Janice H. Hammond is the Jesse Philips Professor of Manufacturing and the Senior Associate Dean for Culture at Community at Harvard Business School. She currently teaches Supply Chain Management in the HBS MBA program. She serves as program chair for the HBS Executive Education International Women’s Foundation and Women’s Leadership Programs and created the online Business Analytics course for Harvard Business School Online CORe (a 9 to 11 week program that teaches business fundamentals via courses in Business Analytics, Economics, and Financial Accounting).
Professor Hammond has previously taught courses in Technology and Operations Management; Business Logistics and After-Sales Service; Decision Support Systems; Quantitative Methods; and Managerial Economics in the MBA program. She has taught in several of the HBS Executive Education courses for general managers, including Managing the Supply Chain; Manufacturing in Corporate Strategy; Retailing; and Managing Orders, Vendors, & Customers, as well as in numerous custom executive programs.
She has previously served as Senior Associate Dean, Director of Faculty Planning; Unit Head for the Technology and Operations Management Unit; Course Head for the Required Technology and Operations Management Course; Faculty Chair of the HBS Analytics Program, and as Faculty Chair of the January Cohort of the Harvard MBA Program.
Professor Hammond's current research focuses on speed and flexibility in manufacturing and logistics systems: specifically, how these systems develop the attributes necessary to respond quickly and efficiently to changing customer demand. An important component examines how coordinating mechanisms within organizations and along supply channels affect those channels' ability to compete. In particular, much of her work focuses on the interface between manufacturing and retail organizations. A portion of this research has been conducted in the textile and apparel industries under an industrial competitiveness grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. She is co-author with Fred Abernathy, John Dunlop, and David Weil of A Stitch in Time: Lean Retailing and the Transformation of Manufacturing -- Lessons from the Textile and Apparel Industries, published by Oxford University Press.
Professor Hammond has an active interest in the field of e-learning. Prior to creating the Business Analytics course for Harvard Business School Online CORe, she completed two on-line learning courses: a global supply chain management simulation and a twenty-hour on-line quantitative analysis course.
Professor Hammond holds a Sc.B. degree in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has published widely on the topics of logistics and channel coordination, and consults and teaches at several major multi-national corporations.
Ferrozi, C., J. H. Hammond, and R. D. Shapiro. Logistics and Strategy. Turin: Istituto editoriale internazionale (ISEDI), 1993, Italian ed.
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Abernathy, Frederick H., John T. Dunlop, Janice H. Hammond, and David Weil. "Globalization in the Apparel and Textile Industries: What Is New and What Is Not?" In Locating Global Advantage: Industry Dynamics in the International Economy, edited by Martin Kenney and Richard Florida. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004.
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Hammond, Janice H., and Kristin M Kohler. "E-Commerce in the Textile and Apparel Industries." In Tracking a Transformation: E-commerce and the Terms of Competition in Industries, edited by Berkeley, The BRIE-IGCC Economy Project. Brookings Institution Press, 2001.
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Hammond, J. H., Marshall L. Fisher, Walter Obermeyer, and A. Raman. "Configuring a Supply Chain to Reduce the Cost of Demand Uncertainty." In Global Supply Chain and Technology Management. Vol. 1, edited by Hau Lee and Shu Ming Ng, 76–90. POMS Series in Technology and Operations Management. Miami: Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), 1998.
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Hammond, J., and Theodore H. Clark. "Reengineering Channel Reordering Processes to Improve Total Supply-Chain Performance." In Global Supply Chain and Technology Management. Vol. 1, edited by Hau Lee and Shu Ming Ng. POMS Series in Technology and Operations Management. Miami: Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), 1998.
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Dunlop, J. T., J. H. Hammond, F A Abernathy, and D. Weil. "The Information-integrated Channel: A Study of the U.S. Apparel Industry in Transition." In Brookings Papers on Economic Activity: Micro Economics 1995, edited by M. N. Baily, P.C. Reiss, and C. Winston. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1995.
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Hammond, Janice H., A. Kamau Massey, and Mayra G. Garza. "African American Inequality in the United States." Harvard Business School Background Note 620-046, September 2019. (Revised January 2020.)
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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.
