Case Study 1: MATTEL

Company Background:
Founded in 1945 by Harold Matson and Elliot and Ruth Handler, MATTEL is the world’s leading toy company producer located in Los Angeles, California. Besides the signature brands Barbie and HotWheels, over the last sixty years MATTEL has acquired well known brands such as Fisher Price, Tyco, and PowerWheels. In terms of human capital and assets, MATTEL has 25,000 employees worldwide, 9 manufacturing facilities in 5 countries (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Mexico), and 27 distribution facilities that support 36 countries.

Project Title:
MATTEL’s Distribution Strategy in South Korea

Project Description:
To identify and evaluate opportunities to strengthen MATTEL’s position in the South Korean marketplace.

Case Study 2: Flextronics - India

Company Background:
Flextronics is a leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider that delivers complete design, engineering, manufacturing, and logistics services to automotive, computing, consumer digital, industrial, infrastructure, medical, and mobile Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers. Flextronics helps customers design, build, ship, and service electronics products through a network of facilities in over 30 countries on four continents.

Project Title:
Flextronics’ Strategy in India

Project Description:
Flextronics had invested US$1 billion in its India infrastructure. The company’s most recent investment was its 250-acre campus in Chennai that comprised 600,000 square feet of manufacturing space - one of its largest facilities in the world. The purpose of this project was to determine how Flextronics should position its investment to capitalize on India’s potential.

Case Study 3: Flextronics - Vietnam

Company Background:
Flextronics is a leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider that delivers complete design, engineering, manufacturing, and logistics services to automotive, computing, consumer digital, industrial, infrastructure, medical, and mobile Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers. Flextronics helps customers design, build, ship, and service electronics products through a network of facilities in over 30 countries on four continents.

Project Title:
Flextronics' Strategy for Vietnam

Project Description:
To conduct a market feasibility study for Flextronics in Vietnam. Program participants were tasked to provide both an analysis of the EMS market in Vietnam as well as propose an appropriate market entry strategy for the company in the Vietnamese marketplace.

Case Study 4: Conifer Securities

Company Background:
Conifer Securities, LLC is a privately held company that provides the most comprehensive back and middle office resources available for investment professionals in the United States. It represents a one-stop shop for business infrastructure, and investing and support services for hedge fund and independent investment managers. The company is currently based in San Francisco with additional operations in Boston, New York and Tortola, BVI. It currently has 107 employees in the U.S. and its clients manage $2.4B assets under management.

Project Title:
Conifer’s Expansion into Asia

Description:
To analyze and develop an appropriate framework for Conifer’s market entry strategy into Asia.

Case Study 5: National Starch

Company Background:
National Starch and Chemical (NSC) is a worldwide manufacturer of adhesives, specialty polymers, electronic materials and specialty starches with annual sales of $3.4 billion. The company is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey, U.S. and employs nearly 9,000 people on six continents.

Project Title:
China Market Entry Strategy for Flexible Laminating Adhesives

Project Description:
To analyze and evaluate the Chinese market for flexible laminating adhesives from the consumer’s viewpoint. The focus was primarily on consumer demand for food and food packaging and how that influences demand for flexible laminating adhesives in China.

Case Study 6: Disney

Company Background:
The Walt Disney Company is a global leader in the film and entertainment industry. The film unit is classified into Animated and Live Action Film. Disney is a dominant player in the Animated Film market, with its well-known characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Snow White. More recently, Disney has been diversifying into Live Action Film with launches such as Chronicles of Narnia and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Project Title:
Walt Disney Live Action Film Merchandising Opportunities in Hong Kong

Project Description:
To analyze Hong Kong’s Live Action Film merchandising market and formulate the company’s future expansion strategy.

"We were very impressed with the quality of the findings. The team did a great job in identifying the challenges and opportunities through their evaluation of Asia Pacific Live Action Film merchandising market by strategically using Hong Kong as a benchmark. They were very thorough and made interesting and thoughtful recommendations for Disney in this unique market. We certainly look forward to the next project with the UCLA – NUS EMBA students."

Eva Steortz
Vice President, Boys/Live Action Film Franchise Management
Disney Consumer Products
California, USA

Case Study 7: Nissan Motor Company

Company Background:
Nissan is present in all major global auto markets through selling a comprehensive range of cars, pickup trucks, SUVs and light commercial vehicles that sell under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. The company employs over 180,000 people worldwide.

Project Title:
Nissan Global Communications Project

Project Description:
To conduct discovery and analysis, and provide solid recommendations on content management practices for Nissan's Global Communications Team. Nissan was seeking to achieve a better structured workflow for urgent news and releases as well as improvements in content quality and efficiency of global information sharing.

