Left to right: Debi Hamill, Gene Agee, Donna Schnorf, Sean Heston,
Bill Hall and Michael Corbett

Team Members:

• Donna Schnorf, Manager
• Sean Heston, COP, Senior Manager
• Gene Agee, Vice President

The following overview was presented by Donna Schnorf, Manager, Sprint in discussion with Dr. Olayele Adelakun, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Information Systems at DePaul University.

Abstract 
Sprint is a leading telecommunication, Fortune 100 Company with about $35B in annual revenue in 2012. Sprint serves over 54 million customers in the US in addition to its international customers. In the US, Sprint is the third largest provider of 3G voice, data and push-to-talk network technology nationwide. Sprint is also a leader in 4G LTE technology covering over 300 markets segments across the US. Sprint’s global IP network reaches worldwide across 157 countries. Unlike some of its competitors, Sprint outsources 100% of products offered for retail purchase and has done so for 20 years.

Sprint has many business units: Sales, IT, Care, Devices and Network. The business unit involved with this best practice is the Device Business Unit. The Device business unit is responsible for managing all phases of the product development lifecycle.  The activities involved in the four phases of the device lifecycle are Product selection, Development & Pre-launch Testing, Product Launch and Post Launch Testing.  This case study will outline the best practice used in managing multiple suppliers throughout the phases of the device lifecycle.

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• Larry Bridge, P&G F&RE Global Governance Leader 
• Lydia Jacobs-Horton, P&G Global Director of Facilities & RE
• Tony Korvessis, P&G Americas Real Estate Manager
• Dave Tufts, P&G F&RE IT Manager
• Jurita Anschutz, P&G F&RE NA Real Estate
• Anne Gentile, P&G F&RE Employee Amenities Service Manager

The following overview was presented by Larry Bridge, Global Governance Leader of the P&G F&RE Team, in discussion with academic team members from The University of Tennessee, College of Business Administration.

Abstract 
Many people believe innovation springs serendipitously from some kind of “aha” moment – literally a bolt out of the blue.   
 
P&G knows differently. Innovation has been the corporate lifeblood since P&G’s humble beginning in 1837 when William Procter and James Gamble signed a partnership agreement formalizing The Procter & Gamble Company.  Today, P&G’s products touch and improve the lives of over 4.8 billion consumers in 180 countries. Fifty “Leadership Brands” include some of the world’s most well-known household names with 25 of these 50 brands each generating more than $1 billion in annual sales. 
 
Simply put, this degree of corporate growth could not be achieved without significant innovation across all aspects of the business even extending to our relationships with suppliers and partners.  In 2001, P&G radically changed its approach to Research & Development (R&D).  Instead of relying solely on its own, highly capable R&D resources, P&G welcomed ideas from individual entrepreneurs and scientists from other companies, and universities, the concept came to be known as Connect & Develop; the goal was to gain half the ideas from inside and half from outside the company. This case study will outline the details of this concept by identifying how P&G drives innovation in its outsourcing efforts.
 
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