Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning

Book Description

You have more information at hand about your business environment than ever before. But are you using it to “out-think” your rivals? If not, you may be missing out on a potent competitive tool.

In Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning , Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris argue that the frontier for using data to make decisions has shifted dramatically. Certain high-performing enterprises are now building their competitive strategies around data-driven insights that in turn generate impressive business results. Their secret weapon? Analytics: sophisticated quantitative and statistical analysis and predictive modeling.

Exemplars of analytics are using new tools to identify their most profitable customers and offer them the right price, to accelerate product innovation, to optimize supply chains, and to identify the true drivers of financial performance. A wealth of examples—from organizations as diverse as Amazon, Barclay’s, Capital One, Harrah’s, Procter & Gamble, Wachovia, and the Boston Red Sox—illuminate how to leverage the power of analytics.

Customer Reviews:

Good primer and sales piece.......2007-10-12

This book is a good introduction to the applications and benefits of business analytics. It focuses on benefits and has minimal coverage of analysis methods.

I am somewhat put off by the subtitle "The New Science of Winning" which probably helps sell the book, and which reflects the extreme culture of winners and losers that dominates business culture these days. History shows that any culture without a better balance of competition with cooperation and ethics will be eclipsed.

Covers the basics of both the what-is and the how-to of fact-based decision making.......2007-10-04

Mark Twain once said something to the effect that it isn't what you don't know that gets you into trouble, it's what you know for certain that isn't so that will get you. Too many businesses are run on assumptions, guesses, and inertia. What we are doing now worked in the past so lets keep doing it. Shareholders lose a lot of money when their businesses are run with that kind of thinking.

This book is about fact-based decision making. It is really more of an introduction to the subject than a detailed text, but it is still quite useful for those wanting to learn the basics of the subject. The first five chapters discuss what analytics are, how you compete using them, and the growth path from wondering what an analytic competitor is through the fives steps to becoming one. They also discuss what it means when using internal data that you completely control, and what it means when you do it using data you control and supplier or customer data that you do not control.

The last four chapters take on the practical side of implementing a road map to becoming an analytic competitor. I particularly enjoyed the chapter emphasizing that all your plans will fail if you don't have the right people. Systems alone won't do it. The next chapter discusses the kinds of systems you need. The last chapter discusses the future of analytics.

For the right audience, this is a fascinating book. The stories about businesses succeeding by using analytics or getting themselves into serious trouble by ignoring them are all good and entertaining. Be careful, though. Some of the stories talk about instances (such as the Red Sox losing the World Series by letting the pitcher go beyond his statistical maximum pitching range) rather than trends and large numbers of events. Statistics don't work on instances. That is, at any given moment a coin might come up heads or tails. Just because there have been ten heads flips in a row does not mean you should take less than 50-50 odds on the next flip. It is still 50-50. That pitcher might have won, might have lost that game and it would have become part of the statistical information. However, for the stats to become powerful, you would have to be able to make a strong prediction over a series of games that he pitched. That is, if he goes beyond X pitches in 10 games he will lose about 8 of them. That means he still wins two (or one or three) and you don't know when in the series the wins will come.

The idea that very small observations can be exploited for big advantage is very important in today's ever more competitive business climate. For example Harrah's learned that moving the odds on slot machines one-tenth of one percent in their favor did not affect customer play at all, but netted them at extra $80 million (company wide). Marriott's hotel management system improves hotel performance by a couple percent. Remember that these improvements incur little cost, so most of the improvement flows quickly to the bottom line.

I thought that might get your attention. Read it so you can learn and profit from it.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

A limited introduction to business analytics.......2007-09-21

MY RATING SYSTEM:

* - if you have to chose between torture and reading this book, then you might want to consider reading the book - although it depends on just how severe the torture would be.

** - if you've lost your job and have quite a bit of free time on your hands, and don't have anything else better to do, then you might want to consider reading this book; don't expect to learn much or really be entertained. It will however, help you pass the time until your death.