"Trying to manage the complexities of managing a 24/7 global news operation, we are constantly having to adapt the way we are doing business. The team from the UCLA - NUS Executive MBA program provided not only new insights, but also recommendations that we could actually implement. Working with such a diverse team of talented professionals was a real privilege."

Simon Sproule
Corporate Vice President, Global Communications
Nissan Motor Company, Japan

Case Study 8: CMS Cement

Company Background:
CMS Cement Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary of Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (CMS), a conglomerate listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. It is based in Sarawak, East Malaysia and is in the business of manufacturing and selling Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in the domestic market. It produces 1.75 million tonnes of cement annually from its 2 manufacturing plants located in Kuching and Bintulu.

Project Title:
Maintaining CMS Cement's Position as the Market Leader in East Malaysia

Project Description:
To develop, analyze, and evaluate strategies to protect the market leadership position of CMS Cement by preparing the company from possible attacks arising from the emergence of other cement companies.

”Despite coming from across the globe the team showed a remarkable ability to obtain data, analyze the issues that resulted in recommendations that were spot on and are now being followed up.”

Dato’ Richard Curtis
Group MD
Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd, Malaysia

Case Study 9: Banyan Tree Holdings

Company Background:
Banyan Tree Holdings (BTH) is a leading developer of luxury hotels and resorts with the majority of its properties located in Asia. Established in 1994, BTH currently owns 23 resorts and hotels, 65 spas, 65 retail galleries, and two golf courses. BTH has seven operating business segments: hotel investments, hotel residence sales, hotel management, spa operations, gallery operations, property sales, and design fees as well as others. The company’s primary business is development and ownership of hotels and resorts, centered on two award winning brands: Banyan Tree and Angsana.

Project Title:
Distribution Strategy for Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts

Project Description:
To analyze Banyan Tree’s current distribution strategy and formulation of future strategies that will be in alignment with industry standards and trends in order to sustain Banyan Tree’s future growth plans to be a major player in the global marketplace.

”The team's findings and recommendations were incisive and decidedly competitive. More importantly, the team has helped uncover new marketing perspectives that we were unaware of and which will be helpful to our cause, going forward.”

Michael Lee
Vice President, Marketing Systems & Services
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Singapore

Case Study 10: Scion

Company Background:
Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind. Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. The Scion brand features three ground-breaking models. The xD is an urban subcompact five-door, featuring a muscular stance and accentuated wheel flares. The xB, an urban utility vehicle, combines remarkable interior space with iconic styling. The tC sports coupe surprises the buyer with the convenience of a hatchback and the luxury of a standard all-glass panorama moonroof, complementing the usual wide array of features on all Scions.

Project Title:
A Systematic Approach on Promoting Products to Gen Y: A Marketing Study on Scion

Project Description:
To analyze and evaluate the present campaigns and marketing processes used by TMC in promoting Scion to Gen Y customers and to develop a marketing strategy that will promote Scion more effectively.

”Working with the practicum team was a pleasure! They took the time to understand the nuances of our brand, strategies and goals. The team investigated and made several recommendations for new marketing opportunities as well as recommended three strategies for measuring ROI on our grassroots events. Both were very beneficial to Scion, where our resources are fairly limited. We feel confident in their recommendations due to the teams diverse backgrounds and experience and their holistic approach.”

Adrian Si
Scion Interactive Marketing Manager
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc.

Case Study 11: Health Management International (HMI)

Company Background:
Founded in 1998, Health Management International (HMI) is a publicly-listed company in Singapore, offering healthcare and education services. The company has two main businesses: it owns two hospitals in Malaysia and operates a healthcare nursing training service in Singapore. HMI offers two types of nursing programs – School of Healthcare Vocational Training (SHVT) and School of Nursing and Education (SNE).

Project Title:
U.S. Market Entry Strategy for Healthcare Management International

Project Description:
To evaluate the healthcare education business of HMI and to develop a U.S. market entry strategy to allow the expansion of HMI’s capacity in this business segment.

Case Study 12: Perkin Elmer Japan

Company Background:
Perkin Elmer Japan (PKJ) was incorporated on 7 March 1978, with JPY250million paid in capital and an annual turnover of JPY7.9billion (2005). The shareholder of PKJ is PerkinElmer Life Sciences, International Holdings Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of PerkinElmer, Inc., based in the United States. PKJ has around 130 employees in four offices within Japan. Its headquarters and technical center is located in Yokohama, and its sales and service offices are in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.

Project Title:
Reversing the Trend of Declining Revenues As Observed for Perkin Elmer Japan

Project Description:
To investigate and evaluate the reasons behind the trend in declining revenues and to re-establish an effective presence and deliver strong growth and profit performance for Perkin Elmer in Japan.

