Case studies like this one are an established method for teaching management and business. They allow you to take an in-depth look at a real-world...

Case studies like this one are an established method for teaching management and business. They allow you to take an in-depth look at a real-world situation and practice performing analyses. In this group case study you will look at lean systems in an example from Ford Motor Company.

Instructions: Read the following:

• Magreta, J. (1998, March-April). The power of virtual integration: An interview with Dell computer's Michael Dell. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1998/03/the-power-of-virtual-integration-an-interview-with-dell-computers-michael-dell/

cogent essay which considers the following questions:

1. What advantage did Dell derive from virtual integration? How important are these advantages in the auto business?
2. Today Ford has downsized tremendously, outsourcing many operations. Find out how far Ford has moved toward its goal of becoming more like Dell and Toyota. Find out what it is doing in foreign countries. Has it been able to be more imaginative overseas?
3. Dell has also grown much since the case was written. Explain whether its growth has taken it nearer or further from its initial direct to the consumer virtual integration model. What does Dell's stock price performance indicate about its business prospects? Why?