BUSINESS UPDATES
Missing Forecasts : What Went Wrong?
-- Jigyasu Gaur and Debapratim Purkayastha
© 2010 IBS Center for Management Research. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic or mechanicalwithout permission.
To order copies, call +91-9640901313 or write to the IBS Center for Management Research, IFHE Campus, Donthanapally, Sankarapally
Road, Hyderabad 501 504. Website: www.icmrindia.org
BUSINESS UPDATES
Fido Dido: An Advertising Icon
-- Rajdeep Chakraborti and
Debapratim Purkayastha
© 2010 IBS Center for Management Research. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic or mechanicalwithout permission.
To order copies, call +91-9640901313 or write to the IBS Center for Management Research, IFHE Campus, Donthanapally, Sankarapally
Road, Hyderabad 501 504. Website: www.icmrindia.org
CASE IN FOCUS
Cisco's Strategy in
Recessionary Times
-- Indu P and Vivek Gupta
The case examines the strategies adopted by the US-based Cisco Systems Inc. (Cisco) to tackle recession in
the US markets in the fiscal 2008-09. Earlier, during the recession in 2001, Cisco was caught unawares
leading to a write down of inventory worth US$2.2 bn. The company reported a loss of US$2.69 bn for the
third quarter ending April 2001. Learning its lessons from the recession in 2001,
Cisco was well prepared to face the recession during the fiscal 2008-09, with a cash balance of US$34 bn. Cisco saw the downturn as
an opportunity to invest in new technologies and emerging markets and continued to acquire several
companies. During the recession, it found opportunities in the areas of virtualization, video architecture,
Telepresence, collaboration and network-enabled technologies. Cisco also benefited through its unique
organization structure. With these and other initiatives to cut costs, even amidst recession, Cisco expected an
annual growth between 12% and 17% by 2015.
© 2010 IBS Center for Management Research. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the case study, log on
to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org
LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Elephant Pumps : Pump Aid's Business Solution to a Social Problem
-- Syeda Maseeha Qumer and Debapratim Purkayastha
This case study is about Pump Aid, an organization that developed and installed a low-cost pump called
the Elephant Pump to tackle the problem of water scarcity in African countries. Established in 1998, Pump
Aid adopted an innovative approach to providing water and sanitation solutions to communities in rural
Africa by installing these cost-effective water pumps and toilet systems. According to some analysts, the
installation of the community-centered Elephant Pumps improved the socioeconomic life of the people in the
rural villages in Africa. The pumps contributed to community development and created a positive impact on
the livelihood of villagers in terms of gender equality, health, and time-savings. They felt that the pumps
were innovative, cost-effective, and could be maintained by the rural communities without any outside
assistance. However, some analysts were doubtful about the sustainability of the pumps.
© 2010 IBS Center for Management Research. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the case study, log on
to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org
BUSINESS STRATEGY
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.: Promoting `Food with Integrity'
-- Barnali Chakraborty and
Vivek Gupta
The case examines the business model of the US-based fast casual restaurant chain, Chipotle Mexican
Grill Inc. (CMG). CMG was founded by Steve Ells (Ells) in 1993. The company, which initially sold burritos,
was well-known for its `made to order' food and use of organic ingredients. In the late 1990s, the company
started expanding rapidly throughout the US. In 2001, CMG released a mission statement called "Food with
Integrity," which highlighted its commitment to naturally raise meat, organic produce, and dairy products
without adding hormones. Apart from usage of organic ingredients, CMG's restaurant design, marketing strategy
and culture of the company played an important role in its success.
© 2010 IBS Center for Management Research. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the
case study, log on to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org.
| 
