Author Profile
Weiss, Elliott N.
Mancala’s Pizza: Periodic Review
OM-1603 | Published June 28, 2021 | 1 pages. Exercise
Collection: Darden School of Business
This exercise introduces Walter Solomon, the general manager at Mancala’s Pizza Restaurant (Mancala’s), an upscale eat-in pizzeria known for using fresh, organic, and sustainable ingredients. In addit... Read More
Great Southern Bunk Beds, Inc.
OM-1604 | Published June 28, 2021 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this case, Matt Shomer, a 30-year-old owner-manager, wants to turn around the operations of Alpharetta, Georgia’s, Great Southern Bunk Beds, Inc. (GSBB). This manufacturer of high-quality custom-ma... Read More
Mancala’s Pizza: Continuous Review
OM-1602 | Published June 28, 2021 | 1 pages. Exercise
Collection: Darden School of Business
This exercise introduces Walter Solomon, the general manager at Mancala’s Pizza Restaurant (Mancala’s), an upscale eat-in pizzeria known for using fresh, organic, and sustainable ingredients. In addit... Read More
Olena Tischler: Health Care Operations Management Intern
Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1730 | Published June 01, 2021 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Olena Tischler is embarking on her midpoint MBA internship, a position she developed with Northeast Regional Healthcare. The internship is divided among the operations of three different clinics and i... Read More
Staffing at the Global Guidance Group
OM-1729 | Published April 27, 2021 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Makayla Nnadi, vice president of operations at the Global Guidance Group, must determine a staffing plan for the upcoming year. She must balance the costs of overstaffing with those of understaffin... Read More
Anna White: Lean Thinking at Acme Funding
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1720 | Published March 11, 2021 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Anna White, process engineer at Acme Funding (Acme), a mortgage-loan-processing company, is considering a redesign of the loan-closing process. She is evaluating a centralization/decentralization sys... Read More
Quincy Lake Clinic
Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1699 | Published October 16, 2020 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Olga Zimmerman was the clinical operations director of the Quincy Lake Clinic (QLC), a provider-based primary and specialty care clinic. For the past four months, Zimmerman had been learning her new r... Read More
A3 Thinking for Weight Loss
OM-1696 | Published August 07, 2020 | 8 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note describes the problem-solving process known as A3 Thinking through the lens of an individual's weight-loss efforts. The story is easy to understand and shows how the A3 process can... Read More
The Virginia Journal of International Law (B)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Taubenfeld, Britton
OM-1693 | Published July 31, 2020 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, a follow-up to "The Virginia Journal of International Law (A)" (UVA-OM-1640) continues the story of the Virginia Journal of International Law (VJIL), a student-edited law review at the Univ... Read More
The Virginia Journal of International Law (A)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Taubenfeld, Britton
OM-1640 | Published July 31, 2020 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Established in 1959, the Virginia Journal of International Law (VJIL) was a student-edited law review at the University of Virginia School of Law. It was among the world's most influential internation... Read More
Carlos Zuleta and Lean
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1690 | Published July 23, 2020 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case tells the story of Carlos Zuleta's philosophies toward Lean transformations in the country of Colombia. First, he describes the transformation at Porvenir, a Colombian private pension fund a... Read More
Using Catapults to Teach Concepts in Operations and Leadership Development
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1689 | Published May 19, 2020 | 12 pages. Exercise
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes an exercise that uses a publicly available educational catapult to cover topics in continuous process improvement and Lean initiatives. The exercise is highly flexible and adaptabl... Read More
Learning Team Muda Audit
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1688 | Published April 14, 2020 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case describes the meetings and development of a fictitious learning team at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. The purpose is to give students the opportunity to perfor... Read More
OYO Hotels USA: Coming to America
Weiss, Elliott N.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1641 | Published February 27, 2020 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case studies the growth of OYO Hotels (OYO) to illustrate the operational processes necessary to succeed in the service sector. The case allows for a discussion of employee- and customer-manageme... Read More
Standard Work in Developing Leaders: Rebecca Banquette, Coach
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1687 | Published February 25, 2020 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Rebecca Banquette, a recently hired executive coach and Lean consultant at a staffing firm in the health care industry, has experienced a change in her Lean management philosophy and approach. Previou... Read More
Spyros Pharmaceutics (B): Production Quality Control
OM-1683 | Published January 27, 2020 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A follow-on to Spyros Pharmaceutics (A): The Booklet Label Decision, this case looks at a quality issue related to the start-up of the production process. Data is given for students to calculate the e... Read More
Spyros Pharmaceutics (A): The Booklet Label Decision
OM-1682 | Published January 27, 2020 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A packaging supplier for a pharmaceutical firm proposes an innovative cost-saving measure for the next clinical trial: instead of dozens of custom labels for participating countries, the company can c... Read More
The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits: A Visual Case
Weiss, Elliott N.; Dell, Richard; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1675 | Published January 16, 2020 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This visual case presents a comic version of "The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits" (UVA-OM-1618). A day-shift manager at a pet store, Martin Fesmire, thinks nothing of selling two rabbits to his ... Read More
Advance Auto Parts 2005: Business at a Crossroads (Abridged)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Carter, Bill; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1676 | Published January 10, 2020 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, an abridged version of "Advance Auto Parts 2005: Business at a Crossroads" (UVA-OM-1546), examines a changing operational service strategy caused by a shifting consumer market in the auto p... Read More
GidaExpress: Grocery Delivery in Turkey
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yildiz, Ozlem; Stouras, Kostas
OM-1635 | Published December 03, 2019 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This fictional, international case explores online delivery models through the voices of two female protagonists: Melis Aydin, COO, who is from Turkey; and Athena Galini, CEO, who is from Greece. They... Read More
What Exactly Is Lean?
