Case Article—Swirltubs After-Market Product Inventory and Service Case

Abstract

In the Swirltubs case, students apply expected value decision making to a knapsack problem for appliance repairmen. The case is based on a published research paper on work that was actually implemented for a major appliance manufacturer. The case features three parts: (1) problem understanding and definition; (2) optimization results for a small, test problem; and (3) creation and testing of a heuristic for a large-scale implementation that exceeds the limits of Microsoft Excel®. Optionally, an instructor can add risk-analysis simulation and reoptimization under uncertainty in subsequent parts of the project, making it a total of five parts. The case is highly interactive, owing to the relatively unstructured nature of the problem. I have implemented the case over a two- and three-week period format, with upper-level master’s in business administration or master’s in analytics students who have been exposed previously to optimization methods. It has been administered to dozens of students with generally positive feedback.