What Is a Case Study?

A case study is an in-depth analysis of specific, real-world situations or the scenarios

inspired by them. Both teachers and professionals use them as training tools. They're used
to present a problem, allowing individuals to interpret it and provide a solution. In the
business world, organizations of many sizes use case studies to train individuals on previous
scenarios. For example, a case study may explain how a SWOT analysis improved an office
environment.

Definition:
A case study is an in-depth analysis of specific, real-world situations or the scenarios
inspired by them. A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case
study, nearly every aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and
causes of behavior. Case studies can be used in various fields, including psychology,
medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work.

The purpose of a case study is to learn as much as possible about an individual or group so
that the information can be generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to
be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to generalize results to a larger
population.

While case studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format similar to
other types of psychology writing. If you are writing a case study, it is important to follow
the rules of APA format.
Elements of a case study
It takes more than a good track record to provide case studies to new hires. Businesses
should know how to properly write and format them. Effective case studies break scenarios
down into parts so that every aspect can be analyzed. The following format includes the
necessary five-part structure:

Title: Section one identifies the scenario in no more than one line or sentence.

Overview: Section two offers a summary, explaining the scenario in detail.

Problem: Section three defines the issue presented in the scenario.

Solution: Section four provides the chosen course of action.

Results: Section five explains the action's effect on the problem.

Example:

Slow Food: The impact of service quality

Whether the business is a high-end restaurant or a small food chain, guest complaints
are common. To learn more, executives issued a survey to every facility, asking basic
questions about the employee's experience at the company and their life. Once they
collected all the required data, executives found that the majority of their employees were
young with minimal work experience.

The problem was that fast-food work is challenging and employees deserved a salary higher
than minimum wage.

The solution the executives reached involves implementing a new training program.
Upon completion of the program, employees earned a raise.

The result was that facilities across the nation reported improved service standards and
higher employee performance. Their basic needs were met, offering a better and more
rewarding work environment.

The above is a basic example of how a case study may appear. Some, however, are more
complex, comparing the results of two or more solutions.
 Benefits and Limitations

A case study can have both strengths and weaknesses. Researchers must consider these pros
and cons before deciding if this type of study is appropriate for their needs.

Pros

One of the greatest advantages of a case study is that it allows researchers to investigate
things that are often difficult to impossible to replicate in a lab. Some other benefits of a
case study:1

• Allows researchers to collect a great deal of information

• Give researchers the chance to collect information on rare or unusual cases
• Permits researchers to develop hypotheses that can be explored in experimental research

Cons

On the negative side, a case study:

• Cannot necessarily be generalized to the larger population

• Cannot demonstrate cause and effect
• May not be scientifically rigorous
• Can lead to bias

Researchers may choose to perform a case study if they are interested in exploring a unique
or recently discovered phenomenon. The insights gained from such research can help the
researchers develop additional ideas and study questions that might be explored in future
studies.

However, it is important to remember that the insights gained from case studies cannot be
used to determine cause and effect relationships between variables. However, case studies
may be used to develop hypotheses that can then be addressed in experimental research.

Case Study Examples

There have been a number of notable case studies in the history of psychology. Much
of Freud's work and theories were developed through the use of individual case studies.
Some great examples of case studies in psychology include:

• Anna O: Anna O. was a pseudonym of a woman named Bertha Pappenheim, a patient of a

physician named Josef Breuer. While she was never a patient of Freud's, Freud and Breuer
discussed her case extensively. The woman was experiencing symptoms of a condition that
 was then known as hysteria and found that talking about her problems helped relieve her
symptoms. Her case played an important part in the development of talk therapy as an
approach to mental health treatment.
• Phineas Gage: Phineas Gage was a railroad employee who experienced a terrible accident in
which an explosion sent a metal rod through his skull, damaging important portions of his
brain. Gage recovered from his accident but was left with serious changes in both
personality and behavior.
• Genie: Genie was a young girl subjected to horrific abuse and isolation. The case study of
Genie allowed researchers to study whether language could be taught even after critical
periods for language development had been missed. Her case also served as an example of
how scientific research may interfere with treatment and lead to further abuse of vulnerable
individuals.

Such cases demonstrate how case research can be used to study things that researchers
could not replicate in experimental settings. In Genie's case, her horrific abuse had denied
her the opportunity to learn language at critical points in her development.

This is clearly not something that researchers could ethically replicate, but conducting a
case study on Genie allowed researchers the chance to study phenomena that are otherwise
impossible to reproduce.