OM-1631 | Published July 02, 2019 | 1 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief, one-page note provides multiple definitions of Lean. The purpose is to show that Lean programs can and should be addressed on multiple levels, including detailed operations, the entire val... Read More
The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits
Weiss, Elliott N.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1618 | Published April 17, 2019 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Service systems are inherently subject to variability, whether through customers, service providers, suppliers, or unexpected events. Yet customers demand excellence and consistency regardless of this... Read More
Change Management at the University of Virginia Health System's Body Imaging Division
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1609 | Published December 12, 2018 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case explores the University of Virginia's Body Imaging Division (BID) along with the group's new director, Arun Krishnaraj, who is trying to assess and ameliorate the frustrations, c... Read More
Robust Services: People or Processes?
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1607 | Published November 13, 2018 | 9 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Service systems are inherently subject to variability, whether through customers, service providers, suppliers, or unexpected events. Yet customers demand excellence and consistency regardless of this... Read More
Little’s Law: Does Anyone Know Which Time It Is?
OM-1606 | Published October 18, 2018 | 4 pages. Exercise
Collection: Darden School of Business
The effectiveness of manufacturing and service processes can be measured in many ways. Some key measures include throughput time, throughput rate, cycle time, and inventory. In this brief exercise, we... Read More
The IndiGo Story, 2018: "On Time, Hassle Free"?
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1605 | Published September 28, 2018 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case follows up on "The IndiGo Story: 'On Time, Hassle Free'" (UVA-OM-1505). The airline passenger industry in India was a mess in 2013, but the low-cost carrier, IndiGo, was making money. This ... Read More
Leading with an Enterprise Perspective: The 9 Cs Model
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1601 | Published September 18, 2018 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
While managers of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations often focus on their area of specific expertise, true success comes only from taking a complete enterprise perspective. Organizations... Read More
Fisher Manufacturing Company (B)
OM-1599 | Published July 05, 2018 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case turns to the shipping and receiving side of Fisher Manufacturing Company's business. Plant manager Dorothy Hoffman has to decide whether to add one extra dock door in hopes of ameliorating a... Read More
Fisher Manufacturing Company (A)
OM-1598 | Published July 05, 2018 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Dorothy Hoffman, plant manager for the Clarksburg, Virginia, location of Fisher Manufacturing Company (Fisher), had a problem: her plant was repeatedly failing to improve its dismal performance when i... Read More
Improving the Body Imaging Division at the University of Virginia Health System
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1597 | Published July 03, 2018 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case explores the University of Virginia's Body Imaging Division (BID) along with the group's new director, Arun Krishnaraj, who is trying to assess and ameliorate the frustrations, c... Read More
Schindler Elevator Corporation
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1593 | Published March 26, 2018 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case provides the opportunity for a comprehensive analysis in a service operations strategy course. It touches on subjects including the customer value proposition, profitability, employee manage... Read More
Cardinal Foods: Sweet Sourcing
Mead, Jenny; Weiss, Elliott N.; Parmar, Bobby
OM-1591 | Published January 04, 2018 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
As part of a biennial supplier review, Jennifer Schramm, a purchasing manager in the cocoa and chocolate division at Cardinal Foods, had been considering several different cocoa cooperatives. She want... Read More
Behavioral Economics and the Service Organization
Weiss, Elliott N.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1548 | Published December 20, 2017 | 7 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note summarizes some important learnings from the study of behavioral economics of which service organizations should be aware in order to enhance customers' emotional experiences and help direct... Read More
Anna Pessah: Lean Thinking at Summit Funding (B)
OM-1583 | Published December 06, 2017 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, a follow-up to "Anna Pessah: Lean Thinking at Summit Funding (A)" (UVA-OM-1569), contains answers from Anna Pessah about her operations improvement challenges at Summit Funding and what act... Read More
Sakara Life
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1585 | Published December 05, 2017 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case examines Sakara Life, a healthy-lifestyle company founded near the end of 2012 with a core business of preparing and delivering beautiful, healthy, premium meals, often (but not exclusively)... Read More
A Glossary of Lean Terms (RUSSIAN)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Russell, Harry "Mac"
OM-1617 | Published November 08, 2017 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is a Russian translation of the March 31, 2016, version of UVA-OM-1334. "Lean" has been defined as the "relentless pursuit of the elimination of waste." This technical note provides a glossary of... Read More
Michael "Mac" Ling (RUSSIAN)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Gonce, Andrew
OM-1754 | Published November 08, 2017 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is a Russian translation of the March 8, 2005 version of UVA OM-1208. For five weeks, Michael "Mac" Ling had been at the Lexington, Virginia, plant of Darden Motor Works (DMW) interviewing produc... Read More
Shanghai Disneyland: Authentically Disney and Distinctly Chinese
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1568 | Published October 11, 2017 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Excellent service operations understand the unique challenges of managing services and experiences. The Walt Disney Company's value proposition, or purpose, is to create a magical experience for custo... Read More
Queue Management: Elimination, Expectation, and Enhancement
Weiss, Elliott N.; Tucker, Chad
OM-1581 | Published September 26, 2017 | 9 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The mathematical relationships predicting average waiting time as a function of arrival patterns, service time distributions, number and types of servers, and various queue disciplines are well known.... Read More
Ian Desmond's Dilemma (A)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Fisher, Robert
OM-1574 | Published September 07, 2017 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is the first in a series of four cases. Ian Desmond, a baseball player for the Washington Nationals team, was deciding whether or not to accept a new contract. Should he take a seven-year contra... Read More
Ian Desmond's Dilemma (B)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Fisher, Robert
OM-1575 | Published September 07, 2017 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is the second in a series of four cases. Ian Desmond, a baseball player for the Washington Nationals team, was deciding whether or not to accept a new contract. Should he take a seven-year contr... Read More
Ian Desmond's Dilemma (C)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Fisher, Robert
OM-1576 | Published September 07, 2017 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is the third in a series of four cases. Ian Desmond, a baseball player for the Washington Nationals team, was deciding whether or not to accept a new contract. Should he take a seven-year contra... Read More
Ian Desmond's Dilemma (D)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Fisher, Robert
OM-1577 | Published September 07, 2017 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is the fourth in a series of four cases. Ian Desmond, a baseball player for the Washington Nationals team, was deciding whether or not to accept a new contract. Should he take a seven-year contr... Read More
Bonnie Strong at Inditex
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1558 | Published September 05, 2017 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Inditex, Zara's parent company, is known for its success in “fast fashion,” the ability to respond quickly to changes in the retail apparel industry. This case examines the reasons for its success by ... Read More
Southwest Airlines: Where’s the Luv?
