Business Commons^™

Games Development Mentoring Programme, Bob Jackson

Case studies

The aim of the Games Development Mentoring programme is to provide students with access to professional advice on; workflows, project management, professional development and an awareness of current requirements in the Games industry.

The advantages of the Mentoring Programme are that it provides students with valuable access to mentoring from recognised industry experts. This real-world experience is essential in order to develop the student’s professional skills. It also inspires students and provides them with an opportunity to develop a network of professional contacts which ultimately improves their employment prospects once they graduate.

Supreme Seafoods, Thomas Cooney

Case studies

Fintan Barrett’s four year old daughter would often turn to him while playing and exclaim “what to do, Daddy?” Indeed, this very question of what to do next had frequently swirled around his own head as he considered the options that were now available to him and his business Supreme Seafoods. Some commentators had described the recent economic crisis as ‘a perfect storm’ and that analogy was particularly apt for someone operating in the fish industry. Although Fintan’s family had worked in the fishing industry for many generations, whether out at sea or processing and selling fish on land, the …

Ionad Cois Locha: 20 Years On, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

Early in 2007, Seamus Gallagher watched from his modest attic office at Ionad Cois Locha as the last main steel beam was lifted into place right outside his window. The new venue was at last taking shape. Already it was a month or more behind schedule because the violent storms of late 2006 had meant that the steel frame could not be erected until now, and it would be at least May before the building would be completed. It had been planned to be ready by April before the main tourist season.

Heylen Bvba (Belgium), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

As Tom Heylen reflects upon his early days in business, he often wonders how his company Heylen bvba survived. He had left university after just one year of studying biology in order to pursue a business opportunity that he believed existed in the market and that needed to be acted upon without delay. About that time, nature had become modified to such an extent (particularly in Europe) that biodiversity could only be conserved through active management and restoration of the few natural areas which remained. Such management required innovation, specialised equipment, and knowledge in order to be successful. But those …

Daft.Ie (Ireland), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

Eamonn and Brian Fallon sat in their office at the Digital Hub near the Guinness Brewery in Dublin and reflected upon their success. It was a beautiful day outside and the sun shone warmly through the windows. About them on the walls was an array of awards that they had collected over the past two years. Indeed they had received a telephone call earlier that day informing them that the radio programme ‘Down To Business’ on NewsTalk 106 had selected them as a leading example of best business practice and wanted to interview them. It was yet further recognition that …

Ecoserve (Ireland), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

Roisin Nash had just finished reading a new report that had recently been launched by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey at the headquarters of the Marine Institute at Oranmore in County Galway. The report, entitled ‘Sea Change – A Marine Knowledge, Research and Innovation Strategy for Ireland 2007- 2013’, presented a national agenda (comprising of science, research, innovation, and management) aimed at a complete transformation of the Irish maritime economy. Roisin felt that the report provided a clear and realistic picture of future opportunities and challenges within the Irish marine industry, and that it would …

South Hill Enterprise (Ireland), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

Billy Barrett was facing challenges as a consultant that he had never previously experienced. All of the goals that are expected in business practice were not amongst the main priorities here. Confused, he asked Maura Melia (Manager of South Hill Enterprise) if he could clarify the situation.

Guardian Angel (Ireland), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

It was the summer of 2006 and three friends of many years had come up with a business idea that they believed could be a money-spinner for all of them. Maria Harrison, Krystle Malone and Marie Lyons had all been students at the Technological University Dublin and had recently completed their degree in Marketing. As part of their programme, they had taken a course on Entrepreneurship by way of interest rather than any deep-rooted desire to start their own business. But now, they are about to meet a venture capital company to ask for €300,000 to get the business started. …

Echinades Fish Farm (Greece), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

The past decade had seen a dramatic decline in the regional economy along the west coast of the Greece as agriculture faded and few incentives existed for manufacturing companies to locate there given its relatively poor infrastructure. Since the long-established Greek strength of tourism was still focused on the islands and in areas where large natural beaches offered holidaymakers the opportunity to lay out in the glorious Mediterranean sunshine, this region of barren land and traditional lifestyle offered little to entice the modern tourist. Despite this pessimistic background, Nikos Anagnopoulos stood on the deck of the small boat that had …

