Alumni Association

Slowing Introductions of New Electronic Products
Reduces E-Waste
Some types of regulations governing disposal of electronic waste can reduce the world's mountains of devices waiting to be recycled, while they also slow the rate of new product introductions, says GSB Professor Erica Plambeck. Slowing Introductions of New Electronic Products Details

Netflix Broke the Rules and Won
The video rental service broke new ground with a patented consumer model that had no deadlines or penalties and charged a set monthly fee. "Netflix got it right," said GSB  Professor Sunil Kumar. Details

Strategic Spot Trading Benefits Supply Chains
GSB Professors Haim Mendelson and Tunay Tunca have completed a study which shows supply chains can create greater profits for themselves and lower costs to consumers by developing a strategy to purchase needed materials with fixed-priced contracts negotiated in advance plus buying in real time on the open market. Benefits Supply ChainsDetails

The Best Way to Construct Unenforceable Contracts
Strong relationships rather than iron clad legal agreements can be the most practical way for firms to outsource key operational activities, says GSB Professor Erica Plambeck. In many cases the threat of loss of future business is a stronger incentive than a legal document. Best Way to Construct Unenforceable ContractsDetails

The New Electric Lamp; Lighting Off the Grid
Matt Scott, MBA '03, got to wondering what it would take to light the rest of the world. The result is the Mightylight, a waterproof, shockproof, LED lamp that can be used as a flashlight, reading lamp, or ceiling fixture. Time Archive, May 29, 2006. Lighting Off the GridDetails

When Disaster Strikes, United Chain Efforts
Can Enhance Relief Work
The time to help is before a disaster strikes, focusing on planning, building partnerships, and using the same techniques that supply chains focus on to keep factories running, said speakers at a seminar on Effective Disruption Management including GSB Professor Hau Lee. United Chain Efforts Can Enhance Relief WorkDetails

Research by Hau Lee Honored
Building a supply chain on the theory that faster and cheaper is better is a pattern for failure, says GSB Professor Hau Lee. His paper, "The Triple-A Supply Chain," published in October 2004, has been honored by the McKinsey Awards for excellence in management thinking, presented annually by the Harvard Business Review. Research by Hau Lee HonoredDetails

Taking the Risk Out of Supply Chains
Loss of confidence in the supply chain occurs after events such as the Iraq War and the SARS outbreak. According to GSB Professor Hau Lee, what companies downstream and upstream need is better sharing of information throughout the supply chain and a good, solid Plan B to turn to when trouble strikes distribution channels. Taking the Risk Out of Supply ChainsDetails

Sense and Respond, the New Business Model
Instead of broadcasting information to a wide audience, businesses can pinpoint a message, product, or service using a sense and respond business model. The full effects won't be felt for a while but it is coming, says GSB Professor Jin Whang. New Business ModelDetails

Outsourcing Has No Easy Answers
Northern California loses as many jobs to other states as to other countries Carl Guardino, executive director of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, told a conference on outsourcing. The solution is to create a smart, competitive workforce. Outsourcing Has No Easy AnswersDetails

Factory Simulation Program Wins Wide Recognition
A sophisticated online program simulating factory operations, developed by GSB Associate Professor Sumil Kumar, is teaching students at over 40 colleges and universities some important lessons about production processes. Factory Simulation Program Winning Wide RecognitionDetails

Simply Reducing Waste Is Not Good Enough
Michael Braungart, co-author of a book on Cradle-to-Cradle design and founder of design firms in the United States came to Stanford to outline the Cradle-to-Cradle design paradigm he has championed. He made clear that his revolutionary ideas are at odds with much of the prevailing thought about sustainability. Simply Reducing Waste Is Not Good EnoughDetails

Prize Honors Work by GSB Professor Michael Harrison
Michael Harrison wants to know how randomness affects the functioning of business processes, and how it should be accounted for in management policies. His work has covered a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from the valuation of derivative financial instruments to management of "processing networks," like telephone call centers and insurance claim processing organizations. Prize Honoring GSB Professor HarrisonDetails

What Makes Consumers Want to Buy the Latest Model?
To help planners of high-tech consumer products make these sorts of decisions, Seenu Srinivasan, the Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at the Stanford GSB, and Sang-Hoon Kim, assistant professor of marketing at Seoul National University and a former student of Srinivasan's, created a mathematical model that forecasts the sales path of a new version of an existing product. What Makes Consumers Want to Buy the Latest ModelDetails

When is it Smart to Sell the Factory and Outsource?
GSB Professor Erica L. Plambeck
It may not be as poetic as Hamlet's famous line, but "to build or to buy" is a question that becomes more crucial for manufacturing executives every day. Should your company keep control of its supply chain and manufacturing facilities when it needs to expand - and risk getting stuck with expensive capacity it can't use? Or should it outsource - and if so, to whom and for how much? When it is Smart to Sell the Factory and OutsourceDetails