In this week's case study we take a dive into the case of Mr. Dave Richardson (protagonist), the corporate manager of vehicle planning at Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI). Mr. Richardson's challenge is to effectively implement the Integrated Customer Order Network (ICON). This network would shift Nissan from a make-to-stock business model towards a make-to-order system. This would both better align with customer demand and reduce excess inventory, It would also help enhance dealer satisfaction in an increasingly competitive automotive market. The first major hurdle Mr. Richardson is faced with is the inadequacy of current forecasting tools. These tools have led to a surplus in vehicle inventory that has led to significant discounts to offload vehicles that do not meet market demand. Another hurdle Mr. Richardson is faced with the resistance he receives from auto dealers who feel that their local market knowledge is being overlooked. Mr. Richardson would help himself out tremendously if he exercised effective communication and if there was more cooperation between the national sales office and individual dealerships. There were several forms of market analysis to choose from for this specific case. I went with SWOT analysis to help reveal key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the ICON implementation. Strengths include the potential for improved inventory management and enhanced dealer satisfaction through a demand-driven ordering system. However, the wea