Product Overview

Describes the startup of a new manufacturing facility in China, to serve the China market, previously served by a field sales force and imported products. Plant, which incorporates state-of-art manufacturing technology, attains world-class status in manufacturing shortly after startup, but increased competition and sales stagnation in China market offer new challenges. The vice president of Asian Operations desires to use the new manufacturing facility as a competitive weapon and must integrate more closely with Sales and Marketing. Case is designed for a course in Operations Strategy or International Business; can be used to illustrate issues associated with plant startups in China, and issues related to Marketing and Manufacturing interaction.