*** - meh...I'm indifferent. Reading this book will not alter your life in any significant way, yet it is not so horrendously dreadful that your taking the time to read it will be a complete waste of time.

**** - Good book to great book zone here. You should probably read this book if you have some spare time. This book could be interesting, entertaining, or informative.

***** - Outstanding book! Make time to read this book - you'll learn or be entertained or intrigued. The book might even be good enough to provide original or helpful insights into the world that we live in.

REVIEW:

Competing on Analytics serves as an interesting, albeit limited, introduction to the concept of using complex data collection, management, and analysis techniques to gain a competitive edge in business.

For me, the book served as a useful introduction, but fell far short of satisfying the objectives I had in mind when I first came across it. What I was expecting was a book that provide a detailed guide to developing and implementing an analytical approach to business decision making. While early on the authors acknowledge the limitations of the book, I found what followed to be less than satisfying.

The book contained a variety of examples of companies that were using analytical techniques to improve the quality of business decision making, and discussed a variety of business areas in which companies might want to adopt such analytical techniques but failed to present comprehensive case studies that would provide real guidance to readers. I would have liked to have been led through a few cases, from a diverse set of industries, where the authors describe what information was collected and why, how the information was manipulated, analyzed and presented, and how the entire analytics process was influenced by and/or influenced the company's strategy and performance. Instead, the book left me with the impression that I need to go out an hire a consulting firm to lead me through the development of an analytics program.

One of the most ironic components of the book was that while it touted the use of analytical techniques and objective analysis to motivate business decision making, it's argument was largely based on anecdotal evidence of a handful of companies that have adopted analytical approaches.

Good Overview of Business Analytics.......2007-09-20

Technology & the easy with which information spreads has rendered many products and services easily replicable. Companies need to compete on the basis of something their competitors can't recreate. What companies don't have ready access to is each other's data, i.e., on customers, suppliers, & processes. What companies do with this data is what can set them apart from competitors.

Davenport & Harris describe how data is transformed into competitive advantage by discussing the types of information used in analytics, the stages of becoming a more analytic corporation, and many examples of companies who have applied analytics to successful operations. Problems encountered down the road to becoming more analytical were similar to those described in another recent book on the criticality of enterprise data, Information Revolution by Davis, Miller, & Russell.

This book contains no numeric formulas or specific procedures for using analytics, but it is an excellent as an overall survey of business analytics as used today.

Who Is The Audience.......2007-08-30

This book is meant for those who make things happen and need to gain a fresh perspective. It is not meant for those who know a lot but can't make things happen yet keep looking for more information, while criticizing a good effort, which without doubt could have been better.

Business and Competitive Analysis: Effective Application of New and Classic Methods

Average customer rating:

Competitors...Beware!

Business and Competitive Analysis: Effective Application of New and Classic Methods
Craig S. Fleisher , and Babette E. Bensoussan
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Operations Research | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition
Early Warning: Using Competitive Intelligence to Anticipate Market Shifts, Control Risk, and Create Powerful Strategies
Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning
Competitive Intelligence : How to Gather, Analyze, and Use Information to Move Your Business to the Top
The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence: How to See Through and Stay Ahead of Business Disruptions, Distortions, Rumors, and Smoke Screens

ASIN: 0131873660

Customer Reviews:

Competitors...Beware!.......2007-08-16

Whether a branding consultant, senior line manager or strategic planner, (the Bensoussan/Fleisher book) "Business and Competitive Analysis" provides a multitude of analytical techniques that can help one think about, build and successfully drive implementation of a winning operating roadmap. For example, with `hard' assets...e.g. buildings, plant and equipment...almost `nil' vs. that of their manufacturing counterparts, predominantly service-providing firms such as banks, insurers and investment firms might find Chapter 17 - Corporate Reputation Analysis - to be of particular value for managing "this", arguably their MOST important asset [as "reputation", NOT customers, is what usually "belongs" to a firm]. Babette and Craig...Thank you for sharing this important toolkit with us. With it, we certainly cannot say "but I did not know".

