United Electric Controls

United Electric Controls (UE) was a small, traditional family-owned manufacturing company, when Dave Rice, the youngest member of the family rice, took over the business. This case describes rice efforts to change UE traditional working methods to make the business more profitable and position it for growth. Experiments are described involving UE with strategies for employees in the change process, such as efforts are adopted by Japanese manufacturing techniques. The trap dilemma centers around … Read more »

United Electric Controls (UE) was a small, traditional family-owned manufacturing company, when Dave Rice, the youngest member of the family rice, took over the business. This case describes rice efforts to change UE traditional working methods to make the business more profitable and position it for growth. Experiments are described involving UE with strategies for employees in the change process, such as efforts are adopted by Japanese manufacturing techniques. The trap dilemma centers around UE’s decision to spend $ 1.5 million to put in place a state-of-the-art computer system. It is hoped that this system will help to better integrate business functions. The wisdom of this decision and how it should impact on the future growth UE subject of a rich classroom discussion.
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from
H. Kent Bowen,
Jody Hoffer Gittell,
Sylvie Ryckebusch
Source: Harvard Business School
31 pages.
Release date: 07 October 1996. Prod #: 697006-PDF-ENG
United Electric Controls HBR case solution