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Disruption
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Case Study
DIDA: Becoming a world leader in IT infrastructure

Five friends created DIDA in 1983 and turned it into a global provider of IT infrastructure and services. Riding the wave of rapid growth of communication networks and increasingly global business relationships of corporations, DIDA established its brand through its strong alignment with dominant infrastructure companies such as Cisco and Micros…

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2547, © 2024
DIDA: Becoming a world leader in IT infrastructure
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2547 ©2024
Summary
Five friends created DIDA in 1983 and turned it into a global provider of IT infrastructure and services. Riding the wave of rapid growth of communication networks and increasingly global business relationships of corporations, DIDA established its brand through its strong alignment with dominant infrastructure companies such as Cisco and Microsoft. Navigating the end of the internet bubble, DIDA served as a major reseller of these companies’ products, adding value with its integration services by increasing its clients’ efficiency and enabling collaboration within corporate networks. By 2005 DIDA had resumed rapid growth through partnerships, equity-based alliances and, most prominently, acquisitions, which led to a network of subsidiaries in more than 50 countries and six continents. By the end of 2009, DIDA had shown its critics that it could grow and integrate. However, its revenue was growing faster than its profits and it was not poised to help corporations move to the next generation of internet technology which would require new capabilities for installing and managing large data centers for computing as a service (CaaS) and cloud computing. The case ends with DIDA’s CEO reviewing the prospects of shrinking core markets and displacement by technological disruption. He acknowledges the need to make choices and get ahead of technological trends again in a changing IT infrastructure landscape. DIDA could seek to further grow its core business or internalize new capabilities to get ready for a CaaS future. Should DIDA seek more profitable growth organically or through acquisitions?
Reference IMD-7-2547
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization DIDA (Disguised)
Industry Services, Telecommunications
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Cocoacrafters: AI in the supply chain

In June 2024, at the CocoaCrafters Operating Centre, Elena Fever faced a crucial meeting with the board of directors. The discussion surrounded how to integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into the company’s supply chain strategy to enhance forecasting and simulation while maintaining ethical standards. CocoaCrafters (CC), a global confectionery leade…

Digital Disruption Artificial Intelligence
By Carlos Cordon, Arsen Sargasyn, Roberta Duarte, Siqi Chen and Yuvraj Mohite
Case reference: IMD-7-2593, © 2024
Cocoacrafters: AI in the supply chain
By Carlos Cordon Arsen Sargasyn Roberta Duarte Siqi Chen and Yuvraj Mohite
Case reference: IMD-7-2593 ©2024
Summary
In June 2024, at the CocoaCrafters Operating Centre, Elena Fever faced a crucial meeting with the board of directors. The discussion surrounded how to integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into the company’s supply chain strategy to enhance forecasting and simulation while maintaining ethical standards. CocoaCrafters (CC), a global confectionery leader, was renowned for its commitment to sustainable cocoa sourcing. Despite the board’s strong business acumen, they lagged on the digital agenda and for them the only success criterion was a convincing ROI. Elena’s challenges were amplified by the unknowns surrounding GenAI. Since ChatGPT’s debut, she had been urging her team to identify use cases that aligned with CC’s strategic priorities and met its ethical commitments. CC’s digital transformation had begun in 2010 and was marked by phases of awareness, strategic adoption, advanced technology integration and a digital-first culture by 2020. CC’s unsuccessful blockchain project underscored the need for careful planning and ethical considerations in adopting new technologies. CC aimed to use GenAI to optimize its supply chain by forecasting cocoa yields, predicting market trends and simulating environmental impacts. However, ethical concerns about labor conditions and data manipulation persisted. Elena considered the HITL-HOTL-HOL framework for human involvement in AI decisions, reflecting on input from FMCG executives and consulting experts. Despite a lack of specific GenAI decision-making frameworks, traditional strategic basic frameworks were emphasized. Elena presented the board with strategic choices: waiting, focused phased use cases, full integration, or strategic partnerships.
Reference IMD-7-2593
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization CocoaCrafters (Fictionalized)
Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages English
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Case Study
NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

