1. What is “Benihana Concept”? Please illustrate it from the “business model” perspectives.

Business Model of Benihana is How they manage the cost structure and gain revenue. They can get
profit with Benihana concept and limited menu (steak, chicken, and shrimp) which make low wastage
and storage so will reduce the rent cost. Benihana concept have something unique as visual product
to sell such as use the authentic Japanese interior, and use Hibatchi and Teppanyaki. Benihana is not
only served the food, but also the coketail. So, before they get the table, they need to waiting list,
and at that time the consumer buy the cocktail. They try to maximizing every space and make more
effective and efficient by flow of process management and turn over time, the time controller of
whole process is chef. By optimizing every step in their production chain, they obtain savings in
every step and the final earnings of the restaurants are much higher than the average of ordinary
restaurants.

2. If you were a manager, how do you balance outcomes concerns and relationship concerns?

3. What a common conflicts suppliers and retailers are going to face? How do you manage it if you
were a general manager from the supplier side?
- Demand uncertainty
- Uncertainty of supply; lead time delivery, price and quality of raw material
- Uncertainty internal: the damage of machine, uncertainty production quality
To manage the uncertainty in supply chain or bullwhip effect, the point is need to share the information
throughout the supply chain, optimize inventory level, and build some coordination or cooperation so
the delivery process of product from supplier to retailer more efficient. Example: Use delivery services
such as SF Express or Alibaba Express.

4. What are roles of the chef in the Benihana case?

The time control of a whole process, they need to make a time more efficient and effective, because
amount of table is limited, and didn’t make costumer wait a long time.

5. When you present your business plan, what are the most compelling points to persuade potential
investors? Please illustrate it from the Zipcar case?
Zipcar is shared vehicles with high technology (reservation online), planned target is who need a car
for short period, and environmental concern. With this concept, Zipcar can attract the investor by
technology and platform, which will always improve to satisfy the costumer.
6. What are the differences between Zipcar’s financial plan in December 1999 and May 2000? What
caused its change in terms of entrepreneurship?
They changed Annual Fees (300 -> 75), Per hour charge (1.5->5.5), Lease cost (4,000 ->4,400), Access
equip (400->500), Parking (0->600). They change bcs they consider the target market (specially
student)
 Harvard Case：Benihana of Tokyo
1. What is the Benihana concept?
Benihana’s concept is hibachi/tappanyaki table concept which offer casual dining in an authentic
Japanese atmosphere enhanced by the entertainment provided by its Benihana chefs, who prepare
the food in traditional Japanese-style at the customer's table.
2. What are the differences between the Benihana production process and that of a typical
restaurant?
Benihana provides creative dining experience, while the other typical restaurant use a conventional
kitchen for producing, Banihana produces food in front of the customer. Benihana has interior
design and historical Japan authenticity for building material.
3. Examine the production system in detail. What are the major design choices which generate
operating efficiencies?
a. Cooking Design
Eliminates needs for conventional kitchen
Needs only 22% of total space vs 30% typical restaurant
Making the costumer look what they are being cooked
Provides good experience about the cooking process and not only the food
b. Management Design
Highly trained and skilled personal (Chefs, Managers)
Simple management structure (a manager, an assistant manager, 2-3 front mens)
Reducing the labor costs (Waiters, Waitrees)
c. Production System
Reducing menu, avoid wasting of food, cutting food cost to 30-35% from 38-48%
Minimize inventory
d. Advertising Design
Optimal site selection (High traffic area, mixing business and residential)

4. How does Benihana’s cost structure differ from that of a typical sit-down restaurant
 Harvard Case Study
Lou Pritchett: Negotiating the P&G relationship with Wal-Mart
1. What are sources of negotiating power between retailer and supplier?
Retailer -> Wal-mart have a promotion channel & Supplier need platform to sell their product
Supplier -> P&G have products & retailer rely on supplier’s products
2. What are differences and commonality of negotiation positions and interests between
retailer and supplier?
P&G(supplier) Walmart(retailer)
Differences 1. load’em and Leave’em 1. If I buy more, I can get more
2. Products have quality, why I need to give u discount
discount of quantity. 2. Position of different customer
3. Just sell products to you, I don’t care who you 3. I only care about what our
sell lastly customers need
4. A pioneer of customer selling 4. A pioneer of new type retailer
Commonality 1. They doing for final customer
2. Lower costs(JIT)
3. be Integraed to one，combine supply and retail
4. To earn more money
5. Using information technology management system to manage supply chain

3. What are challenges on internal and external negotiations of a company, such as P&G?
Internal External
1. Vice presidents and Pritchett’s think is 3. Both of two sides need to trust each other, but Wal-
different mart doesn’t accept this kind of partner
2. Some vice presidents want products relationship (Pritchett find a store in Florida to
show in the discount arear. test JIT and his idea, then it work out, then Wal-
mart believe him.)

