Publications
Publications
- June 2004 (Revised September 2007)
- HBS Case Collection
Zara: IT for Fast Fashion
Abstract
In 2003, Zara's CIO must decide whether to upgrade the retailer's IT infrastructure and capabilities. At the time of the case, the company relies on an out-of-date operating system for its store terminals and has no full-time network in place across stores. Despite these limitations, however, Zara's parent company, Inditex, has built an extraordinarily well-performing value chain that is by far the most responsive in the industry. The case describes this value chain, concentrating on its operations and IT infrastructure.
Keywords
Business Model; Customer Value and Value Chain; Information Management; Infrastructure; Supply Chain Management; Information Technology; Retail Industry
Citation
McAfee, Andrew P., Vincent Dessain, and Anders Sjoman. "Zara: IT for Fast Fashion." Harvard Business School Case 604-081, June 2004. (Revised September 2007.)