Types of Case Studies

There are a few different types of case studies that psychologists and other researchers
might utilize:

1) Collective case studies: These involve studying a group of individuals. Researchers might
study a group of people in a certain setting or look at an entire community. For example,
psychologists might explore how access to resources in a community has affected the
collective mental well-being of those living there.
2) Descriptive case studies: These involve starting with a descriptive theory. The subjects are
then observed, and the information gathered is compared to the pre-existing theory.
3) Explanatory case studies: These are often used to do causal investigations. In other words,
researchers are interested in looking at factors that may have caused certain things to occur.
4) Exploratory case studies: These are sometimes used as a prelude to further, more in-depth
research. This allows researchers to gather more information before developing their
research questions and hypotheses.
5) Instrumental case studies: These occur when the individual or group allows researchers to
understand more than what is initially obvious to observers.
6) Intrinsic case studies: This type of case study is when the researcher has a personal interest
in the case. Jean Piaget's observations of his own children are good examples of how an
intrinsic cast study can contribute to the development of a psychological theory.

The three main case study types often used are intrinsic, instrumental, and collective.
Intrinsic case studies are useful for learning about unique cases. Instrumental case studies
help look at an individual to learn more about a broader issue. A collective case study can
be useful for looking at several cases simultaneously.2

How to Write a Case Study

There are also different methods that can be used to conduct a case study, including
prospective and retrospective case study methods.

Prospective case study methods are those in which an individual or group of people is
observed in order to determine outcomes. For example, a group of individuals might be
watched over an extended period of time to observe the progression of a particular disease.

Retrospective case study methods involve looking at historical information. For example,
researchers might start with an outcome, such as a disease, and then work their way
backward to look at information about the individual's life to determine risk factors that
may have contributed to the onset of the illness.

Where to Find Data

There are a number of different sources and methods that researchers can use to gather
information about an individual or group. Six major sources that have been identified by
researchers are:

• Archival records: Census records, survey records, and name lists are examples of archival
records.
• Direct observation: This strategy involves observing the subject, often in a natural setting.
While an individual observer is sometimes used, it is more common to utilize a group of
observers.
• Documents: Letters, newspaper articles, administrative records, etc., are the types of
documents often used as sources.
• Interviews: Interviews are one of the most important methods for gathering information in
case studies. An interview can involve structured survey questions or more open-ended
questions.
• Participant observation: When the researcher serves as a participant in events and
observes the actions and outcomes, it is called participant observation.
• Physical artifacts: Tools, objects, instruments, and other artifacts are often observed during
a direct observation of the subject.
 Section 1: A Case History

This section will have the following structure and content:

Background information: The first section of your paper will present your client's
background. Include factors such as age, gender, work, health status, family mental health
history, family and social relationships, drug and alcohol history, life difficulties, goals, and
coping skills and weaknesses.

Description of the presenting problem: In the next section of your case study, you will
describe the problem or symptoms that the client presented with.

Describe any physical, emotional, or sensory symptoms reported by the client. Thoughts,
feelings, and perceptions related to the symptoms should also be noted. Any screening or
diagnostic assessments that are used should also be described in detail and all scores
reported.

Your diagnosis: Provide your diagnosis and give the appropriate Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual code. Explain how you reached your diagnosis, how the client's symptoms fit the
diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s), or any possible difficulties in reaching a diagnosis.

Section 2: Treatment Plan

This portion of the paper will address the chosen treatment for the condition. This might
also include the theoretical basis for the chosen treatment or any other evidence that might
exist to support why this approach was chosen.

• Cognitive behavioral approach: Explain how a cognitive behavioral therapist would

approach treatment. Offer background information on cognitive behavioral therapy and
describe the treatment sessions, client response, and outcome of this type of treatment.
Make note of any difficulties or successes encountered by your client during treatment.
• Humanistic approach: Describe a humanistic approach that could be used to treat your
client, such as client-centered therapy. Provide information on the type of treatment you
chose, the client's reaction to the treatment, and the end result of this approach. Explain why
the treatment was successful or unsuccessful.
• Psychoanalytic approach: Describe how a psychoanalytic therapist would view the client's
problem. Provide some background on the psychoanalytic approach and cite relevant
references. Explain how psychoanalytic therapy would be used to treat the client, how the
client would respond to therapy, and the effectiveness of this treatment approach.
• Pharmacological approach: If treatment primarily involves the use of medications, explain
which medications were used and why. Provide background on the effectiveness of these
 medications and how monotherapy may compare with an approach that combines
medications with therapy or other treatments.

This section of a case study should also include information about the treatment goals,
process, and outcomes.

Discussion

When you are writing a case study, you should also include a section where you discuss the
case study itself, including the strengths and limitiations of the study. You should note how
the findings of your case study might support previous research.