- Kevin McClair, Financial Services Industry Veteran and Wharton MBA

The New Competitor Intelligence: The Complete Resource for Finding, Analyzing, and Using Information about Your Competitors

Average customer rating:

Good Body of Work
Best Primer for the Traditional Best Practices
An excellent printed resource
Practical guide
Not a primer on CI

The New Competitor Intelligence: The Complete Resource for Finding, Analyzing, and Using Information about Your Competitors
Leonard M. Fuld
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

MIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Competitive Intelligence : How to Gather, Analyze, and Use Information to Move Your Business to the Top
Early Warning: Using Competitive Intelligence to Anticipate Market Shifts, Control Risk, and Create Powerful Strategies
The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence: How to See Through and Stay Ahead of Business Disruptions, Distortions, Rumors, and Smoke Screens
Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition
Super Searchers on Competitive Intelligence: The Online and Offline Secrets of Top CI Researchers (Super Searchers series)

ASIN: 0471585092

Book Description

How to find and use the up-to-the-minute intelligence you need to win your fight for market share and glory!

How do I analyze a private company's true costs? When does the competition plan to roll out its new product and in what quantity? What are our customers' long-term strategies? What new technologies or products does the competition have on its drawing boards?

The New Competitor Intelligence shows where you can get the answers to these and most other questions you have about what the competition is up to. Learn, through easy-to-use techniques, how to analyze competitor information from the many print, database, and CD-ROM sources described in this book.

"Forget the Internet. Fuld has created an intelligence gold mine that will help you get all the business information you will ever need."- Al Ries Chairman, Trout & Ries Coauthor of Marketing Warfare and Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

"A powerful and practical guide that will show any decision maker how to stay competitive in today's business world."- Herb Baum President and Chief Executive Officer Quaker State Motor Oil

"The New Competitor Intelligence unlocks the vaults of all the 'open' secrets of your competitors."- Domenico A. Fanelli, Managing Director AMA International Management Centre, Europe

"This book gives you practical, effective benchmarking tools all within your reach and your budget."- Philip B. Crosby Author of Quality Is Free and Completeness: Quality for the 21st Century

Customer Reviews:

Good Body of Work.......2002-03-13

Mr. Fuld has contributed much to the field of CI. This body of work is well done, but lacks some of the more innovative ways of collecting and analyzing intel -- especially from the CxO/Board level. I trust Mr. Fuld is working on a follow-up work and I personally am looking forward to it.

Best Primer for the Traditional Best Practices.......2000-04-08

This is a serious general text on competitive intelligence, and Leonard is a master. Having said that, I would note that what Leonard does best is work very hard-the practice of business intelligence still lacks a good set of information technology tools for discovering, discriminating, distilling, and delivering packaged business intelligence, and most firms do not have the tools for managing a broadly distributed network of niche experts who are hired on a day to day basis. Fuld & Company Inc., and to a lesser extent the other companies listed in the Open Source Marketplace, are the first wave in what I believe will be a major line of business to business revenue in the 21st Century.

An excellent printed resource.......1999-10-23

An excellent sourcebook of information regarding competitive intelligence in the U.S. Voluminous bibliographical references underscored with anecdotal information from Fuld, a leader in the field. The ethics of the competitive intelligence community do not condone corporate espionnage, therefore, those looking for a primer on military intelligence or global covert practices should look elsewhere. This is a good, solid reference that belongs on any CI professional's desk.

Practical guide.......1998-11-03

An excellent basic primer on industrial competitor intelligence. In the first few chapters, this book explains how you can set up and manage a competitive intelligence program without investing huge of money or time.

Not a primer on CI.......1998-03-19

My opinion of this book hasn't changed however my e-mail address has.

