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Latest Case Studies
Case Study
How Fuchs drives autonomy at scale to win in a fragmented world

In a world where agility and global foresight are crucial for business survival and growth, the FUCHS case presents a compelling narrative of transformation. This case study follows FUCHS, a leading global lubricant company, on its journey to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing business environment while staying true to its decentral…

China Business to Business Global Business Strategy
By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2539, © 2024
How Fuchs drives autonomy at scale to win in a fragmented world
By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2539 ©2024
Summary
In a world where agility and global foresight are crucial for business survival and growth, the FUCHS case presents a compelling narrative of transformation. This case study follows FUCHS, a leading global lubricant company, on its journey to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing business environment while staying true to its decentral…
Reference IMD-7-2539
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Fuchs Group
Industry Manufacturing, Chemicals
Available Languages English
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Case Study
How Fuchs built a future ready China strategy

The case describes the strategic evolution of FUCHS China under the leadership of Zhu Qingping as the company transformed into a vital contributor to the global FUCHS2025 strategy. With 30 years’ experience in the automotive industry, Zhu leveraged his expertise to navigate FUCHS China through the complexities of a rapidly evolving market, amids…

Global Business China Business to Business
By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2543, © 2024
How Fuchs built a future ready China strategy
By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2543 ©2024
Summary
The case describes the strategic evolution of FUCHS China under the leadership of Zhu Qingping as the company transformed into a vital contributor to the global FUCHS2025 strategy. With 30 years’ experience in the automotive industry, Zhu leveraged his expertise to navigate FUCHS China through the complexities of a rapidly evolving market, amids…
Reference IMD-7-2543
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Fuchs Group
Industry Manufacturing, Chemicals
Available Languages English
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Case Study
The rise and fall of Byton

Byton was a Chinese electric vehicle company founded in 2016 with the goal of developing affordable, connected EVs. Daniel Kirchert, a seasoned automotive industry executive with extensive experience in luxury cars in China, was invited to join the start-up. With Daniel’s leadership and vision, Byton quickly became one of the most talked-about s…

Entrepreneurship China Leadership
By Mark J. Greeven and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2473, © 2023
The rise and fall of Byton
By Mark J. Greeven and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2473 ©2023
Summary
Byton was a Chinese electric vehicle company founded in 2016 with the goal of developing affordable, connected EVs. Daniel Kirchert, a seasoned automotive industry executive with extensive experience in luxury cars in China, was invited to join the start-up. With Daniel’s leadership and vision, Byton quickly became one of the most talked-about start-ups in the EV industry. The company raised around $700 million in funding from prominent investors such as FAW Group, Qidian Holdings and CATL, and secured partnerships with suppliers and strategic partners to support its innovative designs and technology. Byton’s first car model, the M-Byte, was unveiled at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). However, despite the initial success and buzz, Byton faced financial difficulties and began experiencing delays in bringing the M-Byte to market. In early 2020, Byton entered bankruptcy proceedings due to a lack of cash flow and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy. Daniel left Byton for another career.
Reference IMD-7-2473
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Byton
Industry Automotive, Automobiles
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Chips and change: Navigating geopolitics at TSMC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, better known as TSMC, was the leading contract manufacturer of semiconductors, controlling 90% of the production of the most advanced chips. Almost all of its manufacturing capacity was in Taiwan, a self-governing island off the coast of China that the government in Beijing was determined to unify with…

