UMASS LOWELL 63.

371
College of Management T. Sloan

Case Study Write-up #3

SPORT OBERMEYER, LTD.

Sport Obermeyer is a high-end fashion skiwear design and merchandising company headquartered in
Aspen, Colorado that sells its products through U.S. department stores and ski shops. Although the
company has a global supply network, most of its critical outerwear products are sourced through the
Hong Kong-based company Obersport, a joint venture between Sport Obermeyer and a Hong Kong
partner. Obersport, in turn, manages supply and production operations in Hong Kong and China. This
case provides an in-depth description of the planning and production processes Sport Obermeyer and its
supply channel partners undergo each year to develop and deliver new product lines.

Please prepare a report that addresses the questions below. Answers must be typed (double-
spaced), and write-ups will be evaluated on their content and presentation, including logic,
organization, grammar, and spelling.

You must work on the case in groups of two (2) to four (4) students. You are responsible
for determining who is in your group and how work is allocated. Please turn in one write-up per
group, and list the names of all group members on the write-up.

Refer to the handout titled “Guidelines for Case Study Write-ups” for more information on the
content and format for case write-ups.

Questions [2 points each]

1. What are the key activities/events involved in the design, ordering, production, and shipment
of Sport Oberymeyer’s products? When do these activities/events take place? Discuss the
challenges faced by Sport Obermeyer in managing its global supply chain.

2. How can Wally use the Buying Committee’s forecasts to estimate the risk associated with
early production of each style? Using the sample data given in Exhibit 10, make a
recommendation for how many units of each style Wally Obermeyer should order during the
initial phase of production. Assume that all 10 styles in the sample problem are made in
Hong Kong and that Obermeyer’s initial production commitment must be at least 10,000
units. Ignore price differences among styles in your initial analysis. (Note: there is not an
exact formula or method for this type of problem. I am more interested in the approach you
use to determine the order quantities than in the specific numbers.)

3. What are the long-term costs, advantages, and risks of producing in China versus Hong
Kong? How will minimum order quantities affect capacity? Which of the 10 styles should
be made in Hong Kong and which should be produced in China? Justify your answer.

4. What changes would you recommend to Wally to improve overall supply chain performance?
Be specific and pay particular attention to operations-related changes.

[The presentation/style of the report counts for an additional 2 points, for a total of 10 possible points.]

Remember to submit an electronic copy of your write-up to the TurnItIn.com web site.

Due Date: Monday, April 23, 2007 at the beginning of class

UMASS LOWELL 63.371
College of Management T. Sloan

Electronic Submission of Write-ups to TurnItIn.com

A new service is available to students and faculty at UMass Lowell to help uphold academic integrity. In
addition to turning in a hard copy of your case write-up, you will be required to submit an electronic
version of the write-up to the web site TurnItIn.com.

How do I submit my case write-up?

It is quick and easy to submit your write up:
1. Point your web browser to www.turnitin.com.
2. Click on the New User section, and a dialogue box will guide you through the process of
creating a user profile. You will need to enter our class ID number: 1822979 and enrollment
password: sloan (note: all lower case).
3. Our class will then show up on your start page. Click on the class name:
Sloan – 63.371 – Ops. Mgt.
4. You will then see a list of assignments. Click on the appropriate assignment.
5. Submit your paper following the instructions in the dialogue box. The following formats are
accepted: MS Word, WordPerfect, RTF, PDF, PostScript, HTML, and plain text (.txt).
6. Click Submit when prompted to complete the submission process. A digital receipt number
will be issued, and you will receive an e-mail confirming successful submission.

That’s it! No further action is required. You will only need to create a user profile the first time you use
the system, so for future assignments, the process will be even easier.

Note: Please submit only one electronic copy per group. Under Author Name, simply list the name of
one group member.

When are the write-ups due?

The hard copy of the write-up is due during (or prior to) class on the dates indicated in the course
syllabus. If you are not able to attend class, you may e-mail (Thomas_Sloan@uml.edu) or fax (978/934-
4034) your write-up before class.

The electronic copy of the write-up must be submitted within 24 hours of the class discussion.

To summarize…

Hand in the paper copy of your group’s case write-up during or prior to class on the day that it is due.

Submit an electronic copy of the paper within 24 hours of our class discussion.

Submit only one paper copy and one electronic copy per group.