Average customer rating:

Provides a clear system and strategy for 'playmaking'
You need these lessons
Forward Thinking!!
Breakthrough Thinking

The Elements of Influence: Introducing the Playmaker's Standard: The New Essential System for Managing Competition, Reputation, Brand, and Buzz
Alan Kelly
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Pop!: Stand Out in Any Crowd
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Marketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should Master
Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes
Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning

ASIN: 0525949844

Book Description

A landmark system for business leaders and marketers, campaigners and bloggers, political junkies and fans of popular culture, The Elements of Influence takes the mystery out of strategy and how it shapes and shifts niche and global marketplaces alike.

It's about Playmaking. In business, it's what Pepsi does to thwart Coke, and vice versa. In politics, it's what White House strategists do to propel an agenda and win elections. In pop culture, it's what Oprah Winfrey does to build her personal brand and seduce her audience. Playmaking is the essential skill for advancing ideas, controlling marketplace discussions, positioning products, de-positioning competitors, embracing allies, and moving your program forward.

Chemists have the periodic table of elements. Economists have game theory. Those whose work centers on strategy, positioning, and influence have had no framework. That is, until now.

The first definitive system for out-smarting an opponent, managing a brand, protecting a reputation, and orchestrating word-of-mouth, The Elements of Influence unveils this critical and sprawling discipline and introduces The Playmaker's Standard, a new essential language of 25 irreducible plays. It breaks down into precise pieces the moves and counter-moves by which competitive advantage is won and lost, buzz is built, spin is spun, and arms are twisted, and it shows how masters of the game call, run, decode, and counteract the ploys and plans of their marketplaces. Plays are everywhere and everyone is a playmaker, and those who know this - the black belts of business, politics, and pop culture - will always have the edge over those who don't. The Elements of Influence will help you join their ranks. BACKCOVER: Advanced praise for The Elements of Influence

"Alan Kelly is the Bill Walsh of marketing and positioning strategy and tactics. His playbook reads like an insider's field guide to the ins and outs of positioning warfare. Master it, and you can play with pros anytime."
—Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Dealing with Darwin

"Ever wonder how marketing campaigns get built? How messages are spun? How public opinion is managed? Here are the answers - in a clear, enjoyable, and eye-opening system that even the black belts of influence will find surprising!"
—Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing series

Customer Reviews:

Provides a clear system and strategy for 'playmaking'.......2006-12-11

The Elements of Influence: A New Essential System for Managing Competition, Reputation, Brand, and Buzz provides a clear system and strategy for 'playmaking' - how companies thwart others and provide value and competitive strengths. 'Playmaking' is the fine art of controlling marketplace discussions, direction and strategies, and chapters here survey an array of disciplines - not just the business world - to cover everything from positioning to idea advancement.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

You need these lessons.......2006-11-10

I've been a mid-level manager all of my professional career. This book has been nothing short of "life-changing" for me. There is sage advice that is relevant to nearly every workplace. Examples are drawn from today's headlines.
I've applied the principles espoused in this book. My career is now in high gear. For the first time, I'm outsourcing and it fells great. Maybe you will be a convert too. Give it a try. I think this work is on par with other great authors of business literature such as Drucker, Warner, Ellis, Lloyd and Faulkner.

Forward Thinking!!.......2006-11-08

This well-written book is like the twentyfirst century sequel to last century's "Hidden Persuaders". Mr. Kelly has given us a way to rationalize and apply logic to what has been "seat of the pants" marketing up until now. With these tools, competition will move much faster in the future.

Breakthrough Thinking.......2006-10-31

I have never read another book like "The Elements of Influence." It is the first book to deliver both a language and methodology for communicating effectively in business. Using The Playmaker's Standard methodology, market facing executives can design moves and counter-moves that help increase the market visibility and perception of their companies and products. The result is often increased revenue and market share and, almost always, a better perception in the market versus the competition.

In the past, executives relied on PR firms or on their intuition to influence markets. The Playmaker's Standard gives executives the ability to move the dial in their company's favor. As a result, the Plays that make up the Playmaker's Standard become the indispensable tools for executives seeking unfair advantage in the market. Smart executives would be wise to embrace the Playmaker's Standard.

