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Chao, Raul O.

Fundamentals of Process Improvement: A Brief Background of Process Improvement

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1666 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the fundamentals of process improvement, including a brief background on process improvement, the basic elements of a process-improvement program, ... Read More

Fundamentals of Operations Strategy: The Balanced Scorecard

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1639 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the fundamentals of operations strategy, including basic competitive dimensions, productivity measurements, understanding productivity as a relativ... Read More

Bottlenecks and Utilization: Bottlenecks

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1648 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on understanding bottlenecks and learning how to identify one, and on measuring resource and capacity utilization. While designed to be used together,... Read More

Fundamentals of Process Improvement: Tools Used in Process Improvement

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1668 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the fundamentals of process improvement, including a brief background on process improvement, the basic elements of a process-improvement program, ... Read More

Fundamentals of Operations Strategy: Competitive Dimensions

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1636 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the fundamentals of operations strategy, including basic competitive dimensions, productivity measurements, understanding productivity as a relativ... Read More

Fundamentals of Process Improvement: Elements of Process-Improvement Systems

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1667 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the fundamentals of process improvement, including a brief background on process improvement, the basic elements of a process-improvement program, ... Read More

Fundamentals of Operations Strategy: Productivity

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1637 | Published September 25, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the fundamentals of operations strategy, including basic competitive dimensions, productivity measurements, understanding productivity as a relativ... Read More

Bottlenecks and Utilization: Resource Utilization

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1649 | Published September 25, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on understanding bottlenecks and learning how to identify one, and on measuring resource and capacity utilization. While designed to be used together,... Read More

Bottlenecks and Utilization: Capacity 2

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1650 | Published September 25, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on understanding bottlenecks and learning how to identify one, and on measuring resource and capacity utilization. While designed to be used together,... Read More

Product and Process: The Product–Process Matrix

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1654 | Published September 22, 2025 | 4 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on product and process considerations, including product and process life cycles, the product–process matrix, the focused factory, and factory physics... Read More

Product and Process: Product and Process Life Cycles

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1653 | Published September 22, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on product and process considerations, including product and process life cycles, the product–process matrix, the focused factory, and factory physics... Read More

Product and Process: The Focused Factory

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1655 | Published September 22, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on product and process considerations, including product and process life cycles, the product–process matrix, the focused factory, and factory physics... Read More

Product and Process: Factory Physics

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1656 | Published September 22, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on product and process considerations, including product and process life cycles, the product–process matrix, the focused factory, and factory physics... Read More

Strategic Capacity Management: Economies of Scale and Scope

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1657 | Published September 18, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on strategic capacity management, including economies of scale and scope, the make-or-buy decision, and dynamic capacity expansion. While designed to ... Read More

Current State: Resource Availability

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1645 | Published September 18, 2025 | 1 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on on understanding and learning how to describe the current state of a process, including resource availability, cycle time, and an introduction to c... Read More

Current State: Cycle Time

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1646 | Published September 18, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on on understanding and learning how to describe the current state of a process, including resource availability, cycle time, and an introduction to c... Read More

Current State: Capacity 1

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1647 | Published September 18, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on on understanding and learning how to describe the current state of a process, including resource availability, cycle time, and an introduction to c... Read More

Strategic Capacity Management: Capacity Growth Planning—Make or Buy?

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1658 | Published September 18, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on strategic capacity management, including economies of scale and scope, the make-or-buy decision, and dynamic capacity expansion. While designed to ... Read More

Strategic Capacity Management: Capacity Growth Planning—Dynamic Expansion

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1659 | Published September 18, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on strategic capacity management, including economies of scale and scope, the make-or-buy decision, and dynamic capacity expansion. While designed to ... Read More

Forecasting: Moving Averages

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1664 | Published September 04, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the basics of forecasting, including demand forecasting basics, moving averages, and fitting a curve. While designed to be used together, these thr... Read More

Matching Capacity and Demand

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1651 | Published September 04, 2025 | 1 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on basic techniques for matching capacity and demand, including shifting resources and reducing cycle time by changing the work content of the tasks. ... Read More

Matching Capacity and Demand: Load Balancing

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1652 | Published September 04, 2025 | 4 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on basic techniques for matching capacity and demand, including shifting resources and reducing cycle time by changing the work content of the tasks. ... Read More

Lean Manufacturing

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1661 | Published September 04, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on Lean manufacturing and just-in-time (JIT) production. While designed to be used together, these two notes can also be used as stand-alone documents... Read More

Just-in-Time Production

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1662 | Published September 04, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on Lean manufacturing and just-in-time (JIT) production. While designed to be used together, these two notes can also be used as stand-alone documents... Read More

Forecasting: Fitting a Curve

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1665 | Published September 04, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the basics of forecasting, including demand forecasting basics, moving averages, and fitting a curve. While designed to be used together, these thr... Read More