Global Business Business to Business China General Management
By David Bach
Case reference: IMD-7-2485, © 2023
Chips and change: Navigating geopolitics at TSMC
By David Bach
Case reference: IMD-7-2485 ©2023
Summary
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, better known as TSMC, was the leading contract manufacturer of semiconductors, controlling 90% of the production of the most advanced chips. Almost all of its manufacturing capacity was in Taiwan, a self-governing island off the coast of China that the government in Beijing was determined to unify with the mainland. This placed TSMC at the heart of the 21st Century’s most consequential geopolitical fault line and in the middle of Great Power rivalry over a key industry with pivotal civilian and military applications. The case provides key facts and figures on the industry and its development to frame at a high level the key corporate strategy decisions facing TSMC’s leadership – (i) where to locate major production sites and (ii) how to balance the myriad political stakeholders that are seeking to shape the industry’s evolution in line with their national security- and economic interests.
Reference IMD-7-2485
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
Industry Materials, Semiconductors
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Midea: The digital transformation of a home appliances giant

Over the past decade, Asian companies have been launching accelerated and wide-ranging digital transformation initiatives. This has enabled some of them to become leading national and even international players, as well as digital pioneers in their respective industries. This case examines the successful digital transformation undertaken by the…

Business to Business China Digital Disruption General Management Strategy
By Mark J. Greeven, Yunfei Feng and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2425, © 2022
Midea: The digital transformation of a home appliances giant
By Mark J. Greeven Yunfei Feng and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2425 ©2022
Summary
Over the past decade, Asian companies have been launching accelerated and wide-ranging digital transformation initiatives. This has enabled some of them to become leading national and even international players, as well as digital pioneers in their respective industries. This case examines the successful digital transformation undertaken by the…
Reference IMD-7-2425
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Midea
Industry Consumer Goods, Home Appliances
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Transforming Geely: From fridges to motorcycles to EVs … to?

The case is about the continuous entrepreneurial transformation, over two decades, of a company in terms of increasingly advanced technologies and international product markets. It describes how Geely, a leading player in the global automotive industry, started in the 1980s with its founder capitalizing on a series of opportunities during the ti…

Entrepreneurship Strategy China Sustainability
Best-selling Case Study
By Mark J. Greeven, Patrick Reinmoeller, Lisa Simone Duke and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2321, © 2022
Transforming Geely: From fridges to motorcycles to EVs … to?
By Mark J. Greeven Patrick Reinmoeller Lisa Simone Duke and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2321 ©2022
Summary
The case is about the continuous entrepreneurial transformation, over two decades, of a company in terms of increasingly advanced technologies and international product markets. It describes how Geely, a leading player in the global automotive industry, started in the 1980s with its founder capitalizing on a series of opportunities during the ti…
Best-selling Case Study
Reference IMD-7-2321
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Geely
Industry Automotive, Automobiles
Available Languages English
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Case Study
CATL: Global battery supremacy

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) was founded in 1999 under the name ATL. Initially, it had no technology of its own, and the founder, Zeng Yuqun, traveled to the US and acquired a patent for a lithium-ion polymer (LiPo) battery from Bell Laboratories. Then, through a series of technological breakthroughs that came one after the othe…

Strategy Technology Management China
By Mark J. Greeven, Yunfei Feng and Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2302, © 2022
CATL: Global battery supremacy
By Mark J. Greeven Yunfei Feng and Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2302 ©2022
Summary
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) was founded in 1999 under the name ATL. Initially, it had no technology of its own, and the founder, Zeng Yuqun, traveled to the US and acquired a patent for a lithium-ion polymer (LiPo) battery from Bell Laboratories. Then, through a series of technological breakthroughs that came one after the othe…
Reference IMD-7-2302
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization CATL
Industry Automotive, Automobiles;Automotive, Electric Vehicles
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Youhualin: Digitizing the supply chain in China

Youhualin, a Chinese technology company driven by operations research, artificial intelligence and big data technology, provides intelligent decision-making solutions to help companies optimize operational issues that have been persistent pain points. In 2013, China Eastern Airlines was looking for a solution to one of the industry’s toughest pr…