Big Winners and Big Losers: The 4 Secrets of Long-Term Business Success and Failure

Average customer rating:

interesting multidimensional approach
It's a Winner
Solid information, but not an easy read...
How to hit the "sweet spots" and avoid the "sour spots."
A Unique Prism

Big Winners and Big Losers: The 4 Secrets of Long-Term Business Success and Failure
Alfred A. Marcus
Manufacturer: Wharton School Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Motivation & Self-Improvement | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0131451324

Customer Reviews:

interesting multidimensional approach.......2006-09-28

I'm from switzerland and a software engineer. In my workplace I concentrate on technical stuff and I don't think too much about business.
However, in the last few years I have come to the conclusion that many technical people tend to over emphasize technology. They use their experience with technology to impress other people, rather than to fullfill their customers needs and wishes. As a result they forget about what customers really want and the products they create are
far too complex for the ordinary people to use.

I decided to read this book to get in touch with the business perspective and to learn how to succeed in the business world. Not surprisingly, it's all about fullfilling customer's needs and finding the right balance between different poles. The three most important poles are business, customer and technology. Finding the balance between all these is the art of creating a successfull company.

This book mentions many failing and succeeding companies. In my opinion the companies "Parametric" and "Family Dollar" are the best examples of a failing and succeeding company.

A good example of a company which invested too much in technology is parameteric. It created the very sophiscated CAD-tool called Pro Engineer. I has lots of features, but without sufficient training it is not possible to use this product. But "Parametric" does not offer training. Instead, it concentrates allmost all its efforts into making "Pro Engineer" even more sophisticated, thus making customers more frustrated and finally make them switch to other products. Had Parametric listened to its customers they would have improved their range of services. I have seen many companies failing like Parametric in the last few years.

On the other hand, the grocery store chain "Family Dollar" shows that it is possible to earn lots of money just by serving other people's everday needs. The "Family Dollar"-shops are in low class regions and therefore very close to its customers. They prefer shopping in "Family Dollar" not only because it is very close, but also many customers don't have a car to go to a different shop such as Wal Mart. And Wal Mart is not interested to move into these low class region and compete against "Family Dollar" as the money the could make there is not enough. Wal Mart has better opportunities to grow. In conclusion "Family Dollar" occupies a sweet spot, where noone else wants to go.

I like this book because it points out that it is important to concentrate on many points rather than just one. This is the reason so many "We are the best company" fail in the long term. The truth is multidimensional and the world has more than one dimension.

It's a Winner.......2006-08-06

"Big Winners and Big Losers: The 4 Secrets of Long-term Business Success and Failure. Many examples provided in the characteristics of winners and losers. Four Sections: Introduction, Winners, Losers, Conclusion

Twelve Chapters:

1. Persistent Winning and Losing
2. Companies that Hit and Missed the Mark
3. Companies that Keep Winning
4. Sweet Spots
5. Agility
6. Discipline
7. Focus
8. Companies that Keep Losing
9. Sour Spots
10 Rigidity
11 Ineptness
12 Diffuseness
13 Winning and Losing Practices
14 Turnarounds

Companies that consistently outperform their competitors and stay above the index their industry is rare. In a ten-year period from 1992 to 2002 only three out of 1,000 companies were above their own industry's market performance.

As for errors that contributed to losing, there is a study on 3 companies that made products that were too cheap. Because they produced items that were so inexpensive they couldn't provide the specialization their customers needed and these companies couldn't earn a sufficient profit. IMC, Goodyear, and Safeco. IMC was providing "value-added customer service," even though IMC's products faced strong and consistent competition. Goodyear was in the maturing industry of tires, but continued to only stay with tires as their profit share was diminishing. This meant diminishing margins. Safeco targeted markets that were too large and homogeneous.