The global consumer goods company Unilever was on pace to hit a number of aggressive targets by 2020 as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Project, including a goal to halve the waste associated with the disposal of its products. Unilever's chief supply chain officer Pier Luigi Sigismondi and his team were working towards this goal and had chosen to first focus on three key areas—sugar, tomatoes, and tea—and had analyzed where in the “farm to fork” value chain product was wasted. This analysis showed that very little was wasted within areas of the value chain directly controlled by Unilever, and most occurred either upstream with its suppliers or downstream with consumers. How could Unilever encourage these actors to change established practices and entrenched behaviors within a short timeframe to help Unilever meet its sustainability targets and also to improve the operations of its partners in the value chain? By encouraging consumers to better manage their food purchases, did Unilever risk harming its own sales or those of its retail customers? Could Unilever encourage industry-wide changes to have a real impact on global environmental sustainability?
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.
Dore-Dore, a French manufacturer of socks and children's knitwear, has just converted a portion of its knitwear operations to a flexible modular system to allow faster response and greater flexibility. The case provides an opportunity to assess the changes in knitwear operations, and to evaluate whether a similar conversion to modular is appropriate for socks. Other opportunities for lead-time reduction can also be examined. Can be used to illustrate the impact of changing from a traditional linear batch operation to manufacturing cells and the impact of operating system design and lot size on through-put time, quality, productivity, etc. In addition, provides an opportunity to discuss channel lead time reduction.
Describes a large-volume automotive parts contract in a high-quality machine work company. Quality and delivery problems arise when one of the four men on the job is replaced with a high producer who cannot earn a substantial bonus because of machine interference.
Barilla SpA, an Italian manufacturer that sells to its retailers largely through third-party distributors, experienced widely fluctuating demand patterns from its distributors during the late 1980s. This case describes a proposal to address the problem by implementing a continuous replenishment program, under which the responsibility for determining shipment quantities to the distributors would shift from the distributors to Barilla. Describes support and resistance within Barilla's different functional areas and within the distributors Barilla approached with the proposal.
H. Kent Bowen, Janice H. Hammond, Sylvie Ryckebusch and Hiroshi Uchikoga
In 1995, Toshiba was the market leader in portable computer sales worldwide. This case describes the assembly of portable notebook computers in Toshiba's Ome factory in Ome, Japan, providing insights into some of the reasons for Toshiba's success. In addition to describing production techniques such as dynamic line balancing, this case probes the nature of the Japanese workforce and the unique problems faced by Japanese businesses.
Bowen, H. Kent, Janice H. Hammond, Sylvie Ryckebusch, and Hiroshi Uchikoga. "Toshiba: Ome Works." Harvard Business School Case 696-059, February 1996. (Revised February 2008.)
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ChemBright is a small start-up company that manufactures private-label household chemicals. The company sells its products to grocery chains in the New England area. Its strategy is based on a significant logistics-based cost advantage. The primary case decisions are 1) how the company should respond to a price war initiated by a strong competitor, and 2) how the company can continue to exploit its logistics advantages as it pursues different growth alternatives. Acts as an effective introduction to logistics, and, in particular, to the fact that logistics is not a purely tactical function, but can be used as a powerful competitive weapon.
The student is starting his or her own business, baking make-to-order cookies. Basic times of each operation are laid out and the student is asked to determine the consequences for the operating system. Serves as an exercise and review of concepts such as capacity, bottlenecks, and throughput times. Students should be able to make several useful suggestions for improving the system.
The case describes operations at a skiwear design and merchandising company and its supply partner. Introduces production planning for short-life-cycle products with uncertain demand and allows students to analyze a reduced version of the company's production planning problem. In addition, it provides details about information and material flows that allow students to make recommendations for operational improvements, including comparisons between sourcing products in Hong Kong and China.
Hammond, Janice H. "Frito-Lay, Inc.: The Backhaul Decision (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 690-076, March 1990. (Revised October 2005.)
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Describes how Amazon's distribution system evolved from the company's inception. In 2003, Amazon Europe must decide how to reconfigure its distribution network in light of expected growth, products proliferation, and geographical expansion in Europe. Examines how characteristics of suppliers and customers differ across the markets Amazon serves in Europe. The protagonist must consider the degree of centralization appropriate for the European network, where inventory should be held, what fulfillment models should be used, and how to manage risks of supply disruption.
Describes the organization and operations of the Handleman Co., an intermediary in the music industry that buys recorded music and resells it to mass retailers such as Wal-Mart. The company provides distribution, inventory management, retail merchandising, and category management to its retail customers. It differentiates itself by keeping track of trends in the music industry and ensuring that the trends in music popularity translate to the appropriate assortments in each retail store. Recounts the changes that Handleman has made in organizational structure, processes, and system to support its business. Describes the challenges facing the president of the entertainment division in light of increasing product proliferation, price pressure, the need for growth, and the advent of online music.