Forecasting: Demand Forecasting

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1663 | Published September 04, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the basics of forecasting, including demand forecasting basics, moving averages, and fitting a curve. While designed to be used together, these thr... Read More

Process Fundamentals: The Process Flow Unit

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1644 | Published September 03, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on process fundamentals, including process analysis, process flow diagrams, and the process flow unit. While designed to be used together, these three... Read More

Process Fundamentals: Process Flow Diagrams

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1643 | Published September 03, 2025 | 7 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on process fundamentals, including process analysis, process flow diagrams, and the process flow unit. While designed to be used together, these three... Read More

Operations and Financial Performance: How Operations Management Decisions Affect the Balance Sheet

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1634 | Published September 03, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the links between operations and firm performance, including how operations management decisions impact the financial performance metrics and finan... Read More

Operations and Financial Performance: How Operations Management Drives Performance

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1632 | Published September 03, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the links between operations and firm performance, including how operations management decisions impact the financial performance metrics and finan... Read More

Operations and Financial Performance: How Operations Management Affects the Profit-and-Loss Statement

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1633 | Published September 03, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on the links between operations and firm performance, including how operations management decisions impact the financial performance metrics and finan... Read More

Process Fundamentals: Process Analysis and Process Definition

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1642 | Published September 03, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note is part of a set that focuses on process fundamentals, including process analysis, process flow diagrams, and the process flow unit. While designed to be used together, these three... Read More

Managing Customer Lead Time

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1660 | Published September 03, 2025 | 4 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note focuses on managing customer lead time, including presenting a basic definition of throughput time and then working in detail through two examples of how to calculate throughput ti... Read More

Southwest Airlines: The Next Frontier (JAPANESE)

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.; Feldman, Pnina

OM-1843 | Published June 18, 2025 | 12 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

This is a Japanese translation of the February 13, 2025 version of UVA-OM-1816. In June 2024, Elliott Investment Management L.P. (EIM) purchased a $1.9 billion stake in Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), r... Read More

Autonomous Mobile Robot Implementation Checklist

Chao, Raul O.; Escobio, Andrea

OM-1832 | Published May 08, 2025 | 2 pages. Exercise

Collection: Darden School of Business

Implementing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) requires careful planning and execution to ensure they integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. A comprehensive checklist such as this one can help st... Read More

ZIPS: Growth Through Industry Decline

Chao, Raul O.; Kang, Cindy; Sauro, Alessandra

OM-1821 | Published April 24, 2025 | 17 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

In 2013, JPB Partners purchased ZIPS Cleaners, a low-cost dry-cleaning brand. Ten years later, facing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as rising labor rates and increased regulation, JPB m... Read More

How to Prototype a Prototype

Chao, Raul O.

OM-1837 | Published April 15, 2025 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

The goal of prototyping is to iterate as much as possible through build-and-learn or problem-solution-experiment cycles. This brief note provides some definitions and a strategy to employ when working... Read More

The North Fork Innovation District and the Route 29 Innovation Corridor

Chao, Raul O.; Jorgensen, Seiver

OM-1829 | Published April 11, 2025 | 9 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Innovation districts are a real estate development phenomenon changing research parks across America and in other parts of the world. Whereas in many research parks, workers arrive at their jobs in th... Read More

Autonomous Mobile Robots and Amazon Operations

Chao, Raul O.; Escobio, Andrea

OM-1831 | Published April 01, 2025 | 10 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

This case explores the strategic and operational implications of expanding the use of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon), beyond warehouse automation, moving into last-mile d... Read More

A Step-by-Step Guide to Process Analysis

Chao, Raul O.; Markou, Panos

OM-1797 | Published March 26, 2025 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note provides a step-by-step approach to process analysis through an iterative framework. The framework begins with defining a high-level objective that is aligned with competitive stra... Read More

Southwest Airlines: The Next Frontier

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.; Feldman, Pnina

OM-1816 | Published February 13, 2025 | 9 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

In June 2024, Elliott Investment Management L.P. (EIM) purchased a $1.9 billion stake in Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), representing approximately 11.3% of LUV’s market capitalization, making EIM and V... Read More

Can Zara Fast-Forward Fashion?

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.; Feldman, Pnina

OM-1817 | Published February 13, 2025 | 12 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Zara, one of the brands under global retail apparel company Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. (Inditex), made its name in the 1990s as the leader in fast fashion by pioneering a new product-development... Read More

Experimentation and Prototyping Exercise: Float Your Boat

Chao, Raul O.