NTT Corporation, Japan’s information and communication technologies (ICT) leader since 1953, was the first to commercialize internet usage on mobile phones in the 1990s, which resulted in NTT achieving much success in Japan. However, by the end of the 2000s, Japan faced challenges with an aging population and a stagnant economy. Recognizing disr…

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2351, © 2024
NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2351 ©2024
Summary
NTT Corporation, Japan’s information and communication technologies (ICT) leader since 1953, was the first to commercialize internet usage on mobile phones in the 1990s, which resulted in NTT achieving much success in Japan. However, by the end of the 2000s, Japan faced challenges with an aging population and a stagnant economy. Recognizing disruption in the ICT sector, CEO Satoshi Miura understood the need for the dominant players in the ICT industry to integrate emerging business domains beyond their existing frameworks. To secure leading global positions in ICT and the new paradigm of cloud computing, Miura needed to make strategic choices to revive growth. Case A provides information on NTT, its rivals, the global market and cloud computing disruptions. The case ends with NTT’s CEO exploring strategic growth options to prepare NTT for the future.
Reference IMD-7-2351
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
Industry Services, Telecommunications;Information Technology
Available Languages English
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Case Study
NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options

Building on NTT (A), the case starts with NTT’s CEO having narrowed down strategic growth options with the board to prepare NTT for the future. Past international investments in AT&T Wireless and KPN to tap into foreign markets had resulted in billion $ write offs and stopped international acquisitions. However, after reviewing the disruptive ch…

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2352, © 2024
NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2352 ©2024
Summary
Building on NTT (A), the case starts with NTT’s CEO having narrowed down strategic growth options with the board to prepare NTT for the future. Past international investments in AT&T Wireless and KPN to tap into foreign markets had resulted in billion $ write offs and stopped international acquisitions. However, after reviewing the disruptive changes facing the ICT industry and considering the shareholders’ views, CEO Miura committed to internationalization. The B case details NTT’s growth strategy focused on internationalization, while considering the need for new capabilities and technologies. It provides more insights into NTT, its opportunities and the Japanese experience with M&As and ends with Miura’s determination to quickly grow through international expansion to prepare NTT for the future.
Reference IMD-7-2352
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
Industry Services, Telecommunications;Information Technology
Available Languages English
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Case Study
SIX Payment Services (A): Disruptive innovation in the European payments industry? (Spanish translation)

The payment processing industry in Europe had operated in largely the same way for decades. A standard system of financial processing and clearing ensured a steady profit pool for most of the players. However, the payments system in Europe was facing threats on a series of fronts, including changing regulation that shifted power away from some i…

Disruption Finance
By Michael R. Wade and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1543-ES, © 2021
SIX Payment Services (A): Disruptive innovation in the European payments industry? (Spanish translation)
By Michael R. Wade and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1543-ES ©2021
Summary
The payment processing industry in Europe had operated in largely the same way for decades. A standard system of financial processing and clearing ensured a steady profit pool for most of the players. However, the payments system in Europe was facing threats on a series of fronts, including changing regulation that shifted power away from some incumbents, lower prices, new competitors, and more demanding customers. One of the region’s large players, Swiss-based SIX Payment Services, needed to decide how to respond to these threats.
Reference IMD-7-1543-ES
Copyright ©2021
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Six Payment Services
Industry Finance and Insurance, Financial Services
Available Languages Spanish
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Case Study
Metalshub: A steely approach to launching a B2B metal trading platform

Few Business to Business (B2B) marketplaces have succeeded. Metalshub has successfully combined a software platform as a service, with a marketplace matching supply and demand for raw materials used in the Metals and Mining industries. Through innovative pricing and business models, the company has managed to scale its operations in a short time…

