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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2014 (Revised August 2018)

  Caesars Entertainment

  Janice H. Hammond and Aldo Sesia

  This case describes the introduction of a regression analysis model for forecasting guest arrivals to Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company will use the forecast to staff the front desk in the hotel. The staff is unionized and the company has little flexibility to change staffing levels on a short-term basis. The case is set in the context of industry overcapacity and lower customer demand.
  
  The case describes several models that could be used to forecast guest arrivals, including a moving average technique and a multiple regression model. The multiple regression model includes over 40 independent variables, including dummy variables (e.g., to represent day of week, month, year, holidays, paydays) as well as continuous variables to represent customer segment and average daily room rate. The case contains tables showing the output of the regression model, and compares the fit of the moving average and regression models. The case allows students to understand how such a model is developed within an organization and to evaluate the models presented. Students may work with a data file with several years of historical data or they may work with the model description and output results in the case.

  Keywords: Forecasting; staffing; gaming; gaming industry; hotel industry; Decision Making; Forecasting and Prediction; Human Resources; Selection and Staffing; Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Operations; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Accommodations Industry; Travel Industry; Tourism Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Las Vegas;

  Citation:

  Hammond, Janice H., and Aldo Sesia. "Caesars Entertainment." Harvard Business School Case 615-031, October 2014. (Revised August 2018.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2015 (Revised August 2018)

  Ozark Feed and Ag Corporation: The ERP Decision

  Jan Hammond, Paul Kalmbach and Eric Bernstein

  This case describes a medium-sized business that manufactures animal feed for commercial and companion animals. The company has been growing rapidly and is considering whether or not to implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Ozark currently uses an IT system built and refined in house and, though less flexible than desired, allowed for some specific functionality the company used, such as a pricing system tied to the company’s commodity hedging positions on a real-time, as well as off-the-shelf systems, for recording financial transactions and reporting, purchasing, warehouse management, and manufacturing execution. The case provides an overview of ERP systems and implementation. Ozark is deciding among three ERP options; different senior executives support different options.

  Keywords: ERP systems; information technology; growth management; supply chain management; Performance improvement; Information Technology; Supply Chain Management; Growth Management; Performance Improvement; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Decision Choices and Conditions; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Information Technology Industry; Missouri; Oklahoma; Texas; Arkansas;

  Citation:

  Hammond, Jan, Paul Kalmbach, and Eric Bernstein. "Ozark Feed and Ag Corporation: The ERP Decision." Harvard Business School Case 616-019, October 2015. (Revised August 2018.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2017

  Chicago Chemicals, Inc.

  Gary Pisano, Jan Hammond and Marshall Fisher

  Citation:

  Pisano, Gary, Jan Hammond, and Marshall Fisher. "Chicago Chemicals, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 618-028, October 2017.  View Details

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