China Digital Strategy Artificial Intelligence
By Mark J. Greeven, Patrick Reinmoeller, Yunfei Feng and Erik Walenza-Slabe
Case reference: IMD-7-2350, © 2022
Youhualin: Digitizing the supply chain in China
By Mark J. Greeven Patrick Reinmoeller Yunfei Feng and Erik Walenza-Slabe
Case reference: IMD-7-2350 ©2022
Summary
Youhualin, a Chinese technology company driven by operations research, artificial intelligence and big data technology, provides intelligent decision-making solutions to help companies optimize operational issues that have been persistent pain points. In 2013, China Eastern Airlines was looking for a solution to one of the industry’s toughest pr…
Reference IMD-7-2350
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Youhualin Information Technology (Shanghai)
Industry Information Technology
Available Languages English
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Case Study
SEA: A $140 billion hidden Alibaba?

Sea Limited, founded in Singapore in 2009, is a consumer internet company. It started out as Garena, a digital entertainment company (like Tencent), then expanded to e-commerce (like Alibaba), and then digital payments and financial services (like Ant Financial). The company, with its roots in China, was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs who buil…

Strategy Digital Technology Management China
By Mark J. Greeven, Patrick Reinmoeller and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2337, © 2021
SEA: A $140 billion hidden Alibaba?
By Mark J. Greeven Patrick Reinmoeller and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2337 ©2021
Summary
Sea Limited, founded in Singapore in 2009, is a consumer internet company. It started out as Garena, a digital entertainment company (like Tencent), then expanded to e-commerce (like Alibaba), and then digital payments and financial services (like Ant Financial). The company, with its roots in China, was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs who buil…
Reference IMD-7-2337
Copyright ©2021
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Sea Limited
Industry Information Technology, Internet;Information Technology, eCommerce;Travel and Leisure, Entertainment
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Pop Mart: LEGO or Disney?

In June 2020, Pop Mart, a 10-year history Chinese trendy toy company achieved market value of US$15 billion, higher than LEGO or Hasbro. Pop Mart toys are not traditional; they are not for kids but for Generation Z. It’s business model uses innovative ways to sell trendy toys. It combines designer toys and blind boxes to provide the feeling of e…

Strategy China
By Mark J. Greeven, Patrick Reinmoeller and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2303, © 2021
Pop Mart: LEGO or Disney?
By Mark J. Greeven Patrick Reinmoeller and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2303 ©2021
Summary
In June 2020, Pop Mart, a 10-year history Chinese trendy toy company achieved market value of US$15 billion, higher than LEGO or Hasbro. Pop Mart toys are not traditional; they are not for kids but for Generation Z. It’s business model uses innovative ways to sell trendy toys. It combines designer toys and blind boxes to provide the feeling of e…
Reference IMD-7-2303
Copyright ©2021
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Pop Mart
Industry Consumer Services, Retail
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Shein: Another Amazon or terminator of Zara?

As an international B2C fast fashion e-commerce platform established in Nanjing, SheIn’s business model seems to be more superior than Zara. It is faster, it has more products, the price is lower. SHEIN uses a revolutionary supply chain management system to support its super-fast fashion, and it deployed a comprehensive social media marketing st…

Strategy China
By Mark J. Greeven, Patrick Reinmoeller and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2298, © 2021
Shein: Another Amazon or terminator of Zara?
By Mark J. Greeven Patrick Reinmoeller and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2298 ©2021
Summary
As an international B2C fast fashion e-commerce platform established in Nanjing, SheIn’s business model seems to be more superior than Zara. It is faster, it has more products, the price is lower. SHEIN uses a revolutionary supply chain management system to support its super-fast fashion, and it deployed a comprehensive social media marketing st…
Reference IMD-7-2298
Copyright ©2021
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Shein
Industry Consumer Goods, Apparel and Fashion
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Ping An: How a Chinese insurance firm became a tech giant (A)

The case illustrates how Ping An can anticipate digital trends such as cloud computing and evolve from its core business to expand to new areas. Ping An began by selling property and casualty insurance but soon expanded to banking and financial services. The firm then invested heavily in I.T. development in order to take part in the Internet eco…