While grappling with glitches in the design and operation of its production system, Andover Assembly must also launch a new sensor product line to meet ultimatums issued by frustrated Signatron vice presidents. The financial returns of the division are not meeting corporate's expectations and plant manager Jan Havel has been sent in to turn around the plant's operations under 2 (6- and 12-month) deadlines. To turn the unhappy customers into cooperating customers, the Andover division is faced with the challenge of reaching nearly 100% ontime delivery performance within weeks. The introduction of the new product line, which requires some of the same resources, compounds the team's problems.
Describes a marketing director about to launch a new process for demand forecasting. Provides data that allow students to do a multivariable regression analysis. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
Merloni Elettrodomestici is a leading Italian manufacturer of domestic appliances. In 1986, an exposition for Merloni customers is scheduled at its Milano regional warehouse. During the two-month period preceding the event, when the warehouse must be free of inventory, the company conducts a "transit point" experiment. Each day, a truckload of products from the company's central warehouse is sent to Milano, where it is immediately transferred to small trucks for local delivery. At the conclusion of the experiment, the company is considering the replacement of its 17 regional warehouses with transit points. Students are asked to evaluate this proposal and recommend a configuration for Merloni's distribution network. Issues to be considered in the analysis of the case include the impact of different network configurations on customer service and on inventory, labor, operating, and transport costs.
Describes the major modes of domestic freight transportation (motor carrier, rail, air, water, and pipelines). Examines the characteristics of the transportation service that each mode provides and discusses changes in the industry that have resulted from recent regulatory reform. Intended to provide background information for the transportation cases used in the Business Logistics course.
The beer game is an exercise that demonstrates supply channel dynamics. Simulates the flow of material and information in a simplified channel of beer production and distribution, focusing on the linkages among a beer manufacturer, its distributors, a wholesaler, and a retailer. Students are organized into teams of four, each assigned to place orders and manage inventory for one firm in the channel. In this simplified channel, orders are the only information allowed to flow among channel participants. Despite the simplicity of the simulation, most teams find it extremely difficult to keep inventory and stockout costs low. The instructor can work with students to understand the nature of the problems they experience, identify the causes, and discuss possible remedies. The 90-minute exercise is played on game boards that are available from the Systems Dynamics Society (518-442-3865).
Provides detailed instructions for auditors to help them prepare for the factory demonstration day. Each audit position is described and a time line outlining responsibilities for the four phases of the simulation is provided.
Wriston Manufacturing is a broad-line maker of components for the automotive industry. It has developed a network of nine plants as its product line has grown. Newer, higher-volume products tend to be made in newer, focused, high-volume plants, while older product lines tend to be assigned to the Detroit plant, the oldest one in the system. Because Detroit produces such a wide variety of products, its overhead costs are very high. Management needs to decide whether to close the Detroit plant or find a way to make it profitable. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
The Executive Shirt Co. is contemplating a move into custom-made shirts. The company's general manager has charged two of his managers to come up with plans for incorporating production of custom shirts into the existing manufacturing process.
Hammond, Janice H., and Afroze A Mohammed. "Polaroid Corporation: European Distribution System TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 696-044, August 1995.
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Hammond, Janice H. "Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA: The Transit Point Experiment TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 696-047, July 1995.
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Hammond, Janice H. "Logistics and Supply Channel Coordination, Course Overview Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 695-062, June 1995.
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Describes distribution operations in Polaroid Europe. In the late 1980s, Polaroid senior management in the United States proposed moving from a system of 12 decentralized warehouses to a centralized distribution system in which all inventory for European retailers would be held in Polaroid's Dutch distribution center. Most subsidiary general managers opposed the proposal, as did Polaroid's European marketing organization. Describes several distribution alternatives Polaroid considered in 1990 including: 1) direct distribution to retailers through Europe from the Dutch distribution center, 2) hiring a third-party logistics organization to take over all of Polaroid's European distribution activities, and 3) establishing regional satellite distribution centers. Provides an overview of changes in the European retailing and distribution industries at the beginning of the 1990s, with a specific focus on the diverse service expectations of retailers in different European countries and of different retail segments.
IBM has established a service delivery system to provide service and maintenance parts for its installed base of computers. The case outlines the competitive pressures IBM faces from alternative providers of maintenance services (e.g. other OEMs, third-party maintainers, and independent retailers) and describes the shifting service requirements of computer users. Describes a variety of programs that IBM has undertaken to improve its after-sales service operations, and proposes a variety of alternatives that IBM is considering implementing. Illustrates the value of communication and coordination between different functions within IBM (e.g., between maintenance, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing) to allow services to be provided in a competitive manner and to provide appropriate feedback from the field.