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Nielsen, Dane
OM-1571 | Published May 23, 2017 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
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 ... Read More
Anna Pessah: Lean Thinking at Summit Funding (A)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1569 | Published May 12, 2017 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case was a runner-up in the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) 2017 case competition. Anna Pessah, process engineer at Summit Funding (Summit), a mortgage-loan-processing company, is reflecting b... Read More
Staffing at the Strategic Consulting Group: The "S" Word
Weiss, Elliott N.; Stets, Kate
OM-1564 | Published May 01, 2017 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Mackenzie Spencer, vice president of operations at Strategic Consulting Group, must determine a staffing (the “S” word) plan for the upcoming year. She must balance the costs of overstaffing with thos... Read More
Lean as a Universal Model of Excellence: It Is Not Just a Manufacturing Tool!
Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin; Stevenson, Donald
OM-1562 | Published December 14, 2016 | 8 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is a technical note that describes the history of Lean and explains why it is not just a manufacturing tool. It is used in Darden's "Management of Service Operations" course elective. Read More
Patrick Bugas
Weiss, Elliott N.; Shrestha, Pratik
OM-1559 | Published November 28, 2016 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Patrick Bugas must determine a staffing plan to meet targets for average speed of answer (ASA) for a telephone call center. 35,000 records are included in a spreadsheet for student analysis. This ca... Read More
Evaluating Financial and Operational Performance in the Retail Apparel Industry, 2016
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1557 | Published August 30, 2016 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is suitable for management students who have already been exposed to the basics of accounting and operations-management decision making. It builds business intuition that integrates concepts... Read More
Advance Auto Parts 2005: Business at a Crossroads
Weiss, Elliott N.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1546 | Published February 10, 2016 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A consultant to a large auto parts retailer is tasked with helping the company develop a strategic response and plan to expand its customer base. The history of the auto parts industry and the impendi... Read More
The Walt Disney Company: Mickey Mouse Visits Shanghai
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1545 | Published February 10, 2016 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The strategic and tactical problems of managing the operations function in a service environment can be examined through the context of the Walt Disney Company (DIS) opening Shanghai Disneyland. The c... Read More
Kaizen in Translation: Suggestion Systems Across Cultures
Weiss, Elliott N.; Stevenson, Donald
OM-1544 | Published February 04, 2016 | 6 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Though the world has recently been described as "flat," we contend that it is also "lumpy." Some managerial practices may be universal (i.e., applicable across all cultures), while others may have to ... Read More
A (Very) Brief Note on Some Quality Tools
OM-1543 | Published January 06, 2016 | 3 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note offers a brief overview of two techniques used in continual improvement programs: fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams and Pareto charts. Read More
Visualizing Process Behavior
Weiss, Elliott N.; Tucker, Chad
OM-1541 | Published January 06, 2016 | 6 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Process behavior charts—also called control charts or Shewhart charts after their creator—provide a means to interpret data as they are generated. While many statistical methods and graphs are useful ... Read More
Final Exercises at the Darden School
OM-1538 | Published June 08, 2015 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief case discusses the graduation hooding ceremony at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Its purpose is to provide practice in calculating process operating parameters... Read More
Maria's Ristorante
Weiss, Elliott N.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1536 | Published May 28, 2015 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In an effort to save his business, Paul Marciano, the owner of Italian family restaurant Maria's Ristorante, runs a number of experiments focused on improving the customer experience around his target... Read More
Evaluating Financial and Operational Performance in the Airline Industry
Weiss, Elliott N.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1535 | Published April 21, 2015 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
From its earliest beginnings in the years following World War II, the commercial airline industry has grown into an essential component supporting economic growth, trade, investment, and tourism throu... Read More
Tirumala Tirupati: Wait a Moment
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1533 | Published April 06, 2015 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case examines the queueing issues caused by the growth in popularity of one of the most visited Hindu temples in the world. On January 2, 2015, Ramesh and Vasantha Gupta visit Tirumala Venkateswa... Read More
A Pediatric Emergency Department at Lynchburg General Hospital
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Thomson, Chris
OM-1523 | Published January 27, 2015 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The emergency department (ED) at Lynchburg General Hospital (LGH) was operating at well over its capacity, and too many patients were leaving without being seen by a doctor. Chris Thomson, chairman an... Read More
Supply Chain Management at Beautiful Bags
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Kraft, Tim
OM-1522 | Published December 08, 2014 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Joe Smith, senior director of merchandise management at Beautiful Bags (BB), was about to place a large order for the upcoming winter season. He had to decide how many pieces he should order of each p... Read More
Monticello Motor Club: Straights and Corners
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry; Burke, Adam
OM-1511 | Published December 03, 2014 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case has been taught successfully in a second-year MBA elective, "Management of Service Operations," in a module on service system design. The material works well to unfold with Frances Frei's se... Read More
Belle, Inc.