Digicel Foundation (Haiti), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

It was a beautiful day on March 5th 2007 and the official launch of the Digicel Foundation Haiti was drawing to a close. The Foundation had been inaugurated at a special ceremony to mark the completion of the Foundation's first project, the rebuilding in record time of the Ecole Mixte Lageho (a primary school in the hurricane ravaged Pont Janvier rural community of Thomazeau), thanks primarily to the combined efforts of Digicel staff and local community members. Denis O'Brien (Digicel Group Founder / Chairman and Patron of the Digicel Foundation) was joined at the ceremony by the Prime Minister of …

De Boerinn (Netherlands), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

Hendrik Jan Hoogendoom and his parents sat around the family dinner table and once again discussed the key problem facing the business in which they all worked. There had been many changes in the use of their land over the past two decades but they knew that they had not yet achieved the maximum economic return from it. Currently, the primary income came from recreation activities, which were extremely successful for six months of the year. But the challenge remained on how they could keep the business equally active during the long cold winter months.

Big Al's: Ten Years On, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

This case study was developed by Gerry Mortimer of the Technological University Dublin. It was developed as a basis for class discussion, rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. The author acknowledges the assistance of research student Tara Rooney in preparing this case and of Simon Walker and Blathnaid Ni Fhatharta of Kepak Convenience Foods and Niamh MacHale of An Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) in facilitating its development.

Green Engineering Services Limited, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

“Sometimes in my darker moments I think that, if I had ducks they’d drown, and this is one of those moments. You will have heard the announcement that Fruit of the Loom are closing down the remainder of their operations in the northwest”, Manus Green said, discussing his latest predicament with his friend and occasional advisor Paul Staunton. Manus with his wife Claire, was owner of Green Engineering Services Ltd., a small precision engineering company based on an industrial estate in West Donegal.

Food Retailing In Ireland: At A Crossroads Of Change, Edel Foley

Case studies

As a consultant in comparative retailing systems, Ulrike Johnson is responsible for advising international retailers about brands, markets, and key drivers of change. Her current assignment involves advising a European food retailer about current trends and prospects in the food retailing business in the Republic of Ireland, with a view to assessing the possibility of entering the market.

Buy4now: Ireland's Online Shopping Centre, Joseph Coughlan, Aileen Kennedy

Case studies

In February 2004 the CEO of Buy4Now, Ali Murdoch, finds himself in the enviable position of having several growth avenues and opportunities for company expansion to pursue. Domestically, he has issues such as customer acquisition and retention, new processes such as Central Checkout technology, growth in the adoption of broadband technology, the addition of new partners to the portal and the management and growth of advertising revenue demand attention. Recruiting additional staff is also on the agenda for 2004 across several functional areas.

General Records (Ireland), Thomas Cooney

Case studies

Standing outside a pub, Billy Barrett and Martin Murphy faithfully obeyed the no smoking ban that was now a feature of the Irish social scene. As they smoked their cigarettes, they discussed the singer/songwriter who played inside the premises that they stood against so nonchalantly. The gig was enjoying a great reception, with the crowd enthusiastically applauding the eclectic mix of blues, rock, and traditional music. ‘Well, Billy, how would fancy starting a record company?’ asked Martin, as if it was not really a challenge. ‘The singer playing inside wants to record a CD but she has no label. I …

Rte Publishing Ltd, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

The publishing division came into being as RTE Publishing Ltd in May 2003. Muirne Laffan was appointed Executive Director of RTE Publishing. Having spent several years in New York with the advertising agency McCann Erickson, Muirne had joined RTE to head up its commercial activities division some 18 months previously. With the reorganisation, some of these activities had been moved. Thus, for example, TV programme sales became part of the TV division to ensure that issues involved in programme sales were incorporated into programme planning at an early stage.

In The Eye Of A Storm: Battling With The Discounters In A Local Market, Mary Wilcox, Edmund O'Callaghan

Case studies

Chris Harmon, senior manager with the Moriarty Group of SuperValu symbol stores, sat at his desk contemplating the future. Despite the intensifying challenges of a dynamic grocery market he was well satisfied with the success of the Group’s three supermarkets. The three stores, owned by Luke Moriarty, operate under the aegis of the Musgrave Group of independent SuperValu retailers. These independent retailers had not only survived Tesco’s arrival in Ireland, but the group as a whole had grown market share.

