Case Name :      Value Chain and IT Transformation at Desko (A)

Authors :           Jean Ethier, Pierre Hadaya

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            W11999

Discipline :        International Business

Case Length :    09 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

This case describes the history of Desko, a Canadian manufacturer of wood office furniture, as it faced a crisis that threatened its own existence. The president and CEO needed to decide which actions to take to improve the effectiveness of the value chain activities of the firm and the information technology (IT) supporting it. He was considering outsourcing parts of certain value chain activities, including manufacturing, to specialized partners. The case also depicts the main characteristics of the Canadian wood office furniture industry and the external factors that played an important role in the development of Desko.