In your discussion section, you should also describe some of the implications of your case
study. What ideas or findings might require further exploration? How might researchers go
about exploring some of these questions in additional studies?

Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:

• Never refer to the subject of your case study as "the client." Instead, their name or a
pseudonym.
• Read examples of case studies to gain an idea about the style and format.
• Remember to use APA format when citing references.

Amazon case study

Amazon is an American multinational technology-based company based in Seattle, USA. It

started as an online bookseller, but today it focuses on eCommerce, cloud computing,
digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It hosts an estimate of 1,000,000,000 gigabytes
of data across more than 1,400,000 servers. Through its constant innovation in data science
and big data Amazon is always ahead in understanding its customers. Here are a few data
analytics case study examples at Amazon:

i) Recommendation Systems

Data science models help amazon understand the customers' needs and recommend them to
them before the customer searches for a product; this model uses collaborative filtering.
Amazon uses 152 million customer purchases data to help users to decide on products to be
purchased. The company generates 35% of its annual sales using the Recommendation
based systems (RBS) method.

Here is a Recommender System Project to help you build a recommendation system using
collaborative filtering.
ii) Retail Price Optimization

Amazon product prices are optimized based on a predictive model that determines the best
price so that the users do not refuse to buy it based on price. The model carefully
determines the optimal prices considering the customers' likelihood of purchasing the
product and thinks the price will affect the customers' future buying patterns. Price for a
product is determined according to your activity on the website, competitors' pricing,
product availability, item preferences, order history, expected profit margin, and other
factors.

Check Out this Retail Price Optimization Project to build a Dynamic Pricing Model.

iii) Fraud Detection

Being a significant eCommerce business, Amazon remains at high risk of retail fraud. As a
preemptive measure, the company collects historical and real-time data for every order. It
uses Machine learning algorithms to find transactions with a higher probability of being
fraudulent. This proactive measure has helped the company restrict clients with an
excessive number of returns of products.

You can look at this Credit Card Fraud Detection Project to implement a fraud detection
model to classify fraudulent credit card transactions.

Netflix case study

Netflix started as a DVD rental service in 1997 and then has expanded into the streaming
business. Headquartered in Los Gatos, California, Netflix is the largest content streaming
company in the world. Currently, Netflix has over 208 million paid subscribers worldwide,
and with thousands of smart devices which are presently streaming supported, Netflix has
around 3 billion hours watched every month. The secret to this massive growth and
popularity of Netflix is its advanced use of data analytics and recommendation systems to
provide personalized and relevant content recommendations to its users. The data is
collected over 100 billion events every day. Here are a few examples of data analysis case
studies applied at Netflix :

i) Personalized Recommendation System

Netflix uses over 1300 recommendation clusters based on consumer viewing preferences to
provide a personalized experience. Some of the data that Netflix collects from its users
include Viewing time, platform searches for keywords, Metadata related to content
abandonment, such as content pause time, rewind, rewatched. Using this data, Netflix can
predict what a viewer is likely to watch and give a personalized watchlist to a user. Some of
the algorithms used by the Netflix recommendation system are Personalized video Ranking,
Trending now ranker, and the Continue watching now ranker.

ii) Content Development using Data Analytics

Netflix uses data science to analyze the behavior and patterns of its user to recognize
themes and categories that the masses prefer to watch. This data is used to produce shows
like The umbrella academy, and Orange Is the New Black, and the Queen's Gambit. These
shows seem like a huge risk but are significantly based on data analytics using parameters,
which assured Netflix that they would succeed with its audience. Data analytics is helping
Netflix come up with content that their viewers want to watch even before they know they
want to watch it.

iii) Marketing Analytics for Campaigns

Netflix uses data analytics to find the right time to launch shows and ad campaigns to have
maximum impact on the target audience. Marketing analytics helps come up with different
trailers and thumbnails for other groups of viewers. For example, the House of Cards
Season 5 trailer with a giant American flag was launched during the American presidential
elections, as it would resonate well with the audience.

Here is a Customer Segmentation Project using association rule mining to understand the
primary grouping of customers based on various parameters.

