David M. McCutcheon

Conducting case study research in operations management

Abstract Recently, there have been numerous calls for more empirical field-based research to be conducted in operations management (OM). Knowledge of how operations systems work can be enhanced significantly through contact with the “real-world” conditions that OM models seek to describe. Case study research is a primary means of exploring field conditions but is an unfamiliar methodology for many in OM. Moreover, the case study method is viewed with scepticism by those who consider it to be a weak form of research, one that lacks rigor and objectivity. Here, we offer an introduction to the case study method for OM researchers who may have little background in field based research. We provide an outline of the procedure and cite some excellent sources that cover case study design, data analysis and the philosophical rationale for the methodology. We also identify some recent examples of OM case studies that illustrate our points. We then contrast the various uses for case study research and their different design and theory requirements. An appendix provides a listing of case studies that have appeared in some OM journals in recent years, classifying the studies by their research purpose. However, regardless of their purposes, case study research need to be conducted in a manner that assures maximum measurement reliability and theory validity. We describe some of the steps that must be taken to ensure that a study is as rigorous as possible. We also argue that, properly conducted, a case study is a truly scientific research approach. We conclude by pointing out some areas of OM research where case studies might be particularly valuable.

Effective case research in operations management: a process perspective

Abstract Despite many calls for case-based operations management research, the successful publication rate of such articles in top-tier journals has been less than stellar. A five step case-based research and dissemination process is presented. Guidance is given to future researchers for each step in the process. In addition, areas of weakness are examined and discussed in detail. Future potential research questions in operations management considered to be appropriate for the case-based method are highlighted.

Issues in the choice of supplier alliance partners

Abstract Supplier alliances have been widely touted but there are probably a limited number of situations where they are applicable. This paper develops a model of important factors that define which suppliers offer the best choices for pursuing alliance-like relationships. Some factors relate to the technology of the goods or services being sourced; others relate to the ability to develop mutual goodwill trust with the targeted supplier. The model was developed through a combination of extensive literature reviews and a series of interviews with managers in 15 manufacturing and service firms.

Suppliers' contributions to product development: an exploratory study

Many managers are trying to leverage the skills and resources of key component suppliers to develop high-quality new products faster and at a lower cost. In this exploratory study, we surveyed product-development engineers in 79 small- to medium-sized firms to determine if three techniques commonly used to integrate suppliers into product development increase the suppliers perceived contributions to product development in the eyes of its customer. The techniques studied are: (1) timing of a suppliers involvement; (2) suppliers design responsibility; and (3) communication frequency. Of these, only early supplier involvement was significantly related to the perception of an increased contribution by the supplier. In addition, we found that the suppliers contributions to product development had little practical influence on the overall project technical success. The findings suggest that more research is needed to understand how to use suppliers effectively to improve product-development outcomes.

The Service Delivery Network (SDN): A Customer-Centric Perspective of the Customer Journey

In this article, we introduce the concept of the service delivery network (SDN) defined as two or more organizations that, in the eyes of the customer, are responsible for the provision of a connected overall service experience. This responds to calls for frameworks recognizing that dyadic service encounters are embedded in the series of experiences customers have with complementary providers as part of the journey to achieve their desired goals. Adopting an SDN perspective presents a dramatically different set of challenges for managers and provides research opportunities challenging the current view of established service concepts. Managers must recognize that to better serve the customer they need to understand the role that they play in the customer-defined service journey and be prepared to coordinate their activities with complementary providers. Participating in helping build and manage the SDN for the customer, or understanding how they fit into customer’s self-designed SDN, becomes a central challenge, often requiring firms to develop a new set of capabilities. The SDN also challenges the way we view many of the core concepts in service research, which are anchored in the dyadic view. This provides considerable opportunity for future inquiry. We present a series of research questions, inspired by the SDN, organized into categories including building cooperative and collaborative networks, customer cocreation, systems thinking, customer relationship management, managing service failure and recovery, building capabilities, and customer-to-customer interactions.

Sustaining strategic supplier alliances

Investigates the change in requirements to sustain supplier alliances as the relationship matures. Notes that the trend to outsource more materials and services has made firms more reliant on their sources of supply. This has led to a move towards increasingly collaborative supplier relationships, referred to as supplier alliances. Widespread use of these relationships is new and relatively little is known about the attributes that may promote success or failure. A recent paper concludes that such “partnership” relationships tend to expand and be more successful with each year following establishment. Tests this assumption using a longitudinal survey of 41 buyer‐supplier relationships. Finds that the purchasing firms perceived some improvements in benefits from their alliance‐like relationships but not significantly more than those which maintained traditional relationships. Also finds that the factors leading to improved benefits changed significantly as the alliance matured, with specific information flows becoming key. Proposes a profile of the relative importance of these factors over time.

Determinants of new product designers' satisfaction with suppliers' contributions

Abstract A recent trend in product development is the move to outsource more of the design and development work. Specifically, manufacturing firms are looking to component suppliers to increase their roles from that of supplying specified components to that of sharing in or taking major responsibility for component design and development. Effective teaming of product designers and the allied suppliers is likely to become an increasingly important element in the product innovation process. However, this role may be unfamiliar to both product development staff and component supplier staff. This study examines perceptions of new product designers about the component suppliers they used for the design of critical technology in recent new product development projects. The study focuses on how the suppliers were viewed in terms of their technical capability and how it contributed to the project, as well as their capability to work effectively with the product design team. Results indicate that the cooperativeness of the supplier was probably more influential than its technical competence in influencing the willingness of the product designer to bring the component supplier into future development projects.

Enhancing Competitiveness through the New Market Value Equation

Identifies four factors as constituting the primary basis for global competition in providing customers with value: customization, quality, response time, and price. However, finds that these factors interact in a multiplicative rather than the commonly‐assumed additive manner, giving competitors with multiple strengths additional competitiveness and disqualifying firms which lack performance on even one dimension. Presents a simple model to aid managers in analysing the competition in their industry as well as in making decisions about the best actions to take for strengthening their firm′s competitiveness.

The life cycle of manufacturing cells

When a functional layout is converted to a cellular layout, the cell design is generally based on a static picture of production volume and part mix, but manufacturing environments face ongoing changes in these parameters. It is expected that, eventually, changes in production volume and part mix will cause a deterioration in cell performance to the point that a cell’s machine layout must be redesigned, marking the end of the cell’s life cycle. Tests the existence of cell life cycles and performance deterioration attributed to changes in production volume and part mix through an exploratory field study which was undertaken at 15 firms using cellular manufacturing. Finds that cell life cycles did exist, but usually either in anticipation of declining cell performance ‐ rather than in reaction to it ‐ or in anticipation of potential improvements in cell performance due to changes in the marketplace.

Effects of Technical Experience on Robot Implementations

It is often assumed that firms with more experience using advanced manufacturing technologies can implement new production equipment more easily because such experience provides essential technical skills. Firms that perceive they lack these skills may be deterred from adopting complex new technologies. An empirical study was made to see how technical backgrounds actually affected implementation results when 31 Canadian firms adopted their first robots. The technical experience of plant staffs, system suppliers and production departments was assessed and compared with system start‐up times, reliability and reported management satisfaction. Greater experience among each of the contributing groups had different effects: more experienced designers and builders (both in‐house and hired) provided systems that started up faster but were no more reliable; more experience operating similar equipment did not improve start‐up duration but led to more reliable systems. Overall, good management of available technical...