Stuart Crystal, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

In August 1995 the crystal manufacturing firm of Stuart and Sons was purchased by Waterford Wedgewood plc. The company, which had been family owned since its inception, had not been profitable for some years. After the takeover the initial focus was on operational issues. Those took longer to resolve than had been anticipated.

Focusing On Logistics To Improve Customer Service: The Case Of Transnational Optical, Mary Wilcox

Case studies

Siobhan Ward, Supply Chain Director for Transnational Optical in Ireland, considered what the plant management team had to achieve. The team had decided that decisive action was needed to increase control of the supply chain with a view to improving customer service and removing ‘noise’ from the system.

Who Cares, Wins: The Students 10k Walk For The Chernobyl Children's Project, Joe Mcgrath

Case studies

Julian de Spainn, President of the Union of Students in Ireland looked around The Hub, a student bar in the Dublin City University campus. He was exhausted. So were the twenty or so people around him. Most of those present were fellow officers in USI. Earlier that day, Julian had witnessed a unique event in Irish student history. It was an event of which he was justifiably proud.

Iontas.Com: Marketing A Software Product, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

The year 2001 was a momentous one for most companies in the IT sector with dramatic drops in both profit and market sentiment. Few businesses in the sector were immune to the upheaval. Fortunes had been lost, at least on paper, and many dot.com businesses had folded. While telecoms businesses had been the hardest hit among established concerns, the gloom was widespread.

Working Up A Tan, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

Ann McLean looked down again at the brochure on her desk. The blue-eyed, white toothed blond, complete with her glowing tan, stared back at her. She opened the small A4 sized brochure and quickly scanned its contents. It was typical ‘Americanese’ and was obviously targeted at the beauty saloons and beauticians. It extolled the virtues of a tanning system called ‘Sunkissed’. She had promised her friend, Susan, that she would at least give her an indication later that week, of whether she was prepared to invest in a project to launch the tanning system in Ireland, and possibly the UK.

National Irish Bank: Coping With A Crisis And Beyond, Gerard Mortimer

Case studies

As March 1998 drew to a close, management at National Irish Bank (NIB) would have been forgiven for believing that the bank’s situation could not get any worse. The bank had just issued a robust defence of its position in relation to an off shore bond scheme which had been the subject of much media and political debate for the previous two months. In particular, it had severely criticised RTE, the state owned television and radio corporation, and the two RTE journalists who had broken and dominated the story.

Waterford Crystal: The Chairman's Challenge, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

As he eased his car out the gates of Castlemartin on a lovely evening in May 1995, Redmond O’Donoghue mused on the meeting which had just finished. Dr A.J.F. O’Reilly, non executive Chairman of Waterford Wedgwood Plc, had brought senior management of the group to his Irish residence in County Kildare for an informal discussion on future strategy. The group comprised two distinct major subsidiaries, Waterford Crystal which produced crystal glass and Josiah Wedgwood whose main business was ceramic tableware. Redmond was Chief Operating officer of Waterford Crystal. With the impending retirement of the current Chief Executive, Paddy Galvin, Redmond …

Blooming Clothing, Edel Foley

Case studies

Blooming Clothing was established in 1985 by O’Byrne and two other partners. The aim was to specialise in a niche of the women’s outerwear market: maternity wear. The company started business with a retail outlet in Dublin and sold maternity wear under the Blooming label, which it outsourced through local suppliers. When this arrangement proved unsatisfactory, Blooming turned to manufacturing its own lines.

Fire Hose Technologies, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

No abstract provided.

Rockers For Walkers, Gerry Mortimer

Case studies

In 1995, James Boylan and Sons Ltd. was celebrating its fiftieth year of trading, though its origins dated back further. It was still mostly owned by the Boylan family who had controlled it since its inception. The company was based in the tiny and now largely deserted village of Mullan close to Emyvale in Co. Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Hardware Wholesalers, Aidan O'Driscoll, John Murray Dr.

Case studies

This case study deals with the following issues: industry analysis and understanding the business system; generic competitive strategies; innovating business practice and sustaining competitive advantage.

Great Southern Hotels, Aidan O'Driscoll, John Murray Dr.

Case studies

This case study deals with the following issues: strategic choice and turnaround strategy: role of marketing in the process; sustaining market force; public sector enterprise; tourism/hospitality industry and national planning.