Uber Case Study

Uber is the biggest global taxi service provider. As of December 2018, Uber has 91 million
monthly active consumers and 3.8 million drivers. Uber completes 14 million trips each
day. Uber uses data analytics and big data-driven technologies to optimize their business
processes and provide enhanced customer service. The Data Science team at uber has been
exploring futuristic technologies to provide better service constantly. Machine learning and
data analytics help Uber make data-driven decisions that enable benefits like ride-sharing,
dynamic price surges, better customer support, and demand forecasting. Here are some of
the real world data science projects used by uber:

i) Dynamic Pricing for Price Surges and Demand Forecasting

Uber prices change at peak hours based on demand. Uber uses surge pricing to encourage
more cab drivers to sign up with the company, to meet the demand from the passengers.
When the prices increase, the driver and the passenger are both informed about the surge in
price. Uber uses a predictive model for price surging called the 'Geosurge' ( patented). It is
based on the demand for the ride and the location.

ii) One-Click Chat

Uber has developed a Machine learning and natural language processing solution called
one-click chat or OCC for coordination between drivers and users. This feature anticipates
responses for commonly asked questions, making it easy for the drivers to respond to
customer messages. Drivers can reply with the clock of just one button. One-Click chat is
developed on Uber's machine learning platform Michelangelo to perform NLP on rider chat
messages and generate appropriate responses to them.

iii) Customer Retention

Failure to meet the customer demand for cabs could lead to users opting for other services.
Uber uses machine learning models to bridge this demand-supply gap. By using prediction
models to predict the demand in any location, uber retains its customers. Uber also uses a
tier-based reward system, which segments customers into different levels based on usage.
The higher level the user achieves, the better are the perks. Uber also provides personalized
destination suggestions based on the history of the user and their frequently traveled
destinations.

You can take a look at this Python Chatbot Project and build a simple chatbot application to
understand better the techniques used for natural language processing. You can also practice
the working of a demand forecasting model with this project using time series analysis. You
can look at this project which uses time series forecasting and clustering on a dataset
containing geospatial data for forecasting customer demand for ola rides.
 Amazon’s Data Analytics Mastery: A Case Study
June 30th, 2023

Table of Contents

• De-Normalization and Data Integration

• Unlocking the Full Potential of Data Analytics
• Security Issues And Challenges
• Conclusion

Amazon, the global e-commerce giant, has revolutionised the way people shop online.
Behind their success lies a sophisticated data analytics infrastructure that drives
personalised recommendations, enhances customer experience, and optimises operations.

In this case study, we explore how Amazon utilises data analysis in research and other
verticals to create a seamless shopping experience for millions of customers worldwide.

De-Normalization and Data Integration

As a company that operates on a massive scale, managing and integrating vast amounts of
data efficiently is paramount. Here, we will delve into two essential aspects of Amazon's
data strategy: de-normalization and data integration.

These techniques not only optimise data storage and retrieval but also enable Amazon to
gain valuable insights that fuel its operational excellence. Let us explore them in detail.

1. De-normalization - Breaking Free from Traditional Data Structures

In traditional database design, normalization is a common practice aimed at reducing data
redundancy and maintaining data integrity. Data Normalization, loosely put, is structuring
and dividing data into fields. For e.g., an address can be divided into door number, street
name, area and zip code.

There are many advantages to normalization, but when dealing with enormous amounts of
data, this approach can pose challenges in terms of performance and scalability. Here,
Amazon adopts a de-normalization strategy, which involves ungrouping data structures. So
in the previous example, the address field will be just one field.

This approach allows for faster access to data and enhances the overall efficiency of
Amazon's systems, enabling seamless user experiences and lightning-fast search results.

2. Data Integration - Unifying the Data Landscape

With multiple business units, product categories, and customer touchpoints, Amazon faces
the challenge of integrating data from diverse sources into a cohesive and actionable format.
Data integration plays a vital role in ensuring that data flows seamlessly across various
systems, enabling comprehensive analysis and generating valuable insights.

Through efficient data pipelines and integration frameworks, Amazon creates a unified data
landscape that enables a holistic view of its operations across customer interactions,
purchase history, inventory, and supply chain. This unified data ecosystem empowers data
analysts and scientists to derive meaningful insights, uncover patterns, and make data-
driven decisions.

Unlocking the Full Potential of Data Analytics

Amazon has emerged as a true pioneer, harnessing the power of data science and data
analysis to revolutionise the way millions of customers shop worldwide. By leveraging
advanced analytics techniques, Amazon has successfully created a personalised, efficient,
and delightful shopping journey that sets it apart from the competition. Let us look at some
of the strategies Amazon has employed in accomplishing this.

1. Data Collection and Management

Amazon collects vast amounts of customer data from various touchpoints, including
website interactions, purchase history, browsing behaviour, and demographic information.
They employ advanced technologies and robust data management systems to organise and
store this data securely. By aggregating and structuring the data, Amazon creates a
comprehensive dataset for analysis.