Weiss, Elliott N.; Hutchison-Krupat, Jeremy; Kraft, Tim
OM-1518 | Published September 02, 2014 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Charlie Reese, an operations manager for a fragrance manufacturer, is given a directive to reduce costs in order to free up working capital for other initiatives. Reese discovers that his initial plan... Read More
Picante Mexican Grill: A New Delhi Experience
Venkatesan, Rajkumar; Weiss, Elliott N.; Bodily, Samuel E.; Yemen, Gerry; Raz, Gal
OM-1520 | Published August 15, 2014 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Modeled loosely after the American restaurant chain Chipotle, Picante Mexican Grill seeks to offer fresh and healthy vegetarian fast-food options. The owners of this start-up chain in Gurgaon, India, ... Read More
Great Valley Root
OM-1509 | Published January 23, 2014 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The production supervisor of a global equipment supplier is facing two problems on the factory floor: excess overtime on the assembly line and unacceptable manufacturing lead times through the entire ... Read More
CityBook Services, Ltd.
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1508 | Published January 03, 2014 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
One of Israel's most important assets was its relatively highly educated population, which included many native English speakers. The founders of CityBook Services, Ltd., determined that one of the gr... Read More
The IndiGo Story: "On Time, Hassle Free"
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1505 | Published December 10, 2013 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The airline passenger industry in India was a mess in 2013, but the low-cost carrier IndiGo was making money. This relatively new company had managed to work against the odds and grab market share fro... Read More
Pal's Sudden Service: The Right Recipe
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1506 | Published December 09, 2013 | 21 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Pal's Sudden Service, a fast-food chain based in the southeastern United States, was nearly 10 times as profitable as its competitors?bigger, even, than the major national and international chains, wh... Read More
Zappos.com, Inc., and the Warehouse Decision
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Lenox, Michael
S-0227 | Published October 21, 2013 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Amazon.com had purchased Zappos in 2009 and was making significant investments in warehouse infrastructure. By early summer 2012, Zappos, a dominant player in the crowded online retail apparel and foo... Read More
DAZZ Manufacturing Company
Schill, Michael J.; Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1503 | Published August 27, 2013 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
While maintaining Lean manufacturing standards, the plant manager for the Clarksburg, Virginia, location of a manufacturer of coated abrasives must evaluate a capital investment of $8 million. The inv... Read More
Lean Thinking: Better Living through Setup Reduction
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Leschke, John P.
OM-1501 | Published July 29, 2013 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note reviews the effect setup time, batch size, and throughput time have on each other by providing everyday examples. Read More
Darden Business Publishing Gets Lean (C)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1499 | Published May 20, 2013 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This third part of a three-part case provides an epilogue to the CPI initiative. One year later, the Read More
Darden Business Publishing Gets Lean (A)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1497 | Published May 20, 2013 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Darden Business Publishing provides its own field case as a consultant is enlisted to help it streamline production using Lean principles. The case provides an overview of continuous improvement conce... Read More
Darden Business Publishing Gets Lean (B)
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; English, Austin
OM-1498 | Published May 20, 2013 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A consultant is enlisted to help an educational publisher streamline production using Lean principles. In the B case, the group prioritizes the problems it will address and identifies how success will... Read More
Postponement and Pooling: Problems
OM-1496 | Published May 09, 2013 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
These problems are designed to help students grasp the benefits of risk pooling and postponement of product assembly in adjusting inventory levels. Read More
Adam Burke and PBM Plastics: Message in a Bottle
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1491 | Published February 14, 2013 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is used in Darden's EMBA and Global EMBA programs. It works well in courses dealing with turnaround specialists or change management. With a cross-disciplinary perspective, this field-based... Read More
Process Capability: Practice Problems
OM-1492 | Published January 30, 2013 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case contains four practice problems to help develop student understanding of process capability. Read More
Managing Inventory: Intuition-Generating Problems
OM-1487 | Published December 14, 2012 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This problem set introduces the concepts of order quantities and inventory tradeoffs, enabling students to develop intuition around the basic costs involved in inventory thinking. This can be used wit... Read More
Periodic Review Inventory Systems: Practice Problems
OM-1488 | Published December 14, 2012 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A problem set to review the concepts of periodic review inventory systems. These problems can be assigned for additional practice in calculating order quantities, inventories, and relevant costs. This... Read More
Continuous Review Inventory Systems: Practice Problems
OM-1489 | Published December 14, 2012 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A problem set to review the concepts of continuous review inventory systems. These problems can be assigned for additional practice in calculating order quantities, inventories, and relevant costs. Th... Read More
Factory #539: China Star Technology Electronics Ltd. (A)
Simko, Paul J.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Modica, Marc W.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1473 | Published April 27, 2012 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
With a cross-disciplinary perspective, this field-based case series uses the purchase of a manufacturing company based in China to set the stage for an analysis of cost accounting, operational effecti... Read More
Factory #539: China Star Technology Electronics Ltd. (B)
Simko, Paul J.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Modica, Marc W.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1474 | Published April 27, 2012 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
With a cross-disciplinary perspective, this field-based case series uses the purchase of a manufacturing company based in China to set the stage for an analysis of cost accounting, operational effecti... Read More
Wal-Mart China: Tian Tian Pingjia