Paying up-front for royalty payments:
Hasbro had licensed "Star Wars" action figures in the past. They sold very well. In 1999 Hasbro signed a lucrative contract that cost $581 dollars on a pay-out to Lucas, but the sales were dismal, as the 1999 film didn't cause kids to buy. Mattel, Hasbro's main competitor paid $20 million for the right so "Harry Potter" books and films, and scored well. Times, like people change, and there are always new things coming out

There are a hundreds of examples in "Big Winners and Big Losers" that are interesting. Important is that if a company is losing it need not be permanent. Changes can be made. The same goes for the Winners as very few stay at the top consistently. Helpful book to anyone in any type of business. If someone is generally interested in business books this is one of the more readable.

Solid information, but not an easy read..........2006-07-22

Alfred A. Marcus explores the reasons why some companies win big and some fail dismally in the book Big Winners And Big Losers - The 4 Secrets Of Long-Term Business Success And Failure. Worth adding to your business bookshelf if this is an area of interest to you, but it's not the easiest read...

Contents:
Part 1 - Introduction: Persistent Winning And Losing; Companies That Hit And Missed The Mark;
Part 2 - Winners: Companies That Keep Winning; Sweet Spots; Agility; Discipline; Focus
Part 3 - Losers: Companies That Keep Losing; Sour Spots; Rigidity; Ineptness; Diffuseness
Part 4 - Conclusion: Winning And Losing Practices; Turnarounds
Appendixes: Best Sellers Compared; Using The Stock Market As An Indicator Of Performance; Additional Data On The Companies; Patterns Of Winning And Losing Companies
Acknowledgements; Sources; Endnotes; Index

Using stock performance over a period of time, Marcus examines the traits of companies that significantly outperformed and underperformed their peers. On the "winners" side, you have Amphenol, SPX, Fiserv, Dreyer's, Forest Labs, Ball, Brown & Brown, Family Dollar, and Activision. The "losers" are LSI Logic, Snap-On, Parametric Technology, Campbell Soup, IMC Global, Goodyear, Safeco, The Gap, and Hasbro. For each trait he identifies, there's a list of how each of the winning/losing companies shows that characteristic, along with examples of actual steps and scenarios that illustrate it. To be sure, there's a lot of good material on how you can adjust your business to take advantage of these positive behaviors (and avoid the negative ones)...

The only thing I have against books like this is the "retrospect" nature. Moves that were made by losing companies for good (at the time) reasons are examined in the light of how it all turned out. That's a perspective that no one has when the decision has to be made. As a result, it's far too easy to say " well, they should have known better" when writing a book. Another common problem is that the winning companies can often turn into losing companies, making the reader wonder where things went wrong. To the author's credit, he covers two of these reversals at the end of the book. Again, in hindsight it's easy to see where things went wrong, but it's harder to make that same statement during the heat of the moment.

The style of writing is very factual and list-driven. I wasn't really drawn into the style of writing in such a way that I wanted to keep turning the pages. Still, running a business is not easy, and learning from the mistakes of others is far easier than blazing your own trails. Worth reading, but be prepared to work for it all...

How to hit the "sweet spots" and avoid the "sour spots.".......2006-02-01

Achieving and sustaining business success over the long term is extremely difficult. New products are created, widely used for a short time and then replaced by something better. Even businesses that satisfy basic human needs are not guaranteed a profitable market as it is always possible for another business to arise that does things better, faster and cheaper. In this minefield of problems, some businesses have managed to flourish, outperforming all others to achieve tremendous success. Marcus presents a series of case studies, explaining why some are successful beyond all relative expectations and why others can't seem to hit the ground with a hammer when they drop it.
Marcus regularly uses the analogies of the "sweet spot" and the "sour spot." A "sweet spot" is when a company manages to put itself in a position where it is relatively easy to make a profit and a "sour spot" is when a company is in a position where it is difficult to make a profit. Chapters 3 through 7 form the section called "Winners" and are a description of companies that succeed and the sweet spots that allow them to succeed. Chapter 3 is a list of companies that have succeeded and four a list of some of the sweet spots. Chapter five explains the ways a company can retain the agility to respond quickly to changing market conditions, six a list of the ways a company can maintain the internal discipline in order to stay focused and seven describes what to keep your focus on.
Chapters eight through twelve form the section called "Losers" and are a description of some companies that have failed and the reasons for their failure. Chapter eight is a list of companies that keep on losing, nine a description of the sour spots, ten a list of the ways a company can be too rigid for modern markets, eleven the ways in which a company can be inept and twelve some ways in which a company can lose focus and become too diffuse in their approach.
In the end, good advice is valuable only if you are willing to concede that you don't know everything and can learn from others. There is good advice in this book, but there is also the clear statement that one of the reasons that companies get into sour spots and stay there is because their leaders are not nearly as gifted and talented as they think they are. The hurdle of recognizing the need for assistance is one that many cannot leap; however if you can make that essential jump, then this book is a valuable purchase. If that is not the case, you might as well save your money.

