The story behind successful CRM
The first step in leading a successful CRM program is to develop a robust customer strategy based on good old-fashioned customer segmentation. Step two is to realign your organization to support this plan. Third, provide the right tools and technology to support your customer strategy and realigned organization. And at every step of the way ask yourself whether customer loyalty could be better promoted by … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Crawford Gillies, Darrell K. Rigby, Frederick F. Reichheld | Source: European Business Journal | Subjects: Customer Related, Strategy
Establishing a Continuing Business Model Innovation Process
This paper describes how to establish a process for continuing business model innovation. The findings are based on current best practices among companies that have gained large competitive advantages through continually improving and replacing their business models.
Editor’s Note: some useful findings, but unnecessarily long…
Content: Article | Authors: Carol Coles, Donald Mitchell | Source: CEO Refresher | Subjects: Best Practices, Strategy
Preparing for Strategy in Times of Change (.pdf)
Arthur D. Little has developed a new strategy development approach called “Wishes, Weapons, War Zones” (WWW). WWW is an easy-to-use navigational tool that helps companies prepare for strategy formation by guiding the search for insight and facilitating effective dialogue among the many parties whose input is necessary for successful strategy. The WWW process can yield a snapshot of the reality of a given situation, providing … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Annie Galliano, Kathie Neal | Source: Prism (Arthur D. Little) | Subject: Strategy
Competing in Emerging Countries – The Case of Latin America
Though a little dated (1997), this article offers some good insight into the business opportunities emerging countries represent. Focused on Latin America (with some interesting associated facts and figures) some analysis is also somewhat generalizable, specifically looking at:
a) The “multidomestic player” that must move to a regional footprint and management model.
b) The multinational player that is starting to expand … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Jorge H. Forteza | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: International – Americas, Strategy
The Will to Manage: Corporate Success Through Programmed Management
A management classic by the founder of McKinsey & Co.
Editor’s Note: whet your whistle for this book by reading an excellent chapter excerpt at
read chapter excerpt at: Content: Book | Author: Marvin Bower | Subjects: Management, Strategy
David Reid, deputy chairman of Tesco
I don’t think scale is the key, even though it’s much talked about. Global scale doesn’t give you the right to go into a country and make money. There’s plenty of evidence of that. Capabilities are more important than scale. That’s because value comes from serving customers well, which means that most of the added value is added locally.
Content: Quotation | Source: McKinsey Quarterly | Subjects: Management, Strategy
How to Become a Successful Market-Driven Organisation
From being a platitude to being a pre-requisite, being ‘market driven’ has been the secret behind many of the success stories – Shell, Dell, Honda, Intel, Boeing, Novartis, Merck, Cisco – of recent years.
Editor’s Note: I thought the excessive dwelling on real-life examples was of little value but there is some useful information in this article.
Content: Article | Author: George Day | Source: European Business Forum (EBF) | Subjects: Customer Related, Strategy
A Strategy for Supporting Innovation and Growth in Times of High Uncertainty (.pdf)
Creating strategy today requires a new toolkit. This article discusses the development of the Ambition-Driven Strategy approach, which supports innovation and growth – and a few thoughts on why traditional strategic planning isn’t working very well.
Content: Article | Authors: Friedrich Bock, Hubertus M. Mühlhäuser, Marc-Milo Lube, Martin Hellweg | Source: Prism (Arthur D. Little) | Subject: Strategy
12manage.com
Management portal summarizes over 300 management methods and organizational theories in 12 management disciplines and in 12 languages.
Editor’s Note: this site was formerly known as Value Based Management and can still be found at:
Content: Online Resource | Author: Jaap de Jonge | Subjects: Management, Strategy
The Value Profit Chain: Treat Employees Like Customers and Customers Like Employees
Serving employees well and knowing when to “fire” a customer will boost a firm’s bottom line, according to this team of Harvard Business School professors. The authors of The Service Profit Chain here stress the creation of lifetime customers and detail the complex relationship between employee satisfaction, customer retention and profitability. They use examples from firms including Federal Express, Southwest Airlines and Wal-Mart. The highly … [ Read more ]
Content: Book | Authors: James L. Heskett, Leonard A. Schlesinger, W. Earl Sasser | Subjects: Management, Strategy
The Keys to Success
For 150 years, Steinway & Sons has set the standard for the quality manufacture of pianos. The secret to its longevity: a mix of old-world craftsmanship and modern-day management techniques.
Content: Case Study | Author: David Liebeskind | Source: STERNbusiness (NYU) | Subjects: Industry Specific, Strategy | Industry: Music
Globalization: The Strategy of Differences
Should your global strategy optimize scale or exploit differences? HBS professor Pankaj Ghemawat suggests a mix-and-match strategy in this excerpt from Harvard Business Review.
Content: Article | Author: Pankaj Ghemawat | Source: Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge | Subjects: International, Strategy
The Cure: Enterprise Medicine for Business
Cox, author of The Goal, delivers consultant Paul’s process for creating the boundaryless, market-driven company in this compellingly written business novel. Told from the perspectives of the various senior execs at fictional Essential Corp., it describes the journey toward and the common pitfalls in the alignment of strategy, processes, and culture.
Content: Book | Authors: Dan Paul, Jeff Cox | Subjects: Management, Strategy
Business Models: Cautionary Tales
Responding to market changes with the wrong business model can be fatal. But it happens all the time. Here are 10 traps to avoid.
Editor’s Note: this article was written when the term “New Economy” was still in vogue. Ignoring that fact, there is some good general analysis and advice in this article.
Content: Article | Authors: Jane C. Linder, Susan Cantrell | Source: Outlook Journal (Accenture) | Subjects: Management, Strategy
Living on the Fault Line
This article takes a look at Geoffrey Moore’s famous fault line, chasm and tornado, parts of his four stages of market development.
Content: Article | Author: Geoffrey A. Moore | Source: Context Magazine | Subjects: Management, Strategy
Types of Strategic Alliances
Where Does Apple Go from Here?
Macintosh market share continues to decline, but the iPod and iTunes are hit products. Where does Apple Computer’s future lie? An interview with HBS professor David Yoffie.
Content: Case Study | Author: David Yoffie | Source: Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge | Subjects: Industry Specific, Strategy | Industry: Personal Computer
High-performance business attributes and strategy execution
Enterprise Resilience: Managing Risk in the Networked Economy
In this article, we detail the differences between conventional enterprise risk management and enterprise resilience, and explain why a keen understanding of the distinction is essential today, when the boundaries of every major corporation have expanded, increasing a company’s vulnerabilities and its potential for competitive advantage. We also identify how senior executives can assess their organization’s resilience profile and risk management approach. And we explain … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Jim Newfrock, Michael Delurey, Randy Starr | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Risk Management, Strategy