1. The key advantage of releasing a new product during the late-year holiday season is the potential
spike in demand, especially for consumer goods like the iPod. The large seasonal “bumps” from
the introduction of new generations of products coupled with the holiday shopping season pose
significant challenges for its supply chain partners since they need to respond quickly to new
2. One example is McDonald’s; their mission statement is as follows: McDonald’s brand mission
is to “be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat.” McDonalds’ worldwide operations have
been aligned around a global strategy called- ‘Plan to Win,’ centering on the five basics of an
exceptional customer experience—People, Products, Place, Price, and Promotion. This is a
3. The business strategy and the operation strategies are so interconnected that they can flow both
ways, and core competencies derived within the operations and supply chain areas can be
exploited through broader business strategies. Examples will vary.
4. Strategy experts have long said it’s not what a strategy document may say; it’s what the firm
does that counts. For example, if the strategy document says that the firm will place a premium
5. Answers will vary, but common responses include low cost, perceived quality of instruction or
value of degree in the chosen field, flexibility of course offerings, availability of online classes,
6. Customers can perceive the value of the same product or service differently because they
evaluate products based on multiple performance dimensions and can assign different values for
each of these dimensions. This means that the companies that can develop the best mix of the
7. Not all firms have to both develop and exploit core competencies in the operations and supply
chain areas to be successful in business. For example, a local gas station may succeed simply by