Integration Planning at SFB (C)

Kusha Ahmad is tasked with facilitating headcount reduction following the acquisition of the Societe Francaise de Biotechnologie (SFB) by Big American Pharmaceuticals (BAP), and the subsequent closure of the SFB office in Lyon, France. In accordance with regulations introduced in 2017, staff are entitled to a “rupture conventionnelle collective”. With the aim of reaching unbiased and rational decisions, Kusha uses data analysis (exclusively) to identify which people to whom the offer will be made. The case follows Kusha as she develops a roadmap to take her from data to decision making.

To teach students how to (1) elaborate a data-driven plan of action for decision making; (2) use predictive-to-prescriptive analysis; (3) leverage machine learning (ML) techniques; (4) formulate and solve an optimization problem. The case can also be used as a basis for discussion of the role played by analytical models in high-impact societal decisions. Part A may be of interest to human resource professors who wish to provide an illustration of the “rupture conventionnelle collective” framework.