OM-1789 | Published January 31, 2023 | 2 pages. Exercise

Collection: Darden School of Business

The purpose of this exercise is to allow students to engage in a hands-on prototyping and testing exercise. Students are asked to form teams and create a prototype boat that can float on water carryin... Read More

How Operations Impacts Financial Performance

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1779 | Published October 24, 2022 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This note explains the building blocks of common financial performance metrics and show how operations affect those metrics. Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are two key measures of t... Read More

ZS Associates: Refilling the Pipeline

Chao, Raul O.; Grushka-Cockayne, Yael; Markou, Panos; Hattem, Joshua

OM-1775 | Published September 01, 2022 | 16 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

ZS Associates, a global consultancy, has been hired by the head of marketing at the global pharmaceutical firm Rensselaer to identify a promising strategy to protect and grow Rensselaer’s oncology bus... Read More

Product–Market Alignment

Goldberg, Rebecca; Katz, Arnon; Chao, Raul O.; Markou, Panos; Kelly, A. Morgan

OM-1706 | Published April 19, 2022 | 12 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

The ability to achieve product–market alignment (PMA) differentiates businesses that will thrive from those that will fail. Yet many find it difficult to create—and sustain—products that continuously ... Read More

Product Development at StubHub: Don't Stop Believin'

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.; Markou, Panos

OM-1705 | Published April 18, 2022 | 12 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Arnie Katz, chief product and technology officer at StubHub (SH), was helping to lead a contest intended to result in innovative and valuable new ideas. Product managers presented more than 100 new bu... Read More

The Production System Frontier

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1588 | Published December 07, 2017 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note covers the concept of the production system frontier. This includes understanding how best practices influence the production system frontier, and providing some examples of how yo... Read More

Production Systems

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.

OM-1587 | Published December 07, 2017 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note covers the fundamental issues that deal with production systems. This includes providing a definition of a production system, explaining how production systems work, and reviewing ... Read More

What Is Operations Management?

Chao, Raul O.

OM-1586 | Published December 07, 2017 | 3 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note outlines some basic concepts in operations management. This includes defining exactly what operations management is all about, explaining the key components of operations managemen... Read More

Innovation Strategy at Microsoft: Clouds on the Horizon (RUSSIAN)

Chao, Raul O.; Kavadias, Stylianos (Stelios)

OM-1751 | Published November 08, 2017 | 19 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

This is the Russian translation for the Sept. 16, 2011 version of UVA-OM-1387. Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next... Read More

Defining Problems and Opportunities in New Product Development (Part 1)

Chao, Raul O.; Hutchison-Krupat, Jeremy; Stevenson, Donald

OM-1579 | Published August 11, 2017 | 2 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

Developing new products and services is an iterative process that involves (1) identifying a problem or opportunity that needs to be addressed, (2) generating concepts or solutions that address the pr... Read More

The Ins and Outs of Open Innovation

Chao, Raul O.

OM-1495 | Published May 16, 2013 | 5 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

This technical note explores open innovation--initiatives that are executed with organizations or individuals outside the typical boundaries of the R&D organization. Through a broadening of the interp... Read More

Prototyping Exercise

Chao, Raul O.; Hutchison-Krupat, Jeremy

OM-1470 | Published April 27, 2012 | 2 pages. Exercise

Collection: Darden School of Business

This team-based class exercise provides hands-on prototyping experience. Teams are to run prototype vehicles made of interlocking blocks through a series of rounds. Emphasis is placed on the iterative... Read More

Arcadia Medical Center: Emergency Department Crowding (A)

Chao, Raul O.; Terry, Courtney

OM-1468 | Published April 25, 2012 | 10 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Arcadia Medical Center’s newly appointed medical director of operations for the department of emergency medicine has noticed a gradual increase in the length of time it takes for patients to be seen a... Read More

Arcadia Medical Center: Emergency Department Crowding (B)

Chao, Raul O.; Terry, Courtney

OM-1469 | Published April 25, 2012 | 4 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

In this B case, the emergency department crowding team analyzes and summarizes the data presented in the A case, and then proceeds to collect qualitative data on 15 different issues known to cause del... Read More

Husk Power Systems: Scaling Up a Start-Up

Goldberg, Rebecca; Chao, Raul O.; Sinha, Manoj

OM-1415 | Published October 11, 2011 | 9 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Husk Power Systems (HPS) provides technologies that generate and distribute electrical power to rural villages in India. Since 2007, HPS has installed 60 mini power plants that power 25,000 households... Read More

Innovation Strategy at Microsoft: Clouds on the Horizon

Chao, Raul O.; Kavadias, Stylianos (Stelios)

OM-1387 | Published June 16, 2011 | 17 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next version of Windows or Office is easy for Microsoft, but the company has strugg... Read More

United States Patent and Trademark Office: Closing the Gap on Pendency in Class 705 Business Methods

Chao, Raul O.; McCray, Lauran

OM-1358 | Published November 25, 2008 | 26 pages. Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) experiences overwhelming demand for patents in Class 705: Business Methods. The current resources and process design are not sufficient to handle ... Read More

United Beverages: Product Development Genius or One-Hit-Wonder?

Chao, Raul O.; Kavadias, Stylianos (Stelios)

OM-1335 | Published November 15, 2007 | 11 pages. Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

United Beverages' first product, GangBusters Interactive Beverages, has reached the stage of wide brand recognition. However, over the past 12 months, growth has stalled and the product development te... Read More