Case Study 13: Road and Track

Company Background:
Road & Track is an automobile enthusiast magazine in the United States, founded in 1947. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Media and published monthly. Hachette Filipacchi Media is a division of Lagardère SCA – the largest publisher in the world. Road & Track is directing its efforts towards a wide public of car enthusiasts who have a special interest in domestic and imported sports cars and sports sedans with above ordinary performance, handling, engineering and efficiency.

Project Title:
A Statistical Analysis and Evaluation of Road & Track Magazine Cover Designs for Enhancing Customer Purchases

Project Description:
To identify the key drivers influencing newsstand sales and find correlations between Road & Track’s magazine cover, editorial elements and newsstand sales.

”It has been an absolute delight to have the opportunity to work with a group of high-powered executives from all over the world. The group's out-of-the-box critical thinking has delivered a result-oriented project for Road & Track that we can easily take away and implement immediately. I look forward to more opportunities to work with the UCLA – NUS Executive MBA program participants and through the practicum project."

Patrick Hong
Senior Technical Editor and Director, Digital Strategy and Development
Road & Track Magazine
Hachette Filipacchi Media USA, Inc, California, USA

Case Study 14: Courage Capital Management

Company Background:
Courage Capital Management, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser, offers qualified investors the opportunity to invest in funds which are focused on generating absolute returns. Courage Capital was co-founded in 1998 by Richard C. Patton and Donald Farris. Institutional integrity is the hallmark of the firm. Today, the organization continues to develop talent and transfer business analysis skills and investing disciplines.

Project Title:
Global Distribution Strategy for an Asia-Based and Focused Hedge Fund

Project Description:
To develop a comprehensive distribution strategy that leverages the client’s core competencies and position it as one of the top three Asia-focused event-driven hedge funds.

Case Study 15: Tai Kwong Yokohama Battery Industries (TKYBI)

Company Background:
Tai Kwong Yokohama Battery Industries Sdn Bhd (TKYBI) is a home-grown Malaysian company that manufactures and distributes automotive and motorcycle batteries. It is an OEM supplier to well-known vehicle brand names (Perodua, Bosch, Honda, etc.) and has 20-25% market share in domestic automotive battery market and 45% market share in the domestic OEM market. Despite the successes, TKYBI faces considerable challenges with fluctuating commodity prices, regulatory changes, and many competitors vying for market share within the same space.

Project Title:
Operations and Distribution Strategy for Tai Kwong Yokohama

Project Description:
The UCLA – NUS Management Practicum team, comprising members from non-battery industries, assessed the key aspects of financial benchmarking against competitors, manufacturing, and distribution efficiencies as part of an initiative to review the TKYBI operations and highlight areas of opportunities.

”We were thoroughly impressed by the realistic approach and contributions from individuals of such differing background, yet finally coming to a common finding. The "practicum was practical" and we are adopting the interesting concept of dashboard control within our own management practices. My congratulations to the team!"

Patrick Yong
Group Chief Operating Officer
Tai Kwong Yokohama Bhd, Malaysia

Case Study 16: Vopium

Company Background:
Founded in Copenhagen in 2006, Vopium is a software-based provider of free and low-cost international mobile communication via VoIP and Wi-Fi technology

Project Title:
Launch strategy for VOPIUM in Asia Pacific

Project Description:
To develop a staged launch strategy for Vopium in the Asia Pacific region, and implementation plan for the countries in priority order, including a high level 3-year business case for the prioritized countries and a one-year implementation plan.

”We were all very impressed with the quality of the work delivered in developing a Launch strategy for Vopium in Asia Pacific. The team managed to cover all relevant aspects, the analysis was thorough and the recommendations were solid and operational. We subsequently decided to launch Vopium in Singapore and Hong Kong, as recommended by the team, and we have been pleased with the results for far. It was also a great pleasure to interact with the team during the project.

Jonas Holm
Director, Strategy and Business Development
Vopium
Copenhagen, Denmark

Case Study 17: Experian

Company Background:
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian has four business lines: Credit Services, Decision Analytics, Marketing Services and Interactive Services.

Project Title:
Market entry strategy for Experian Marketing Services in Asian countries.

Project Description:
The project analyzes and prioritizes countries to enter and provides market entry options in the Asia region for Experian Marketing Services to realize their Asia Pacific near and long-term growth objectives.

”The project team quickly came to grips not only with the complexity of our business but also of our competitors and the markets in which we operate across the globe, this despite the fact they had little experience in our field to draw on. Their inclusive approach to the analysis meant that the conclusions were insightful, well thought out and most importantly, useful. The recommendations are practical and executable and will certainly help to drive our business forward. It was a pleasure and a privilege to have such talented individuals working with us.”

Ken Sansom
President, Experian Asia Pacific