A Unique Prism.......2006-01-25

This book represents the best of what I love about Wharton Press.

A topic like big winners and big losers lends itself to having some egomaniac who fails to understand the difference between being lucky and great, hire a ghostwriter to produce a pointless pontification full of meaningless clichés and generalizations.

Instead, Alfred A. Marcus, a management professor at the University of Minnesota, compares and contrasts the practices of successful and failing firms. To achieve this, he enlisted more than 500 practicing managers, divided them into teams of five or six and directed them to review the performance of a company that either out-performed or underperformed its market group for 10 years.

Their critiqued reports lead to four themes. Big winners:

1. Occupied sweet spots.
2. Possessed the ability to move into these spots.
3. Disciplined themselves to defend their spots.
4. Exploited and extended their positions.

The reports revealed big losers:

1. Occupied sour spots.
2. Were rigid.
3. Could not defend their positions.
4. Could take advantage of their positions.

What fascinated me about this book is Marcus' discussion of how the individual companies managed the nuisances or tensions created by the four themes.

Achieving sustained competitive advantage is never easy. Firms that consistently do it are worthy of study and investment. Marcus's book provides managers and investors with a unique prism through which to view their opportunities.

Healthy Markets?: The New Competition in Medical Care

Average customer rating:

Healthy Markets?: The New Competition in Medical Care

Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Health Care Delivery | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Health Risk Assessment | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Public Health | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Emergency Medical Services | Allied Health Professions | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

When federal and state policy makers’ efforts to enact sweeping health care reform in the mid-1990s ended in stalemate, the private sector unleashed initiatives that have affected virtually every aspect of health care. With updated essays first published in issues of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Healthy Markets? offers the most comprehensive and critical examination yet found in a single volume of the economic, political, and social implications of this recent market transformation of health care in the United States.
With original contributions from leading social science health policy analysts, this volume addresses the full context of health system change. Believing that the analysis of health care change is too important to be left to economists alone, Mark A. Peterson has collected a mulitdisciplinary group of experts who revisit the contentious debate over the market approaches to health care and consider the disparate effects of these approaches on cost, quality, and coverage of both managed care and Medicaid and Medicare. While market enthusiasts applaud the enhanced efficiency, reduced excess capacity, and abatement of the decades-long health care cost explosion, a backlash has emerged among many providers and the public against the perceived excesses of the market: diminished access to care, commercialization of the physician-patient relationship, and exacerbated inequality. Contributors assess these varied responses while examining the impact that market-based applications are likely to have for future health policy making, the significance of the U.S. experience for policy makers abroad, and the lessons that these changes might provide for thinking sensibly about the future of our health care system.
This volume will be useful for public policy analysts, economists, social scientists, health care providers and administrators, and others interested in the futureâand in understanding the pastâof American health care.

