IB Business Case Study Timeline

Czechoslovakia had been divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic on January 1st, 1993.

Adriana chose to retire as CEO in 1995, giving Kristián the opportunity to return to his home country and take on the role of CEO of the family business. He eagerly accepted, even though his professional training and experience had hardly prepared him for the task.

Because of globalization and fierce competition from Asian manufacturers, which had lower cost structures, in the early 2000s Jan determined that European manufacturers would have to lower costs.

When Kristián died in 2001, Jan took over as CEO.

In 2002, RDM produced its last kerosene stove and now primarily manufactures healthare services.

Jan began to introduce a highly automated manufacturing process in 2006.

Jan's highly automated manufacturing process that he began in 2006 became operational in 2009.

In 2019, the businiess employes 117 people, only a small numver of whom are involved in manufacturing. Further, most of those involved in manufacturing are not skilled manual laborers but highly trained engineers and computer experts who manage the automated process.

Now, with the free movement of labor throughout the European Union, RDM recruits engineers from universities across Europe.

The move to automation also led to changes in the organization of RDM. Traditionally, the business had been hierachical. Design changes in RDM's products, whether coal-burning or kerosene stoves, were infrequent and directed by the CEO. Now, design changes for the healthcare products come with almost every order.