Moscoso, Philip G.; Lago Esteban, Alejandro
The release of the iPhone 5 raised concerns about Apple's ability to meet record-breaking demand, with five million sales in just three days. In their latest paper on supply-chain capabilities in consumer goods, IESE's Philip Moscoso and Alejandro Lago suggest new ways to make supply chains more flexible, in order to match supply and demand more efficiently, both in the short and long runs.
Read article 
Amorim, M.; Lago Esteban, Alejandro; Moscoso, Philip G.
Self-service technology is regarded as a promising substitute for traditional employee-assisted services. However, as Marlene Amorim, Alejandro Lago and Philip Moscoso found when they studied self-checkouts at supermarkets, the way customers perceive efficiency, assistance and convenience has a substantial impact on their satisfaction and subsequent intention to reuse and recommend the service.
Read article
Lago Esteban, Alejandro; Moscoso, Philip G.; Sachon, Marc
Stock is "a necessary evil," but one that should be minimized at all stages of production. A company needs stock on hand to produce goods and offer customers a reliable service. But the more stock it has, the more it has to pay. A technical note by IESE professors Alejandro Lago, Philip G. Moscoso and Marc Sachon provides practical solutions to help companies adjust stock to meet their particular needs.
Read article
Moscoso, Philip G.; Lago Esteban, Alejandro
Mounting competition and ever-more demanding customers mean that companies must deliver exceptional service. While no service model is a guarantee of success, companies need to align strategic and operational issues with customer and employee needs. In their latest research, IESE professors Philip Moscoso and Alejandro Lago offer a clear model for turning service offerings into profit and growth.
Read article
Lago Esteban, Alejandro; Moscoso, Philip G.
Vernon Hill opened Metro Bank in London at a time when other banks were merging or being swallowed up by larger institutions or the government. A new case study by IESE professors Alejandro Lago and Philip Moscoso questions the advisability of launching a new retail bank, not only in the midst of a deep recession, but also to be the first to do so in a century.
Read article
Moscoso, Philip G.; Lago Esteban, Alejandro; Amorim, M.
A growing number of businesses are handing over key tasks to their customers within the service process in a bid to improve costs and satisfaction at the same time. IESE’s Philip Moscoso, Alejandro Lago and Marlene Amorim suggest ways in which companies can benefit from putting their clients to work and the key decisions they must take into consideration.
Read article
Jané Marcet, Joan; Lago Esteban, Alejandro; D'Souza, B.
There are two sides to every story, and in logistics alliances, as in any marriage, there is often a clash of perceptions. Both parties may view the alliance as successful but for different reasons, as each party tends to evaluate performance mainly from one's own point of view. The poor level of understanding among parties can be quite disturbing, given the long-term nature of these relationships. The paper "The Effectiveness of Logistics Alliances" looks beyond the idealistic notion of a long-term logistics partnership as a one-headed harmonious relationship.
Read article
Moscoso, Philip G.; Lago Esteban, Alejandro
Expanding from products to services is perhaps one of the main business trends of the past 10 years. For companies, whether industrial or consumer oriented, to include services in their offer means not only added sales, but also better margins, more customized solutions and differentiation from the competition deriving from countries where labor costs are low. Nevertheless, business practice shows that along with its considerable appeal, this strategic move also implies an equally high risk factor. Companies looking to offer services must also develop an adequate strategic plan in terms of goals, value proposition, market segments and sources of competitive advantage. These elements, in turn, are the foundation for an adequate organizational and operational design for these new services, and an important second pitfall in this type of expansion.
Read article
Lago Esteban, Alejandro
Famosa, a household name in the Spanish toy market, struck it rich with beloved products such as Nancy, Los Barriguitas and Nenuco, all of which have become Christmas must-haves. Now, however, the company must cut its production costs in order to compete with Asian imports. For this reason, Famosa has outsourced some of its business processes to China, a strategy that has its fair share of obstacles, according to IESE Prof. Alejandro Lago in his case study, "Famosa: Global Production Strategy."
Read article
Martínez de Albéniz Margalef, Víctor; Lago Esteban, Alejandro
In deciding when to order more stock, retailers must do more than simply measure inventory levels. Using a simple analytical formula, IESE professors Victor Martínez de Albéniz and Alejandro Lago propose a new approach to inventory management based on each customer's arrival time. For each specific customer, an order should be placed if and only if the probability of its arrival within the lead-time is high enough. In short, make replenishment decisions customer by customer, they say.
Read article