Prizes & Awards
This case is amongst the top 50 most popular cases in the 50 years history of The Case Centre – 1973-2023
2022 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in Production and Operations Management
2021 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in Production and Operations Management
2021 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2020 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in Production and Operations Management
2020 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2019 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2018 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2017 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2016 Best Selling Cases In France, Production / Logistique
2016 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2015 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2014 The Case Centre Best Selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2013 The Case Centre Best Selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2012 ecch Best Selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2011 ecch Best Selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2010 ecch Best Selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2009 ecch Best Selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2008 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2007 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2006 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2005 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
Overall Winner of 2005 European Case Awards
2004 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
2003 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
Winner of 2003 European Case Awards, Production and Operations Management Category
2002 ecch Best-selling Case in Production and Operations Management
The case was written to illustrate the importance of business process design as a basis for competition in the textile industry. The case illustrates the impressive performance of Zara, the new fashion player from Spain, which has innovated in process design so as to deliver new collections in its stores with a lead-time of 5 to 7 days. The more traditional approach in textile retailing is illustrated here by Marks & Spencer (M&S), the well-known UK retailer. Notwithstanding M&Ss current problems, the case does not fall into an overly simple comparison between a young, innovative competitor and an aging glory.
The authors have taught this case both in executive education and in the MBA core class on process and operations management. There are four important concepts that we typically stress, more or less, depending on pedagogical objectives: - Newsvendor losses in the textile industry - The role of postponement in final design - The "lean enterprise" aspect of Zara - Process competition and innovation, embedded in technology evolution
- AR2002
- RD0102
- SINGAPORE
- PROCESS COMPETITION
- OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
- SUPPLY CHAIN
- RETAIL APPAREL
- DELAYED CUSTOMISATION
- DELAYED CUSTOMIZATION
- TIME-BASED COMPETITION
- NEWSBOY MODEL
- INNOVATION
- SERVICES
- DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