Li, Wei; Simko, Paul J.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Modica, Marc W.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1472 | Published April 25, 2012 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Having taken stock of where the division was, Scott Price, Wal-Mart China's interim CEO, wanted to lay the groundwork to be able to hand over the reins to the new CEO with an idea of where it was head... Read More
The Use of Takt Time and Operator Loading Charts
Weiss, Elliott N.; Johnston, Courtney
OM-1471 | Published April 24, 2012 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note introduces the fundamental Lean concepts of takt time and operator loading charts. Examples are given within the note and practice problems are provided. Read More
Living Lean: Chloe Manages the Family "Business"
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1465 | Published February 03, 2012 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on managing change, a businesswoman and a stay-at-h... Read More
Living Lean: Belinda, Bags, and Batches
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1466 | Published February 03, 2012 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process improvement journey. In this episode on batching, a woman rushing to the grocery store o... Read More
Living Lean: Bob's A-maize-ing Popcorn
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1467 | Published February 03, 2012 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on metrics and quality control, two friends confer ... Read More
Living Lean: Jackson and Wyatt Learn to Share
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1464 | Published January 30, 2012 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on process analysis, a working mom helps her two bo... Read More
Living Lean: Peter Goes Shopping
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Wilbert, Peter
OM-1462 | Published January 25, 2012 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on optimal reorder quantities, an unemployed procur... Read More
Living Lean: David and the Case of the Hoarded House
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.; Dube, David
OM-1448 | Published September 01, 2011 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on the 5S method of organizing and sustaining an ef... Read More
Galen Pharmaceutics: The Booklet Label Decision
Weiss, Elliott N.; Ribe, Kristen
OM-1446 | Published August 03, 2011 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A packaging supplier for a pharmaceutical firm proposes an innovative cost-saving measure for the next clinical trial: instead of dozens of custom labels for participating countries, one universal boo... Read More
Living Lean: Tracy Manages His Blood Sugar
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1443 | Published May 16, 2011 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode, a professional with diabetes explains his methods ... Read More
Living Lean: Lunch with Guinevere
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1436 | Published May 12, 2011 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode, the kitchen staff of a luxury hotel kitchen adapts... Read More
A Brief Note on Process Capability
OM-1439 | Published April 19, 2011 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Process capability, as revolutionized by Motorola, can be defined as the extent to which a process's natural variation falls within specifications. This note is a succinct introduction to the process ... Read More
Chandpur Enterprises Limited, Paper Division
Weiss, Elliott N.; Mittal, Akshay
OM-1438 | Published January 12, 2011 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
One month after joining the family business -- a recycled paper manufacturer in Chandpur, India -- a recent graduate must confront an arcane inventory ordering process that has led to both a stock-out... Read More
Living Lean: Missy's Car Maintenance
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1434 | Published May 24, 2010 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on equipment maintenance, a young professional with... Read More
Living Lean: Zeke's Tree
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1433 | Published May 09, 2010 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on decision analysis, a father helps his son weigh ... Read More
Process Engineering & Fabrication
Weiss, Elliott N.; Goel, Umesh
OM-1418 | Published May 05, 2010 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A manufacturer of spiral freezers, which allow food manufacturers to replace a batch freezing process with single piece flow in a fraction of the space, reviews the economics of replacing a batch free... Read More
Czech Mate: Jake and Dan's Marvelous Adventure (B)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Collier, Rob; Kadish, Mike
OM-1412 | Published April 29, 2010 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In the second part of a two-part case, two MBA students candidly evaluate their performance in a week-long kaizen event at a manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic. Read More
Living Lean: Brian's Lunch Dilemma
Goldberg, Rebecca; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1435 | Published April 28, 2010 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is part of the "Living Lean" series, which presents accessible, everyday scenarios for a Lean process-improvement journey. In this episode on inventory management, a couple looks for ways to... Read More
Looking for Muda
Weiss, Elliott N.; Russell, Harry "Mac"
OM-1409 | Published March 03, 2010 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Using the terminology of Lean management practices, this note addresses muda, or waste, by defining its subtypes and providing a framework for their identification in production and service processes.... Read More
Czech Mate: Jake and Dan's Marvelous Adventure (A)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Collier, Rob; Kadish, Mike
OM-1390 | Published September 22, 2009 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Two MBA students involved in a weeklong kaizen event at a manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic must increase productivity and reduce gross inventory despite an uncooperative work group. Lean manu... Read More
Discopress
Weiss, Elliott N.; Fischer, Matthew
OM-1357 | Published September 16, 2009 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Preparing a proposal for a DVD content partner, the production director for a digital media company must decide whether to advocate mass production or production on demand. The catalog of old televisi... Read More
Toops Wholesale
Weiss, Elliott N.; Murphy, Michael; McGettigan, Bill
OM-1356 | Published September 16, 2009 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The general manager of a grocery distributor in New Zealand must decide whether to consolidate its regional warehouses into one central location. The decision has been made more urgent by the recent l... Read More
Managing Inventories: The Reorder Point System
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Freeland, James R.
OM-1394 | Published September 15, 2009 | 7 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Inventory replenishment concepts and tools are described. Read More
Managing Inventories: Determining Order Quantity
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Freeland, James R.
