More from these Authors

• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2019 (Revised May 2019)

  Fetchr: A New Way of Last Mile Delivery

  V.G. Narayanan and Eren Kuzucu

  By mid-2016, five years of aggressive growth had transformed Fetchr from a small logistics startup to a 1,000-employee, full-fledged last-mile delivery company operating across four countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Already beneficiaries of the largest Series A round to the Middle East from an American firm, CEO Idriss Al Rifai and the Fetchr team had ambitions of raising another $40 million in Series B and deliberated continuing international expansion. But first, Al Rifai and his team needed to address the operational efficiency and profitability issues that led their investors to threaten the discontinuation of funding and put the company’s future at stake. The case provides background information on the logistics sphere in the Middle East and the challenges companies face in the region. The case then takes the reader through Al Rifai’s journey of founding and growing Fetchr, backed with innovations like their patented GPS-based delivery technology. Finally, the case zooms in on Fetchr’s management team as they race against time to perform evaluations of their operational efficiency, weigh cost-cutting options, and explore strategies to improve profitability.

  Keywords: Startup; decision; financial strategy; UAE; KSA; MENA; Cost Accounting; Business Model; Business Startups; Transformation; Cost Management; Strategy; Disruptive Innovation; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Logistics; Service Delivery; Supply Chain Management; Performance Evaluation; Mathematical Methods; Mobile Technology; Transportation Networks; Middle East; United Arab Emirates; Dubai; Bahrain; Egypt; Saudi Arabia; North Africa;

  Citation:

  Narayanan, V.G., and Eren Kuzucu. "Fetchr: A New Way of Last Mile Delivery." Harvard Business School Case 119-018, March 2019. (Revised May 2019.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2019

  Mahindra Finance

  V.G. Narayanan and Tanvi Deshpande

  Mahindra Finance is a non-banking lender operating mainly in the rural and semi-urban areas of India. Set up in 1991, the company had grown to become a market leader with assets of $8.5 billion and a presence in 3,30,000 villages across India. Since most of Mahindra's customers are occupied in farming or allied activities, they are reliant on India's erratic monsoons for their source of livelihood. In order to manage the credit risks associated with lending to such a group, Mahindra Finance has developed ways of diversifying its risks and dealing with bad debt. The case discusses Mahindra Finance's practices of how to manage credit risk, measure this risk, make appropriate provisions for this risk, and finally communicate the risk and its management to the capital markets.

  Keywords: Accounting; Business Model; Volatility; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decisions; Credit; Financing and Loans; Service Delivery; Risk and Uncertainty; Financial Services Industry; India;

  Citation:

  Narayanan, V.G., and Tanvi Deshpande. "Mahindra Finance." Harvard Business School Case 119-003, March 2019.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2018 (Revised September 2018)

  Impact Investing for Cancer

  Richard G. Hamermesh and Matthew G. Preble

  It is early 2018, and Emily Park, managing director of impact for the Abreu Family Office, is meeting the next day with Tomás and Maria Abreu to discuss the various ways in which the Abreus can allocate a planned $100 million to make a meaningful difference in cancer patients’ lives. Park has spent the past few months working on this project and has uncovered a multitude of options, from supporting high-performing disease-focused organizations through venture philanthropy; to investing in a fund or directly into ventures and possibly earning a good return on investment in the process; to helping address system-wide issues such as the better organization and funding of clinical trials. As she prepares to present her findings to the Abreus, she wonders which one(s) will spark their interest as the way to have the most meaningful impact, and what implications their ultimate decision will have on the Family Office in terms of its capital outlays, structure, staffing, and many other categories.

  Keywords: impact investing; Investment; Health Disorders; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Decision Choices and Conditions;

  Citation:

  Hamermesh, Richard G., and Matthew G. Preble. "Impact Investing for Cancer." Harvard Business School Case 818-068, April 2018. (Revised September 2018.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related