• Article

This article analyzes how the geography and organization of pre- and production stages in Global Value Chains (GVC) contribute to lead firms' innovation development. A novel approach in GVC studies is introduced based on transaction cost economics (TCE) and the innovation strategy's Modularity-Maturity matrix. The combination of these two perspectives allowed the conceptualization and assessment of two key dimensions in the generation of innovation in GVC: the geographic dispersion of value chain stages and lead firms' control over operations. The study of the intersection of the two dimensions led to the identification of four distinct innovation models in GVC. Evidence from four global manufacturing industries—pharmaceuticals, bicycle, design furniture and wine—suggests that lead firms' innovation capabilities and product innovation cycle are shaped by the specific structure of the GVC wherein they operate.

• January 2021
• Case

Autonomous business monitoring platform Anodot leveraged machine learning to providing real- time alerts regarding business anomalies. Anodot’s solution was used in various industries in order to primarily monitor business health, such as revenue and payments, product usage and customer experience. Every day, Anodot used 30 types of learning algorithms to analyze 6.2 billion data points and 428 million unique metrics. By 2019, Anodot’s platform tracked more than 400 million metrics daily, driving four billion autonomous decisions that were translated to less than 1,000 alerts for all its customers. This highly accurate monitoring led to a low incidence of false positives, or false alerts, and customer satisfaction was high. Since Anodot’s tool had the ability to identify granular business anomalies in real time, such as an unexpected drop in e-commerce sales for particular products or markets due to a technical glitch, fast detection and resolution of the problem meant that the potential financial damage could not be easily measured. The management team contemplated several strategic issues: How could they help their customers realize the value of Anodot? They had been working on several tools to show the value in different stages of the sales cycle and post-sale, but it was still hard to measure the actual financial value. In 2019, Anodot had adjusted its strategy to focus on client verticals and use-cases that would benefit most from Anodot. Would this make the sales process any easier? An improved product-market fit, combined with an ability to measure Anodot’s value, could increase conversion and retention. Should they narrow down the use cases even more? As the team was thinking about their next funding round, it was important to prioritize their efforts.

• January 2021
• Case

The operating executives of Health and Benefits for Onex Partners, Megan Jackson Frye and Sam Camens, faced a challenge: Healthcare costs for employees of Onex’s portfolio companies were continuing to rise above the consumer price index, reflecting broader trends across employer-sponsored health insurance in the U.S. Against this backdrop, Frye and Camens considered recommending that Onex’s portfolio companies adopt value-based insurance design (VBID) principles to encourage employees to take high-value medications, for example by reducing copays for drugs managing diabetes or heart conditions. The case encourages students to put themselves in the shoes of Frye and Camens, who were grappling with evidence promoted by VBID’s proponents on its potential to simultaneously improve employee health and curb employer costs. The case includes content on employer-provided health insurance in the U.S., as well as the consequences of cost-sharing on consumer behavior, health, and spending.