OM-1395 | Published September 15, 2009 | 4 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Cycle-stock ordering decisions, including cost-element considerations, are examined. Students will see that as materials flow from suppliers through a firm's operations to customers, the cost-effectiv... Read More
Airflow Aircraft (Abridged)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Fujii, Kanji
OM-1396 | Published September 15, 2009 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A manufacturer of turboprop airplanes must evaluate its spare-part inventory control system. Economic order quantities, safety stocks, and reorder points must be calculated, and issues regarding relev... Read More
Managing Inventories: Fundamentals
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Freeland, James R.
OM-1397 | Published September 15, 2009 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This overview of inventory management covers ways to categorize inventories and measure performance. The financial implications of inventory, inventory management systems, economic order quantities, a... Read More
Gene Cattie Enterprises
OM-1359 | Published September 20, 2008 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case concerns Gene Cattie Enterprises (GCE), a manufacturer of a variety of fabricated metal house accessories, including mailboxes and window boxes. Founded in 2001 by Gene Cattie, a former HR p... Read More
Reynaldo Roche (A)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Chua, Jeriel
OM-1258 | Published February 11, 2008 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This four-case series follows a team through a weeklong kaizen event. The A case sets up the situation, and the B (UVA-OM-1259), C (UVA-OM-1260), and D (UVA-OM-1261) cases depict what happens on the s... Read More
Reynaldo Roche (C)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Chua, Jeriel
OM-1260 | Published February 11, 2008 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This four-case series follows a team through a weeklong kaizen event. The A case (UVA-OM-1258) sets up the situation, and the B (UVA-OM-1259), C, and D (UVA-OM-1261) cases depict what happens on the s... Read More
Dell Computer: Back to the Future
Zimmerman, Alan; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1325 | Published February 11, 2007 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case tells the story of Dell Computer Corporation, from its beginning, in 1983, through 2007. It describes the famous "Dell Way" process, which uses just-in-time inventory management and lean-pro... Read More
Progressive Insurance Concierge Program
Weiss, Elliott N.; Parvaiz, Omar
OM-1327 | Published February 11, 2007 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Progressive Insurance Company is considering the rollout of a new level of service in the Maryland area. Students are given the opportunity to understand the new service and assess its fit with Progre... Read More
Starbucks Corp.: Clouds in Your Coffee
Zimmerman, Alan; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1328 | Published February 11, 2007 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case depicts the history of Starbucks Corporation, from its inception, in 1971, through 2007. The case highlights the conflict between large-scale efficiency and standardization versus providing ... Read More
Kristin Simmer
OM-1330 | Published February 11, 2007 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Kristen Simmer has opened a business selling made-to-order cookies, but the cookies are frequently undercooked or burnt. This case provides data regarding the results of an experiment. Students must d... Read More
The Toyota Production System: "The Scent of the Cornered Ferret"
Zimmerman, Alan; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1333 | Published February 11, 2007 | 20 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case provides a history of Toyota and describes the famed Toyota Production System (TPS). It follows the company from its founding, in 1933, up to 2007. The case can be used to introduce TPS as w... Read More
A Glossary of Lean Terms
Weiss, Elliott N.; Russell, Harry "Mac"
OM-1334 | Published February 11, 2007 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
"Lean" has been defined as the "relentless pursuit of the elimination of waste." This technical note provides a glossary of terms concerning Lean implementation, including muda, muri, nura, kanban, an... Read More
Nomad Oil Corporation
OM-1336 | Published February 11, 2007 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Oliver Slophe, the manager of Nomad Oil's European Aviation Logistics, must evaluate his European distribution system for cost savings by rationalizing the inventory system and the distribution networ... Read More
Paulie's Pastries
Weiss, Elliott N.; Palackel, Paul
OM-1337 | Published February 11, 2007 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this case, the owners of a family bakery must determine a baking schedule to reduce operational costs for supplying pastries. From the demand and production information given, students must determi... Read More
Thermaware, Inc.
Weiss, Elliott N.; Palackel, Paul
OM-1338 | Published February 11, 2007 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Thermaware, Inc., a manufacturer of top-of-the-line industrial thermostat controllers, is considering moving toward a single-piece-flow system. From the demand and production information given, studen... Read More
Da Click's "Throwback" Jerseys
OM-1322 | Published January 04, 2007 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This simple case enables students to determine production bottlenecks and perform sensitivity analyses. It can be used to accompany a discussion of "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt. Read More
Yo Wear, Inc.
OM-1313 | Published September 15, 2006 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A Charlottesville-based manufacturer of “kooky” active-wear clothing must decide whether to outsource some of its shirts to a manufacturer in Hong Kong. While providing lower costs, the supplier reduc... Read More
Abby Hamilton
Weiss, Elliott N.; Hung, Angela
OM-1263 | Published May 15, 2006 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case provides students with an opportunity to apply cost-modeling techniques in the context of consolidating freight costs. The case allows students to test their analytical skills using regressi... Read More
I Can, You Can, We All Can Kanban
Weiss, Elliott N.; Ramdas, Kamalini; Pease, Henry
OM-1257 | Published March 25, 2006 | 7 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note describes the kanban system of inventory control. It discusses the rules for its use, techniques for calculating the number of cards, and the difference between push and pull systems. Read More
By Air or By Sea?