Contributors. Gary S. Belkin, Lawrence D. Brown, Robert G. Evans, Martin Gaynor, Paul B. Ginsburg, Marsha Gold, Theodore R. Marmor, Cathie Jo Martin, Jonathan B. Oberlander, Mark V. Pauly, Mark A. Peterson, Thomas Rice, Deborah A. Stone, William B. Vogt, Kenneth E. Thorpe

Asia and Europe in the New Global System: Intercultural Cooperation and Competition Scenarios

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Asia and Europe in the New Global System: Intercultural Cooperation and Competition Scenarios

Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1403904960

Book Description

This book examines the need for cooperation between Europe and Asia, particularly in view of China's accession to the WTO. It looks at the cultural implications for closer cooperation between the two parts of the world, exploring corporate culture and leadership in integration management through mergers and acquisitions. It then goes onto discuss whether the world is big enough for several cultures or whether further integration will result in homogenization.

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Making sense of instinct in public relations and public affairs

The Elements of Influence: The New Essential System for Managing Competition, Reputation, Brand, and Buzz
Alan Kelly
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Pop!: Stand Out in Any Crowd
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Open Business Models: How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape
Marketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should Master
Five Minds for the Future

ASIN: 0452288738
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Book Description

A revolutionary new business model to master the marketplace

Playmaking is the essential skill for advancing ideas, controlling market discussions, positioning products, and beating all the competitors. In The Elements of Influence, pioneering strategy expert Alan Kelly lays out his groundbreaking system, the Playmaker's Standard. This new framework of twenty-five plays—teamed with breakthrough online web tools—shows readers how to outsmart an opponent, control spin, orchestrate word of mouth, mobilize coalitions, and manage brands and reputations. Drawing on examples from the black belts of business, politics, and pop culture, the Playmaker's Standard is a winning game plan to help CEOs and business leaders, strategists, marketers, PR professionals, political campaigners, bloggers, and activists alike gain and maintain the competitive edge.

Customer Reviews:

Making sense of instinct in public relations and public affairs.......2007-02-16

By way of context, I know author Alan Kelly quite well and had been awaiting the publication of his book with some interest.
This is a book well overdue. It puts structure and order around what many of us in the public relations and public affairs industry do by instinct (certainly historically). In essence, and as Kelly says in the book, he attempts to impose something akin to the chemist's periodic table of the elements on to PR practices and techniques. For example, he talks about Diverts, Tests, Attacks and Mirrors (and more besides) and categorizes these and many other techniques into a framework or catalogue of moves. In all, there are 25 of these "Plays" in three Groups, the whole creating the "Playmaker's Standard".
Does it work and is it helpful? Ultimately, I think yes. Some of the examples are repeated more than they should be. To a non-America eye and ear (I'm an English-born Australian) some of the examples are overtly American (albeit that this is Kelly's experience, so understandable). And some of the examples seem retrospectively shoe-horned into a category.
But the book is open on my desk, right now, and I'm creating a "Play" (it's a toss-up between a Call-Out and a Pre-Empt, in the aggressive Engage class, if you're interested) in a way that I wouldn't have done before the book's appearance. I can predict what might happen when (if) we push the button on this Play. This is essential to the comfort of the colleagues who will be on the front line.
The book and its Plays require multiple reads to get them into the brain. And there's clearly a commercial element, with an associated web site and software to make Playmaking more effective. (I've gone to neither of these - I'm using a pen and paper, and Kelly's book, for now.)
But the question is, should you read it? If you are in public relations, public affairs, corporate communications, or marketing - yes.

The Future of the Newspaper Industry: How Electronic Newspapers Will Outrun Their Competition

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The Future of the Newspaper Industry: How Electronic Newspapers Will Outrun Their Competition
Kenton W. Elderkin
Manufacturer: Elderkin Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0923965041

Information Technology in Multinational Enterprises (New Horizons in Environmental Economics)

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Information Technology in Multinational Enterprises (New Horizons in Environmental Economics)

Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

MIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1858989795

Book Description

The revolution in information communication technologies has had a profound effect on the way firms structure and control their operations. At the same time, the ongoing integration of the global economy has greatly expanded international business opportunities.

Information Technology in Multinational Enterprises analyzes the implications of technological developments for the conduct of international business and the structure and activities of multinational enterprises. Using a combination of theoretical analysis and case studies, it provides a timely introduction to a topic that is of major interest to academics and practitioners in the fields of international business and information science.

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