Applichem manufactures the same chemical product in four plants, each of which is located in a different country. The company has completed a major study comparing the productivity and performance of these plants. Using the data from the study, students must decide which, if any, plants to close. The case requires students to think about the relevant metrics for comparing the performance of plants that operate very differently and in different countries. An important issue is the distinction between physical measures of productivity and financial measures of performance. Finally, the case allows students to think about what management might do to ensure that productivity improvements are shared across the plant network.
Prior to the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, companies with private trucking fleets were generally prohibited from selling transportation services to other companies. The deregulation of the trucking industry in 1980 allowed private carriers to offer for-hire transportation services. In 1983, as part of an effort to offset the rise in their distribution costs, Frito-Lay considers selling miles on its backhaul lanes to other companies. Frito-Lay management must consider whether the potential revenues from these services warrant the possible degradation of service to Frito-Lay's sales force. If the backhaul proposal is approved, a marketing plan for the transportation services must be developed.
Describes the proposed creation of a low end 3000 configuration workstation using Digital's competitive advantage of offering a la carte configuration capability and ability to build different options for customers. Disadvantages of this 3000 configuration workstation include a high processing cost exceeding $500 per order and delays in customer orders using the complex order management process.
It has been estimated that the U.S. apparel industry wastes over $25 billion annually due to inefficient practices, long lead times, and insufficient coordination between channel partners. In response to intense competition from off-shore producers, the industry has initiated efforts to reduce these losses and regain competitiveness. This note provides background information on the U.S. apparel industry and describes the concept of "Quick Response," a strategy that increases the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers by increasing their ability to quickly respond to shifting markets. Describes changes in technology, information systems, and channel relationships that are necessary to implement a Quick Response system.
Hammond, Janice H. "Design and Management of Multi-Facility Logistics Networks, Note to Instructors." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 690-083, May 1990.
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Describes the experiences of a seasoned Burlington Northern (BN) sales representative after the introduction of ShipSmart, a decision support system developed by the BN to help its employees and customers analyze logistics problems. After a brief description of a logistics training program for sales representatives, the case describes an opportunity for new business for the BN (shipping beer from a brewery to beer distributors by rail, rather than truck) identified by the sales representative. Realizing the new business will require the coordination of logistics channel partners (the brewery, the distributors, and the railroad) as well as interfunctional coordination (between marketing, engineering, and operations) within the railroad. The sales representative weighs the complexities of the problem and considers the use of ShipSmart to demonstrate the value of switching to rail transport to the distributors and the brewery.
Quantum is faced with a difficult ethical dilemma--industry studies provide evidence that chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing may cause women working in fabrication cleanrooms to suffer a higher likelihood of spontaneous abortions. The possibility of other reproductive health risks exist also. Barring all women of child-bearing age from fabrication areas may be viewed as sex discrimination and cause legal ramifications. Full automation is too costly for this small company. What should they do?
Describes the forces that led to the development of a logistics analysis program by the Burlington Northern Railroad. The first half of the case describes changes in industrial structure, technology, demographics, shipper practices, and government regulation that led to the general decline of the railroad industry following World War II. The remainder contains the Burlington Northern's competitive response to its changing environment, including the company's decision to develop a logistics analysis program to improve their employees' and their customers' understanding of logistics. Also contains an example of logistics cost tradeoffs.
Describes a multiechelon distribution system for the distribution of automobile spare parts. An analyst has been hired by the Norton Auto Supply Co. to improve the company's inventory planning and control techniques. Includes demand, cost, weight, and supplier lead time information for a set of parts. Students are asked to devise an inventory control system that distinguishes between different parts based on relevant characteristics.
Hammond, J. H., Z. B. Tang, and F. H. Abernathy. "Design and Scheduling of Apparel Manufacturing Systems with Both Slow and Quick Production Lines." Paper presented at the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, IEEE Computer Society Press, December 01, 1994.
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Hammond, Janice H., F.A. Abernathy, J.T. Dunlop, and D. Weil. "Executive Summary of Preliminary Findings of the U.S. Apparel Industry." Harvard Center for Textile and Apparel Research - Research Paper series, Harvard Center for Textile and Apparel Research, April 1995. (2d ed.)
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Hammond, J. H., J Dunlop, F A Abernathy, and D. Weil. "Improving the Performance of the Men's Dress Shirt Industry: A Channel Perspective." Harvard Center for Textile and Apparel Research, August 1991.
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