Weiss, Elliott N.; McCahill, Brian
OM-1314 | Published March 08, 2006 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
An OEM motor manufacturer is deciding where to locate a new manufacturing line for one of its customers. The options are China, Eastern Europe, Mexico and the U.S. Information is given to begin an ini... Read More
Frameworks for General Management and Operations Consulting
OM-1242 | Published February 17, 2006 | 6 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note addresses a number of different frameworks that general managers and consultants use to address problems. A general framework for addressing Operations Management is presented that can be us... Read More
The Toyota Production System: A Self-Evaluation Instrument
OM-1221 | Published February 13, 2006 | 3 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note consists of a self-assessment instrument by which organizations can measure importance and performance on the 14 dimensions of the Toyota Production System as delineated by Jeffrey Liker in ... Read More
Reynaldo Roche (D)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Chua, Jeriel
OM-1261 | Published February 11, 2006 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This four-case series follows a team through a weeklong kaizen event. The A case (UVA-OM-1258) sets up the situation, and the B (UVA-OM-1259), C (UVA-OM-1260), and D cases depict what happens on the s... Read More
Reynaldo Roche (B)
Weiss, Elliott N.; Chua, Jeriel
OM-1259 | Published February 11, 2006 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This four-case series follows a team through a weeklong kaizen event. The A case (UVA-OM-1258) sets up the situation, and the B, C (UVA-OM-1260), and D (UVA-OM-1261) cases depict what happens on the s... Read More
Southwest Airlines: Singin' the (Jet)Blues
Weiss, Elliott N.; Friesen, Marlene
OM-1150 | Published November 23, 2005 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case details the history of Southwest Airlines from its inception in 1971 until 2004. The case provides details of Southwest's business model and reasons for its success. It ends with a descripti... Read More
The JetBlue Story
Weiss, Elliott N.; Friesen, Marlene
OM-1151 | Published November 23, 2005 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case outlines the history of JetBlue Airways from its inception in 2000 until 2004. The case provides details of JetBlue's business model and reasons for success. It can be used in a course on se... Read More
Jane McCrea
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1209 | Published November 07, 2005 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Jane McCrea, a 25-year veteran of nursing management with a history of nursing-leadership roles and significant work experience, was eager to apply her newly acquired knowledge of the Six Sigma improv... Read More
Herb Kelleher and the Four Ps Toward High Performance: People, Purpose, Process, Philosophy (MEDIA)
OM-1173 | Published May 16, 2005 | 45 pages. Multimedia Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
<a href="http://It.Darden.Virginia.edu/preview/kelleher/install/tech.htm">VIEW DEMO</a> Approximately 30 video clips are available from a speech given by Herb Kelleher at the Darden Schoo... Read More
Dear Elliott
OM-1172 | Published April 12, 2005 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Herb Kelleher, executive chairman of Southwest Airlines, writes to Elliott Weiss, operations professor at the Darden School. Kelleher responds thoughtfully and in detail to two Darden cases about the ... Read More
Six Sigma: F(X) Cascade
Weiss, Elliott N.; Gonce, Andrew
OM-1206 | Published March 08, 2005 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note describes a technique, F(X) Cascade, for determining the potential benefits of implementing a six-sigma improvement project. An integral part of the "define" stage in the DMAIC met... Read More
It's a Dirty Job ...
Weiss, Elliott N.; Gonce, Andrew
OM-1207 | Published March 08, 2005 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
For five weeks, Michael "Mac" Ling had been at the Lexington, Virginia, plant of Darden Motor Works (DMW), interviewing production supervisors, quality experts, maintenance supervisors, and repair per... Read More
Michael "Mac" Ling
Weiss, Elliott N.; Gonce, Andrew
OM-1208 | Published March 08, 2005 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
For five weeks, Michael "Mac" Ling had been at the Lexington, Virginia, plant of Darden Motor Works (DMW) interviewing production supervisors, quality experts, maintenance supervisors, and repair pers... Read More
Dear Herb
OM-1170 | Published February 18, 2005 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case consists of a letter to Herb Kelleher, chairman of Southwest Airlines requesting his comments on a pair of first-hand experiences on Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways flights. Read More
Marlene's Marvelous Adventure: JetBlue Airways
Weiss, Elliott N.; Freisen, Marlene
OM-1153 | Published November 23, 2004 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case presents a firsthand account of a flying experience on JetBlue Airways in June 2004. The narrative reports on the cross-country flying experience of one passenger. Read More
Marlene's Marvelous Adventure: Southwest Airlines
Weiss, Elliott N.; Friesen, Marlene
OM-1152 | Published March 08, 2004 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case presents a firsthand account of a flying experience on Southwest Airlines in June 2004.The narrative reports on the cross-country flying experience of one passenger. See also "Marlene's Marv... Read More
A Brief Note on the Theory of Constraints
OM-1105 | Published February 20, 2004 | 4 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note offers an introduction to Eliyahu M. Goldratt's theory of constraints (TOC), and summarizes the principles outlined in a novel about manufacturing he wrote. TOC is applicable to manufa... Read More
Rockeford, Inc.
Weiss, Elliott N.; Dutt, Rajsaday
OM-1102 | Published January 19, 2004 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The case examines a rudimentary quality control system in place for a manufacturer of shoes in China. The student must evaluate the system both quantitatively and qualitatively. Can be used to introdu... Read More
Note on Waiting-Line Service Processes: Approximations, Calculations, and Analysis
Colley, John L.; Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1063 | Published February 26, 2003 | 18 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Waiting lines, sometimes called queuing situations, are encountered widely in business operations. Improvements to the waiting-line process would result, in many cases, in better use of labor, equipme... Read More
The Darden SPC Calculator
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Castleman, William R.
OM-1016 | Published March 18, 2002 | 3 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an overview of an Excel model for preparing control charts and calculating capability ratios based on both sample group data and individual data. Read More
Southwest Airlines: Keeping That Lovin' Feeling after Herb Kelleher
Harahsheh, Anwar; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1015 | Published February 18, 2002 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case details the history of Southwest Airlines and emphasizes the benefits of a focused strategy. The case demonstrates how a competent service strategy, together with operations efficiency, can ... Read More
Managing Inventories: The Periodic Review System
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Freeland, James R.
