Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • November 1997 (Revised February 1998)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

WESCO Distribution, Inc.

By: Das Narayandas
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:28
ShareBar

Abstract

In 1996, WESCO, a national distributor of electrical equipment and supplies, charted out a growth of 6 to 8 percent in sales, and 12 to 16 percent in profitability over the next five years. The centerpiece of this growth strategy is the National Accounts (NA) program that WESCO has developed to serve its major industrial customers in response to recent changes that they made to their business processes. However, as of June 1997, the NA program has not delivered the expected results. WESCO now needs to isolate the root cause of the NA program shortfall and implement changes that will put this program back on track. It needs to decide whether to continue to be proactive in initiating, building, and maintaining national accounts, or to be passive and offer the NA program only after customers have shown a legitimate interest.

Keywords

Restructuring; Customer Satisfaction; Growth and Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Distribution; Sales; Balance and Stability; Distribution Industry; Electronics Industry

Citation

Narayandas, Das. "WESCO Distribution, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 598-021, November 1997. (Revised February 1998.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Das Narayandas

Marketing
→More Publications

More from the Author

    • January 2023
    • Faculty Research

    Digital Transformation at Tata Steel

    By: Krishna Palepu, Das Narayandas and Radhika Kak
    • August 2022 (Revised March 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    Bajaj Finance: Building an Omnipresent Financial Services Firm

    By: Das Narayandas and Rachna Tahilyani
    • July 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Hometown Foods

    By: Julian De Freitas, Jeremy Yang and Das Narayandas
More from the Author
  • Digital Transformation at Tata Steel By: Krishna Palepu, Das Narayandas and Radhika Kak
  • Bajaj Finance: Building an Omnipresent Financial Services Firm By: Das Narayandas and Rachna Tahilyani
  • Hometown Foods By: Julian De Freitas, Jeremy Yang and Das Narayandas
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College