The BCIC Business Case Library is a collection of business cases about BC technology companies, highlighting their achievements, business challenges and best practices. The business cases cover an extensive range of topics including entrepreneurship, technology management, sustainability, business strategy, finance, marketing, information systems, and managerial decision making.
The BCIC Business Case Library is used in the province by students, entrepreneurs and industry to learn from their own province's business practices. These individuals can then apply the specific knowledge learned from the techniques and strategies identified in the business cases to directly impact their success.
Further, these business cases highlight a bright future for technology-based companies in the province and are being used internationally to showcase these companies and to promote BC as a lucrative place to do business.
The BCIC Business Case Library:
All business cases are free and can be downloaded.
- High Stakes at Absolute Software
Topic area: Software, Data protection
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Strategic direction, Market analysis - QLT
Topic area: Pharmaceutical
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Strategic review, M&A analysis - OncoGenex Technologies: Bringing Drugs to Market in a Tight Funding Environment Topic area: Pharmaceutical
- Inland Glass & Aluminum Ltd. and Aluminum Curtainwall Systems Inc.
Topic area: Glazier
Region: Kamloops
Key learning points: Financial, Operational and multinational impact analysis - Let's Integrate: The Case of Kelowna Flightcraft's ERP Acquisition Decision
Topic area: Aircraft maintenance and repair
Region: Kelowna
Key learning points: IT integration, evaluation of ERP software purchase and fit - Westport Innovations Inc.: Tales of a University Spin-off
Topic area: Energy efficiency and innovative technology
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Licensing and university spin-off challenges - Inproheat Industries: Managing Innovation
Topic area: Energy, Greentech
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Marketing challenge,Salesforce implementation problem - TeamPages.com: Building a Business in Amateur Sports
Topic area: Software, Social networking
Region: Victoria
Key learning points: Market analysis, Strategic review - Ballard's Fuel Cell Bus Project: Next Stop - Changing the World
Topic area: Energy, Greentech
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: New product development, Market analysis, Strategic review - Carmanah Technologies Corporation: New Markets for Solar Lighting
Topic area: Lighting, Solar power
Region: Victoria
Key learning points: New product development, Market analysis, Strategic review - Blast Radius
Topic area: Marketing
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Market analysis, Strategic review - Sitemasher Corporation
Topic area: Website Development, SaaS
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Developing new markets and products - Terahertz Solutions Inc.
Topic area: Forestry, engineering
Region: Prince George
Key learning points: Developing new markets and products - Moly-Cop Canada
Topic area: Steel products for mining industry
Region: Kamloops
Key learning points: Supply chain management - From Gutenberg to Gates: The Transition of Wood Lake Publishing to the Digital Age
Topic area: Publishing
Region: Kelowna
Key learning points: Internet marketing and its timing - Etraffic Press: Texts for the 21st Century
Topic area: Publishing
Region: Victoria - Vancouver as an Innovation Hub for Asia and Latin America & the Caribbean
Topic area: Innovation Clusters, Trade
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Regional innovation, Creative centres - Flying West to Get to the East: Service Innovation at YVR
Topic area: Service management, Innovation inside large organizations
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Service delivery, Understanding customer needs - Zengar Institute
Topic area: Medical instruments, Neurofeedback
Region: Victoria
Key learning points: Entrepreneurial growth, Entrepreneurial succession, Business models, Market assessment - Taking a Page from AbeBooks.com: The Evolution of a Team
Topic area: Ecommerce, Online and email marketing
Region: Victoria
Key learning points: Human resource management, Organizational behaviour - DelTech Manufacturing Inc.: Creating a Bioenergy Future
Topic area: Bioenergy and forestry
Region: Prince George
Key learning points: Developing new markets and products
Region: Vancouver
Key learning points: Overview of the pharma industry, M&A analysis, Strategic direction
Business instructors may use these business cases as valuable teaching materials for a wide variety of courses, ranging from undergraduate, MBA, post-graduate to executive level courses. Each case study comes with a teaching note that is made available to instructors only. Please contact Jesse Lam at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for teaching note inquiries.
The BCIC Business Case Library has been developed with expertise from seven universities in British Columbia: British Columbia Institute of Technology, Simon Fraser University, Thompson Rivers University, University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia Okanagan, University of Northern British Columbia, and University of Victoria. The project is led by Professor Thomas Hellmann of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. It is sponsored by the BCIC and benefits from the support of the W. Maurice Young Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Research Centre.