Finance Digital China Future Readiness
Best-selling Case Study
By Howard H. Yu, Yunfei Feng and Anouk Lavoie Orlick
Case reference: IMD-7-2138, © 2020
Ping An: How a Chinese insurance firm became a tech giant (A)
By Howard H. Yu Yunfei Feng and Anouk Lavoie Orlick
Case reference: IMD-7-2138 ©2020
Summary
The case illustrates how Ping An can anticipate digital trends such as cloud computing and evolve from its core business to expand to new areas. Ping An began by selling property and casualty insurance but soon expanded to banking and financial services. The firm then invested heavily in I.T. development in order to take part in the Internet eco…
Best-selling Case Study
Reference IMD-7-2138
Copyright ©2020
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Ping An Insurance
Industry Finance and Insurance
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Ping An: How a Chinese insurance firm became a tech giant (B)

While Ping An is so successful to transform and reinvent itself to a tech giant, it discovered the demand of small and medium sized financial institutions to deploy technology. In December 2015, Ping An set up OneConnect, a fintech spinoff, to export its internal technology and repackage them as services to other banks and insurance companies in…

Finance Digital China Future Readiness
By Howard H. Yu, Yunfei Feng and Anouk Lavoie Orlick
Case reference: IMD-7-2243, © 2020
Ping An: How a Chinese insurance firm became a tech giant (B)
By Howard H. Yu Yunfei Feng and Anouk Lavoie Orlick
Case reference: IMD-7-2243 ©2020
Summary
While Ping An is so successful to transform and reinvent itself to a tech giant, it discovered the demand of small and medium sized financial institutions to deploy technology. In December 2015, Ping An set up OneConnect, a fintech spinoff, to export its internal technology and repackage them as services to other banks and insurance companies in…
Reference IMD-7-2243
Copyright ©2020
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Ping An Insurance
Industry Finance and Insurance
Available Languages English
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Case Study
XCMG: Digital business transformation of a manufacturing giant

This case was written in 2019, 10 years after Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG) initiated its SAP ERP project in 2009. The digital transformation of XCMG has been so fast, that within less than 10 years, it developed from this internal IT project to a digital platform that provides services to many external enterprises. This ca…

China Strategy
By Mark J. Greeven and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2142, © 2020
XCMG: Digital business transformation of a manufacturing giant
By Mark J. Greeven and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-7-2142 ©2020
Summary
This case was written in 2019, 10 years after Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG) initiated its SAP ERP project in 2009. The digital transformation of XCMG has been so fast, that within less than 10 years, it developed from this internal IT project to a digital platform that provides services to many external enterprises. This ca…
Reference IMD-7-2142
Copyright ©2020
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group
Industry Construction and Engineering, Building and Construction
Available Languages English
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Case Study
The role of Ping An technology in enabling Ping An group’s digital ecosystem

The case traces the development of Ping An Company of China Ltd from its launch in 1988 to 2018. The company, founded by Ma Mingzhe in Schenzhen, started in insurance and became the first Chinese insurer to adopt a shareholding structure. By 2018 it was the largest insurance company in China. The case charts the development of the company and ho…

Strategy Diversity and Equity and Inclusion China Artificial Intelligence
By Mark J. Greeven, Lisa Simone Duke, Jui An Yang and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2145, © 2019
The role of Ping An technology in enabling Ping An group’s digital ecosystem
By Mark J. Greeven Lisa Simone Duke Jui An Yang and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2145 ©2019
Summary
The case traces the development of Ping An Company of China Ltd from its launch in 1988 to 2018. The company, founded by Ma Mingzhe in Schenzhen, started in insurance and became the first Chinese insurer to adopt a shareholding structure. By 2018 it was the largest insurance company in China. The case charts the development of the company and ho…
Reference IMD-7-2145
Copyright ©2019
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Ping An Insurance
Industry Finance and Insurance, Insurance
Available Languages English
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