1. At a recent presentation, your company’s CEO stated the company’s intent to expand into the service sector. Currently, your company is devoted exclusively to manufacturing. Of particular interest to your supervisor, Tom Henry, were the following statements: “In all likelihood, we will use some of our own product designers for service design. They know our products and, besides, product design and service design are pretty much the same.” Tom has asked you to look into this proposal. Write him a half-page memo indicating the circumstances under which this proposal might work and those under which it might not.

   2. Suppose you have just received a memo questioning the merits of remanufacturing, a proposed new approach to be used by your company. The writer, Mary Barkley, a group leader in another department, is skeptical. Write a half-page memo to her on the benefits of remanufacturing.

   3. Suppose you have been hired as a consultant for a supermarket chain to advise on a plan to prepare ahead of time and cook complete “package” meals to be sold as convenience items for customers. The menu will vary from day to day, but a typical menu might look like this:

   Write a one-page memo to Brad Marlow, Manager of Special Services, proposing the use of delayed differentiation for this concept. Explain how it would work and outline the potential benefits as well as the potential disadvantages of your idea.