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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013

  LEGO (A): The Crisis

  Jan W. Rivkin, Stefan H. Thomke and Daniela Beyersdorfer

  As this case opens, iconic toymaker LEGO stands on the brink of bankruptcy. Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, LEGO's young and newly appointed CEO, must size up changes in the toy industry, learn from the company's recent moves, and craft a strategy that will put LEGO back on track.

  Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Competitive Strategy; Crisis Management; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Consumer Products Industry;

  Citation:

  Rivkin, Jan W., Stefan H. Thomke, and Daniela Beyersdorfer. "LEGO (A): The Crisis." Harvard Business School Case 713-478, February 2013.

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2010 version)

  The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time

  Stefan H. Thomke and Mona Sinha

  Describes the Mumbai-based Dabbawala organization, which achieves very high service performance (6 Sigma equivalent or better) with a low-cost and very simple operating system. The case explores all aspects of their system (mission, information management, material flows, human resource system, processes, etc.) and the challenges that the Dabbawala organization faces in a rapidly changing environment. An outside consultant proposes the introduction of new technologies and management systems, while the leading logistics companies (e.g., FedEx) come to Mumbai to learn about the Dabbawala system.

  Keywords: Technology; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Logistics; Alignment; Management Systems; Human Resources; Innovation and Invention; Mumbai;

  Citation:

  Thomke, Stefan H., and Mona Sinha. "The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time." Harvard Business School Case 610-059, January 2013. (Revised from original February 2010 version.)

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• Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2012 version)

  The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time (TN)

  Stefan H. Thomke

  The Mumbai-based dabbawalas are a 5,000 or so person organization that achieves exceptional service performance with a semi-literate workforce. Every working day, they deliver and return about 130,000 lunchboxes to offices throughout Mumbai. This entails more than 260,000 transactions within six hours each day, six days a week, 52 weeks a year (minus holidays) and mistakes are extremely rare. The case explores all aspects of their system (mission, information management, material flows, human resource system, processes, etc.) and the challenges that the dabbawala organization faces in a rapidly changing environment.

  Keywords: systems design; organization design; service; Mumbai; India;

  Citation:

  Thomke, Stefan H. "The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 613-062, January 2013. (Revised from original October 2012 version.)

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