Six Thoughts for Managers
How many companies, or divisions, or departments, have clear visions of where they’re going? Going back to basics is the New Year’s advice for managers in this article. The Korean author draws inspiration from his seven-year-old son to offer six lessons that managers would do well to apply now. Applying his son’s world view, the author reminds managers of the importance of setting clear goals, … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Thomas Shin | Sources: Bain & Company, The Korea Herald | Subject: Personal Development
IT Merger Integration Blueprint
This is a nice little .pdf document that offers a blueprint for IT integration issues related to mergers and acquisitions on a month-by-month timeline.
Content: Article | Source: Bain & Company | Subject: IT / Technology / E-Business
Getting the price right: The power of strategic intent in deal-making
When no precedent exists to guide analysts in assessing the value of an alliance, the task of justifying a price to shareholders falls to those who lead the deal. A clear, strategic vision, well-articulated and linked to rigorous valuation and informed negotiation, will be a strong predictor of success.
Content: Article | Authors: Dan Haas, Geoff Cullinan, Orit Gadiesh | Source: Bain & Company | Subject: Finance
Five New Year’s Resolutions to Shape Up Supply Chains
Bain research highlights five “New Year’s resolutions” that companies should make to roll back inefficiencies in inventories and forecasting-the kinds of inefficiencies that supply-chain exemplars like Dell are delighted to exploit.
Content: Article | Authors: Miles Cook, Philippe Hauguel, Roman Zeller | Source: Bain & Company | Subject: Operations
Improving the odds: Six rationales to anchor merger success
Today, mergers have both resurged and reemerged as a master tool of strategy. A transaction’s strategic rationale is ground zero for planning your merger and your foundation for capturing the value that spurred your acquisition.
Content: Article | Authors: Charles Ormiston, Orit Gadiesh | Source: Bain & Company
Supply-Chain Survey
Did you know a recent study found that the top supply-chain performers spent only 4.2% of revenue on supply-chain costs compared to almost 10% for average performers in the same industry? And, most companies think they’re doing a great job with their supply chain, yet 44% admitted to having little or only basic data on it. Where’s the disconnect? Miles Cook discusses the survey findings … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Miles Cook | Source: Bain & Company | Subject: Operations
The Complexity of Managing Complexity
More discriminating customers are forcing proliferation of product types and demanding service through more channels than ever. For suppliers, managing SKU profusion means more than just trimming fat.
Content: Article | Author: Miles Cook | Source: Bain & Company | Subject: Operations
Japan’s New Wave of M&A
The restructuring of Japan, Inc., provides great opportunities for acquisitive foreign companies, but also new challenges.
Content: Article | Author: Till Vestring | Sources: Bain & Company, Wall Street Journal | Subject: International – Asia
Strategies for Growth
This article is a follow-up to “The Facts About Growth,” which explored the findings of an extensive study by Bain & Company of the factors leading to consistent company value creation. While the early part of this article is repetitive of the earlier article, the latter part offers some good new insight.
Content: Article | Authors: Chris Zook, Jimmy Allen | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Best Practices, Strategy
The Facts About Growth
Only a small minority of companies succeed in creating shareholder value over long periods of time, even when they manage to grow revenues. Many companies enjoy temporary spurts of growth, only to see their gains erode under the onslaught of competitors. And even those who achieve sustained revenue gains are often surprised to find no corresponding gain in shareholder value. Yet a handful of companies … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Chris Zook, James Allen | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Best Practices, Strategy
Strategic Segmentation (.pdf)
Customer segmentation: More than just a marketing tool. Customer segmentation is at its most powerful when used as a fundamental part of the strategic process and not simply as a marketing tool. After aligning an organization to serve targeted groups identified and focused upon by a sound segmentation, a company can beat the competition with a differentiated and defensible value proposition.
Content: Article | Authors: Dorie Krawiec, Vijay Vishwanath | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Marketing / Sales, Strategy
Making CRM Work
Economic turbulence is forcing companies to sharpen their focus on customer loyalty. But a promising technique that emphases loyalty-building — Customer Relationship Management programs, or CRM — is falling flat. Bain’s Darrell Rigby and Fred Reichheld offer insights on turning the promise of CRM into profits.
Content: Article | Authors: Darrell K. Rigby, Frederick F. Reichheld | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Customer Related, IT / Technology / E-Business
Logistics Consideration
Logistics Push to Pull Evolution
The User’s Guide to Reengineering
Reengineering requires clear aims and realistic goals if your organisation is to succeed with the process where so many others have failed.
Content: Article | Authors: Janet Voute, Orit Gadiesh | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Management, Operations
Loyalty Rules!
Fred Reichheld was the first to prove the enormous impact retention — or customer loss — can have on the bottom line. His ground-breaking 1996 book, “The Loyalty Effect,” demonstrated conclusively that a 5% increase in customer retention can, depending on the industry, result in an increase in profits of up to 95%. Reichheld’s more recent title, “Loyalty Rules,” describes the key role played … [ Read more ]
Content: Online Resource | Author: Frederick F. Reichheld | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Management, Marketing / Sales
Why fast equals effective in change management
This article summarizes the research of Bain & Company into successful turnarounds and transformations. They found four action principles:
1. Reward managers for hitting strategic targets not for constructing elaborate change management processes
2. Remove underperforming senior managers
3. Challenge managers to achieve higher performance levels
4. Do it fast and all at once
Content: Article | Sources: Bain & Company, ManagementFirst | Subject: Change Management
6 Ways to Lead Mergers to Results
Article looks at 6 keys to leading mergers:
1. Crystallise and communicate the strategic vision for the merger
2. Close the deal
3. Focus on the key sources of value of the deal
4. Drive the integration of the two entities
5. Make the tough calls
6. Cheer on the troops
Editor’s Note: You may also want to check out the report ‘Achieving the Promise: Five ways to lead … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Mike Booker, Till Vestring | Sources: Bain & Company, Business Times Singapore | Subject: Leadership