in the note. This note and related materials can be used as part of the Workforce Planning Module.
Set in late 2016, this case recounts the remarkable performance record of Blue Chip Growth Fund (BCGF), a mutual fund managed by Larry Puglia at T. Rowe Price, Inc. The case describes the investment style of Puglia, whose record with BCGF had on average outperformed the S&P 500 since the inception of the fund in 1993. The tasks for the student are to assess the performance of the fund, consider th
Ella Zhang, a talented fashion designer, established an online presence through Taobao and WeChat in 2013. Over the following four years, she tested online advertising tools and honed her marketing to young urban women in China's first-tier cities, primarily by shifting to the Weibo platform. Through the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017, her sales continued to grow but her marketing expenses wer
"Marketing Analytics Resource Allocation" is an introduction to and overview of how marketing analytics can be used to measure the impact of marketing. In this series on optimizing marketing resources, Raj Venkatesan uses predictive analytics to address topics including customer retention, customer acquisition, brand recognition, and customer lifetime value.
Videos in this playlist: Why Marketing
This is a four-part case series.
In 2012, Leigh Nicholson, a self-employed IT consultant with a successful career that had spanned South Africa, Dubai, and London under her belt, joined forces with three friends to form Hanging Gardens, a cottage business that sold homemade hanging plant holders in their local suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, on the weekends. After spending the summer introducin
This is a four-part case series.
In 2012, Leigh Nicholson, a self-employed IT consultant with a successful career that had spanned South Africa, Dubai, and London under her belt, joined forces with three friends to form Hanging Gardens, a cottage business that sold homemade hanging plant holders in their local suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, on the weekends. After spending the summer introducin
This is a four-part case series.
In 2012, Leigh Nicholson, a self-employed IT consultant with a successful career that had spanned South Africa, Dubai, and London under her belt, joined forces with three friends to form Hanging Gardens, a cottage business that sold homemade hanging plant holders in their local suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, on the weekends. After spending the summer introducin
This is a four-part case series.
In 2012, Leigh Nicholson, a self-employed IT consultant with a successful career that had spanned South Africa, Dubai, and London under her belt, joined forces with three friends to form Hanging Gardens, a cottage business that sold homemade hanging plant holders in their local suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, on the weekends. After spending the summer introducin
Marketing strategy, part of the marketing planning process, flows directly from a company's goals and helps define how the marketing organization will help the firm achieve its objectives. Marketing strategy is guided by the goals and objectives of the organization, the business unit, or the particular product or service for which the plan is developed. The choice of which marketing strategy (or
This case details the history of Southwest Airlines (LUV) and emphasizes the benefits of a focused strategy. The case demonstrates how a competent service strategy together with operations efficiency can lead to profit, and it explains the concept of an integrated approach tying together the customer value proposition with operational and human resource capabilities. At the time of the case, LUV m
The owner of a Cape Town, South Africa-based business, Sarak Wholesale Supplies, struggles to manage his cash flow and get his inventory under control (Sarak Wholesale has no formal order-cycle process). To improve the level of service Sarak Wholesale provided to its clients, he would need to formalize its ordering procedures.
Focused ultrasound (FUS) technology is an early stage, noninvasive therapeutic technology with the potential to transform the treatment of many medical disorders by using ultrasonic energy to target tissue deep in the body without incisions or radiation. The technology had the potential to improve outcomes and decrease costs by serving as an alternative or complement to surgery, radiation therapy,
This note contains some tips and best practices that drive effective nonprofit boards. The note will also examine the key responsibilities of nonprofit boards, and identify gaps in the effectiveness of these boards.
This case describes a common situation in old buildings, namely the decision as to whether intall an elevator. In this armchair case, we have an apartment building in Budapest with 24 homeowners with a possible interest adding an elevator to the walk-up building. The case begins by discussing serveral ways to fairly distribute the cost if the elevator is approved. One way is an equal split. The se
On October 25, 2016, Timothy J. Sloan, the new CEO of Wells Fargo bank, apologized to 1,200 of his employees in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sloan had been named to the company's top position two weeks earlier, when then-CEO John Stumpf resigned amid fallout from the banking scandal for which Sloan apologized. In September, Wells Fargo had agreed to a $185 million settlement with the Consumer Financ
Nonprofits are facing a growing challenge to retain donors. At a time when acquiring a new donor is three times as expensive as retaining an existing donor and donor attrition stands at an all-time high, nonprofits are looking to increase the lifetime value of their donors. This case presents a new means by which nonprofits can induce donors to give today and commit to giving in the future. The po
This case follows the financial-statement forecasting decisions of a Deutsche Bank research analyst for the natural and organic retailer Whole Foods Market in May 2014. Students evaluate the associated financial ratios with the forecast to ascertain whether the industry dynamics and company strategy are consistent with the forecast. The case expressly focuses on the asset side of the balance sheet
In March 2014, Marco and Nicola were anxious. They were preparing for a meeting that would be vital to the future of Paolo Babini, a social cooperative that they led, that served the people of Forl?, Italy. Due to a 30% cut in Paulo Babini's funding, Marco and Nicola were going to pitch a new project to the cooperative's supervisory board that would help the organization become more financially se