2. Personalised Recommendations

One of Amazon's key strengths lies in its ability to provide personalised product
recommendations. Through advanced data analytics techniques, Amazon analyses
individual customer preferences, browsing patterns, purchase history, and social
interactions. This data-driven approach powers their recommendation engine, suggesting
relevant products that align with each customer's interests and needs. The result is a highly
tailored shopping experience that drives customer satisfaction and increases sales.

3. Demand Forecasting and Inventory Management

To optimise their supply chain operations, Amazon relies on data analytics for demand
forecasting and inventory management. By analysing historical sales data, seasonal patterns,
and market trends, Amazon can accurately predict demand for various products. This
enables them to optimise inventory levels, minimise stockouts, and ensure timely deliveries,
enhancing customer satisfaction and reducing operational costs.

4. Fraud Detection and Prevention

Amazon leverages data analysis to combat fraudulent activities and protect both customers
and sellers. By monitoring transactions, customer behaviour, and patterns of fraudulent
activities, Amazon's data analytics systems can identify suspicious behaviour and take
proactive measures to prevent fraud. This ensures a secure and trustworthy shopping
environment for all stakeholders.

5. Enhancing Customer Experience

Through data analysis, Amazon continuously enhances the customer experience. They
employ sentiment analysis to understand customer feedback and reviews, enabling them to
identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach drives product enhancements,
 customer service enhancements, and website optimizations to deliver a seamless and
satisfying shopping journey.

6. Continuous Innovation and Experimentation

Amazon's data-driven culture encourages continuous innovation and experimentation.

Through A/B testing, Amazon can test different features, layouts, and user experiences to
optimise conversion rates and user engagement. By analysing the results of these
experiments, Amazon can iterate and improve its platform, always staying ahead of the
competition.

Security Issues And Challenges

Amazon, being the largest e-commerce industry, utilises big data technology to enhance its
performance and data collection processes.

However, security concerns pose significant challenges in this area. Criminals exploit
vulnerabilities in the system to gain unauthorised access and collect valuable data.

Data security is a major issue for Amazon, given the presence of unauthentic access and
potential breaches in their servers and computing networks. Three primary risk factors
contribute to these security-related challenges:

• inadequate security measures

• the use of untrustworthy networks
• misconfigurations in server setups.

To address these issues, Amazon needs to prioritise security when implementing big data
technology. Common security threats associated with big data include DDOS attacks,
malware activities, fake data generation, data breaches, and phishing attacks. DDOS attacks
and malware pose particular risks, impacting both the security and performance of
Amazon's computing networks.
 Conclusion

Practically every company today has adopted the capabilities of E-commerce and online
marketing. However, although everyone now wants to leverage the potential of data
analysis in research and strategy, it still remains a largely untapped territory.

If you want to excel in this field, the upGrad Campus data analytics certification
course offers a comprehensive and practical learning experience that equips aspiring data
analysts with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in this dynamic field.

How Does Netflix Leverage Big Data and Analytics?

Netflix has digitized its interactions with its 151 million subscribers. It collects data from
each of its users and with the help of data analytics understands the behavior of subscribers
and their watching patterns. It then leverages that information to recommend movies and
TV shows customized as per the subscriber’s choice and preferences.
As per Netflix, around 80% of the viewer’s activity is triggered by personalized algorithmic
recommendations. Where Netflix gains an edge over its peers is that by collecting different
data points, it creates detailed profiles of its subscribers which helps them engage with them
better.
Netflix collects information on how a user interacted and responded to a TV show or a
movie. If we go into details, it collects the following data: –

• Time and date when a user watched a show

• The device used to watch the show
• If the user pauses the show, do they resume watching
• Does the user binge-watch an entire season of a TV show?
• If they do, how much time does it take to binge watch it?
More than that, Netflix has ratings that the viewer gives to the content they watch, the
number of searches they do, and what they search. The information collected is enough for
creating a detailed profile of a user, and this is exactly what Netflix does. It leverages data
analytics to make a robust recommendation algorithm that suggests the best content to the
subscriber as per their needs and preferences. The user no more must endlessly search
through streams of content to find out what he or she wants to watch. Netflix makes the job
easier for them in the process, giving them a better and customized viewer experience.

The recommendation system of Netflix contributes to more than 80% of the content
streamed by its subscribers which has helped Netflix earn a whopping one billion via
customer retention. Due to this reason, Netflix doesn’t have to invest too much on
advertising and marketing their shows. They precisely know an estimate of the people who
would be interested in watching a show.
Apart from monitoring the online behavior of their users, Netflix has a feedback system in
place. They encourage feedback from their audience, which further helps them understand
their preferences and helps them in suggesting better shows and creating better content.