OM-0975 | Published March 20, 2001 | 9 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note addresses inventory planning and control activities using periodic review systems. The reorder point system is addressed in a separate technical note (UVA-OM-0936). Read More
Tom Jenkins's Statistical Simulation Exercise
OM-0897 | Published March 08, 2001 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this case, the student is placed in the role of Tom Jenkins, a manufacturing manager who must determine the proper settings for a food-filling machine. Both a target fill rate and the production sp... Read More
The Operations Course at Darden
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-0920 | Published December 21, 2000 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes the Operations Management course in the core curriculum at the Darden School. Read More
Capabilities Module: Analyzing Operating Processes
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-0918 | Published October 05, 2000 | 2 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes the Capabilities Module in the core-curriculum Operations Management course at the Darden School. Read More
Customer Module: Developing Distinctive Operating Capabilities
Landel, Robert D.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-0919 | Published October 05, 2000 | 2 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes the Customer Module in the core-curriculum Operations Management course at the Darden School. Read More
Team Self Assessment
Clawson, James G.; Horniman, Alexander B.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OB-0694 | Published April 12, 2000 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note invites students to assess their work teams in terms of characteristics shown in the current literature that describe highly effective teams. The references for these characteristics are sho... Read More
OEE: Overall Equipment Effectiveness
Weiss, Elliott N.; McKone, Kathleen A.
OM-0902 | Published October 18, 1999 | 2 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note describes the calculation of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), a key measure for implementation of total productive maintenance (TPM). Read More
Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont
Weiss, Elliott N.; Shepherd, Stephen
OM-0836 | Published December 04, 1996 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Bill Kenerson, the owner-operator of a retail bow-tie business faces two decisions. The first is whether to bring production of bow ties in-house. The second concerns his telephone-order- entry system... Read More
Process Performance Measures
OM-0833 | Published September 25, 1996 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note defines a variety of performance measures that are useful in process analysis. It explains the meaning and usefulness of these concepts through a list of definitions followed by examples. Th... Read More
H. R. Anna Company
OM-0834 | Published September 25, 1996 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief problem can be used to cover the concepts discussed in UVA-OM-0833, "Process Performance Measures." Calculations required include capacity, bottlenecks, utilization, the effects of setup re... Read More
Airflow Aircraft, Inc.
Weiss, Elliott N.; Fujii, Kanji
OM-0799 | Published January 16, 1996 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case requires students to evaluate an inventory-control system for a provider of spare parts for a regional turboprop-airplane manufacturer. Students must also calculate economic order quantities... Read More
Great Northern Bunk Beds, Inc.
OM-0818 | Published November 01, 1995 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Matt Dorman, founder and owner of this custom bunk-bed manufacturer, is considering a move to a new location. Matt Dorman, owner of this custom bunk-bed manufacturer, is considering a move to a new lo... Read More
Mindy Coopman And Shouldice Hospital
Weiss, Elliott N.; Trevey, John H.
OM-0790 | Published February 08, 1994 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Mindy Coopman, a sales representative of a large medical equipment company, approaches the staff of Shouldice Hospital with a proposal to sell laparoscopic equipment for hernia repair surgery. The stu... Read More
Merchant's Tire & Auto Centers: Customer Feedback as a Quality Improvement Tool
Weiss, Elliott N.; Sampson, Scott E.
OM-0731 | Published April 08, 1993 | 39 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case introduces students to issues surrounding the collection, interpretation, and use of customer feedback for improving the quality of service. Various forms of customer feedback are considered... Read More
Virginia Ambulatory Surgery Center
OM-0712 | Published November 23, 1992 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
An ambulatory surgery center is considering a capacity expansion in light of increasing demand. Alternatives include extended hours and delaying expansion until a new building is feasible. Read More
Pizza Hut Moscow
Weiss, Elliott N.; Fairchild, Gregory B.; Matosich, Bonnie K.
OM-0719 | Published April 24, 1992 | 20 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case recounts the story of the opening of Pizza Hut Moscow, in 1991. The case details the decisions made as of spring 1992. The decisional issues in the case concern the transfer of control of th... Read More
ITT Defense: Electro-Optical Products Division
Weiss, Elliott N.; Dameron, Tayloe M.
OM-0709 | Published March 11, 1992 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case describes an award-winning quality-management program. The dilemma facing Marshall Bowden, manager of Operations, concerns the selection of a process for the manufacture of night-vision gogg... Read More
St. Joseph's Health Centre
Weiss, Elliott N.; Yount, Kimberly
OM-0662 | Published April 10, 1989 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case provides the student with an opportunity to perform a capacity-and-bottleneck analysis for a hospital's operating room. The goal is to improve efficiency through better scheduling. Read More
McIlhenny Company
Weiss, Elliott N.; Simmons, Lowell D.
OM-0653 | Published April 10, 1988 | 10 pages. Exercise
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case addresses production scheduling problems for Tabasco sauce. It addresses issues such as forecasting, relevant costs, lot sizing, and scheduling systems. Read More
Silko-Scalese Machining Corporation
Weiss, Elliott N.; Gursahaney, Naren K.
OM-0661 | Published April 10, 1988 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Alan Silko must decide whether to invest in seven statistical-process-control (SPC) stations in order to increase his chances of becoming a "select supplier" for a large computer company. The student ... Read More