4. Is business negotiation an interest distribution or a relationship management?

5. What is the “push-pull” strategy? Why and How P&G alter this strategy with Wal-Mart?
A. Push strategy, A push promotional strategy involves taking the product directly to the
customer via whatever means, ensuring the customer is aware of your brand at the point of
purchase. "Taking the product to the customer"
• Examples of push tactics
• Trade show promotions to encourage retailer demand
• Direct selling to customers in showrooms or face to face
• Negotiation with retailers to stock your product
• Efficient supply chain allowing retailers an efficient supply
• Packaging design to encourage purchase

• Pull strategy, A pull strategy involves motivating customers to seek out your brand in an active
process. "Getting the customer to come to you"
• Examples of pull tactics
• Advertising and mass media promotion
 • Word of mouth referrals
• Customer relationship management
• Sales promotions and discounts

Alibaba Group: Fostering an Ecommerce Ecosystem

1. What was the underlying logic for continuous growth in many different directions?
- Growing China e-commerce market is the favorable external condition for Alibaba -> huge
member base and online transaction.
- They want to integrate 3 element, which are-> trading platform, payment system, and logistic
network
- The strategy implication include the condition, structure and process for e-commerce.
2. How did the growth of a corporate boundary add to the overall competitiveness of the company?
If not all?
3. What strategic, managerial and operational challenges were caused by the fast growth, and how
did the company address them?
4. What are the potential challenges for Alibaba in its future growth?

Midea Refrigerator: The “Go Global” Odyssey

1. Why did midea refrigerator’s “go global” experience include separate “product” and “brand”
stages?
2. What factors are driving Midea Refrigerator to shift from its existing export mode to FDI?
3. Which country is the best choice for Midea Refri’ FDI?
4. If Midea Refri decides to invest India, which mode is the most suitable one for this market?
1. What is “Benihana Concept”? Please illustrate it from the “business model” perspectives.
The main concept of Benihana is Hibachi/Teppanyaki table, which is the first mover in USA. Not only
the Hibachi concept, Benihana have an authentic interior, visual product to sell, bcs American
enjoyed watching their food being prepared.
The business model of Benihana is how they gain the revenue and profit by make a cost structure
more efficient and effective. If we compare with the conventional restaurant, Benihana have a cost
more efficient and effective, such as:
- The space: Benihana use Hibachi/Teppanyaki, so will reduce the usage of space
- The storage: Benihana only have 3 menus (shrimp, chicken, and stick), will reduce the storage
- The food and beverage: They have limited menu, will reduce the cost
- Benihana reduce the average dinner turn over
Mostly, Benihana reduce the cost and make it more effective and efficient.
Beside the food, to make more profitable from this restaurant, Benihana also served the beverage.
Because usually to dinner at Benihana need 8 people, so when the customer waiting the table,
Benihana have some bar to sell some beverage such as cocktail. By optimizing every step in their
production, they obtain efficiency and effectiveness.

2. If you were a manager, how do you balance outcomes concerns and relationship concerns?
If I illustrate from P&G and Wal-Mart case, how to balance it, I’ll do “win-win bargaining”. Because in
that case, P&G concern with have a high quality, and Wal-Mart concern in low prices (EDLP). Wal-
Mart want to have a low prices from P&G with the same quality, it is little bit unfair for P&G, event
wal-mart as a platform who sell a lot of P &G products. To make it fair, P&G want the information of
inventory to send to P&G for avoiding empty stock. Because this relationship want to satisfy the
buyer, so they agree with the agreement.

3. What a common conflicts suppliers and retailers are going to face? How do you manage it if you
were a general manager from the supplier side?
- Demand uncertainty
- Uncertainty of supply; lead time delivery, price and quality of raw material
- Uncertainty internal: the damage of machine, uncertainty production quality or
- Have an personal issue, such as the supplier or retailer want to get more profitable without care
about the other, like supplier press the cost from retailer
To manage the uncertainty in supply chain or bullwhip effect, the point is need to share the information
throughout the supply chain, optimize inventory level, cloud and build some coordination or cooperation
so the delivery process of product from supplier to retailer more efficient. Example: Use delivery services
such as SF Express or Alibaba Express.
4. When you present your business plan, what are the most compelling points to persuade potential
investors? Please illustrate it from the Zipcar case?
The think need to concern is the background of founder, the background will represent the company
is professional or not. Zip Car founder is doesn’t have an experience about car sharing business so
will make anxiety the investor to invest money to Zip Car.
Beside that, Zip Car have an a good concept, which they have a philosophy 3E (Environment,
Efficient, and Economy) and base on technology. If we talk about technology, that’s mean will always
upgrade every time, and may be can more profitable, and also I will present the future of Zip Car
concept, such as the company didn’t need to lease the car again, but we can apply the system to the
every car, so it will like Grab or Uber, who just provide the platform.