Business to Business Digital Disruption Economics Operations Strategy
By Didier Bonnet, Geoffrey G. Parker and Lisa Simone Duke
Case reference: IMD-7-2457, © 2024
Metalshub: A steely approach to launching a B2B metal trading platform
By Didier Bonnet Geoffrey G. Parker and Lisa Simone Duke
Case reference: IMD-7-2457 ©2024
Summary
Few Business to Business (B2B) marketplaces have succeeded. Metalshub has successfully combined a software platform as a service, with a marketplace matching supply and demand for raw materials used in the Metals and Mining industries. Through innovative pricing and business models, the company has managed to scale its operations in a short timeframe.
Reference IMD-7-2457
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Metalshub
Industry Materials, Metals and Mining
Available Languages English
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Case Study
UniMag: Quality of life on paper, on air and online

Terry Burns launched UniMag in 2007 and went on to develop its ecosystem of affiliated companies over several years. As most media were rapidly shifting online, UniMag established its brand as a high-profile magazine with a counter-intuitive focus on high-quality print and journalism. Since then, digitalization has increasingly shaped the media …

Strategy Disruption Entrepreneurship General Management
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2540, © 2024
UniMag: Quality of life on paper, on air and online
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2540 ©2024
Summary
Terry Burns launched UniMag in 2007 and went on to develop its ecosystem of affiliated companies over several years. As most media were rapidly shifting online, UniMag established its brand as a high-profile magazine with a counter-intuitive focus on high-quality print and journalism. Since then, digitalization has increasingly shaped the media landscape, opening many opportunities for Burns. By 2023 digital activities most effectively drive the business of the many affiliated companies in UniMag’s ecosystem. In contrast, its print magazine sales have stalled, and costs keep growing. Burns and her team must make a strategic decision: What to do and what to stop? Where to perform and where to transform? In the context of a transforming media industry, the case illustrates how to set strategic direction in the face of disruptive forces in order to drive change and open opportunities.
Reference IMD-7-2540
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization UniMag (Disguised)
Industry Media
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Galeneo Health: Scaling the hospital@home platform

MADRID (SPAIN), MARCH 2023. Jaime Garcia-Prieto, founder and CEO of Galeneo, was polishing the deck for the fundraising for his healthcare start-up. The seed round of €1 million would take him to the institutional A round scheduled for Q3-2024, a comfortable 18-month+ runway. His proposal to decentralize healthcare through a tech-enabled hospita…

Digital Transformation Disruption Entrepreneurship Operations Sustainability
By Benoit F. Leleux
Case reference: IMD-7-2496, © 2023
Galeneo Health: Scaling the hospital@home platform
By Benoit F. Leleux
Case reference: IMD-7-2496 ©2023
Summary
MADRID (SPAIN), MARCH 2023. Jaime Garcia-Prieto, founder and CEO of Galeneo, was polishing the deck for the fundraising for his healthcare start-up. The seed round of €1 million would take him to the institutional A round scheduled for Q3-2024, a comfortable 18-month+ runway. His proposal to decentralize healthcare through a tech-enabled hospital@home platform offered the solution people were looking for not only in Spain but also in most advanced economies. According to a recent Economist article, the NHS, like many healthcare systems, had become a sickness service, not a health service. To live up to the promise of its name would require a shift in focus, away from hospitals to the community, from centralized treatment to community-based prevention and bedside medicine. In other words, health systems needed to be investing in smoke alarms, not fire extinguishers. In 2020, as the Covid pandemic began, Jaime envisioned the future of in-home care for patients with chronic treatment needs. In 2021, he embarked on developing a platform to coordinate bedside medical care anywhere, anytime, in minutes. Galeneo was born. By 2023, it had integrated 200+ healthcare providers (HCPs) and 11+ institutional partners in the Madrid region, enabling the provision of general high-value services outside hospital. Revenues of €1.6 million in 2023 were expected, with a growth rate of about 8% every month and net profit breakeven reached in February. Things looked positive, but there were issues around scaling fast – although Jaime had found solutions. To counter the limited availability of qualified healthcare workers, he developed the Galeneo Academy to train future in-home bedside specialists. Tech-enabled standardization reduced operational complexity through an easy-to-use app and included real-time monitoring and quality control. Finally, the whole concept of community-based bedside medicine was still nascent, which meant market participants needed to adopt original approaches. But it was a large market with great potential.
Reference IMD-7-2496
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Galeneo
Industry Healthcare, Health and Medical Services
Available Languages English
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