Book Description

Labor Relations, the most accurate, readable, timely, and valuable book of its kind on the market, provides readers with a basic understanding of unionism in its natural habitat and a fundamental appreciation of the union-management process.It focuses on the negotiation and administration of labor agreements, and emphasizes the more significant bargaining issues. The 11th edition includes much new material and an extensively revised and updated bibliography.For vice-presidents and directors of labor relations, union presidents, and others who are full-time labor-management professionals for either managements or unions. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in a completely updated and revised Fourth Edition, this highly readable book emphasizes the core data management skills needed to succeed in today's business environment. The book presents a real-world, management perspective and offers fully integrated coverage of data modeling and SQL.
* New chapter on future directions, including u-commerce.
* New material on data integration, data quality, and data schemas.
* Includes reference sections on data modeling and SQL.
* Presents the "big picture" of data management. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good for a few lines on the resume
I have two sets of comments - one for students and one for professors.

Students first... Watson focuses primarily on the practical aspects of SQL in an organizational database environment. However, database theory is also taught fairly well through the many examples offered in the text. Students will have ample opportunity to hone their hands-on skills, and as such, should be confident enough to put a line on their resume for SQL/ Database skills by the time the course is over. Although the publisher's website offers little support beyond lecture slides, the author's personal website does offer more in this regard.

Now for professors... The book is organized well and is thorough in its coverage of SQL and organizational database applications. I don't think I have seen a better text for teaching SQL that wasn't explicitly an SQL text. For my part, though, I prefer a deductive approach to teaching database theory rather than the inductive approach preferred by the text. Also, I would have preferred some more support materials for instructors, such as an instructor CD with testbanks, cases, SQL code examples from the text and problems, etc. Although the author's personal website carries ample support materials, it would be nice to have a CD bundled with the text. The one glaring omission in the instructor support materials was that there doesn't seem to be a testbank available for this text!

Great Book!!
I had the good fortune of taking a data management class with Dr. Watson. He uses this book for an MBA level course on data management.He is an excellent teacher with a great sense of humor and it reflects very well in the way this book has been written.

Even though I had known SQL well and also bits and pieces of data modeling prior to taking the class, this book put it all together very nicely.

Data Modeling is taught from the perspective of a business analyst/manager. It covers virtually any type of business problem you may encounter and I guarantee that you won't find any more complex SQL queries in your real life than the ones this book covers at length. The SQL playbook is simply a great reference!!

I would highly recommend it to any business student or executive who has anything to do with data management.

Outstanding Textbook for teaching Data Modeling and SQL
By introducing data modeling and SQL together in gradually increasing level of complexity, this book introduces students to these subjects in an intuitive manner.

As a matter of fact, by the time the text covers those two subjects formally in later chapters, most of my students found it almost trivial. And by building on sound data modeling principles through out, the students learn good data modeling habits from the ground up.

If I have any complaints, its that when the topic of normalization is covered in a later chapter, my biggest problem is explaining to my students why anyone would have created tables that are not in second or third normal form in the first place!

Truly a joy to teach from.

Data modeling and SQL integrated
This is a beautiful, accessible, up to date, patient, didactic, and all in all a very good book. A Dutch teacher of databases since a long time, I never came across quite the right thing for my non-Dutch students until I found this one.
Watson is not a computer nerd. He appreciates the fact that data modeling problems are real-world problems. And the fact that modeling and SQL are two sides of the same coin: getting the data IN a database in order to get information FROM it. And that fact that databases operate in an organization, not in a vacuum.

Perfect balance of depth and breadth
This book is written not for nerds or for lovers of formalisms, but for generalists with a need to really manage data, be competent at designing databases and at using them. It is a bit verbose but reads like a novel. Very didactic, but the reference value could be improved. All in all, better than many books on databases that tend to be narrow-perspectived. Well worth buying. ... Read more

Book Description

A thoroughly revised second edition of the leader's concise guide to the process of creating and managing an organisation, no matter how complex, that will achieve unique competitive advantages and be poised to respond effectively and rapidly to customer demands.

In this book executives, managers, and consultants will find the concrete tools they need to select and implement an efficient design that creates superior and more competitive performance. In addition to analysing the four key forces shaping today's organisations -- buyer power, variety, change, and speed -- this new edition addresses the concerns of new economy by expanding on the section on the Flexible Organization and includes a new section on organising around the customer. The book:

• Describes what leaders can do to effect the change process
• Addresses the concerns of new economy companies
• Contains rich examples from successful companies

Reviews (2)

excellent resource
Really good intro to ideas and concepts needed to redesign an organization in terms of its structure. Best if you already have some degree of experience in do it so you can really apply the concepts.

Guide to the factors that shape organizational design
Jay R. Galbraith is an internationally recognized expert on organization design. He is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California and Professor Emeritus at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. This book is a updated/revised edition of 'Designing Organizations' which was originally published in 1995. It is split up into 10 chapters.

Chapter 1 - Introduction - really sets the stage for the rest of the book. It discusses the six main organization shapers: the increase buyer power; increase in the number of products and services; the Internet; multiple dimensions (functions, products, and geography, but also customer segments, solutions or offerings, and channels and processes); the requirement for a capacity to change; and speed (in bringing products and services to the market).

The following two chapters discuss how companies have to shape their organizational design, strategy, and structure in order how to deal with these organization shapers. Galbraith introduces his copyrighted Star Model (Strategy, structure, people, rewards, and processes), which looks AND sounds very similar to McKinsey's 7-S framework. Chapters 4 and 5 build on these chapter and discuss how organizations have to link their processes to coordination needs and integrate group processes. Then, in Chapter 6 discusses the easily changeable or reconfigurable organization based on the Star Model, which, according to Galbraith, results from the skilled use of three capabilities: (1) forming teams and networks across organizational departments; (2) the use of internal prices, markets, and marketlike devices to coordinate the complexity of multiple teams; and (3) the forming of partnerships to secure capabilities that it does not have. Each of these capabilities are discussed in detail.

The Chapters 7 to 10 are all very current and fashionable. They discuss the organizing around the customer, customer-focused structures, the design of the virtual corporation, and organizing the continuous design process. Although the subjects discussed are important, some of the examples are too long and take up most of the chapters. Some of the examples also do not really apply to every company/organization but are too specific. Still, these are issues that should not be forgotten about, especially organizing around the customer remains important.

I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed with this book, which is written by a leading authority in the field of organizational design. I believe it is especially the title that lets the book down. It is not so much a guide into strategies and structures; it more discusses the organization shapers and the possibilities that companies/organizations have to tackle the organization shapers. I believe that the book is especially weak in discussing organizational design and structures. Galbraith discusses his own Star-model (which reminds me of McKinsey's 7-S framework) and his reconfigurable organization (the learning organization?), but leaves all other models/designs/structures untouched. I have not been generous, the book really deserves a 3.5-star rating. The author uses simple business US-English. ... Read more

Book Description

The Great Boss Simple Success Formula

Companies Do What the Boss Does
Groom 'Em, or Broom 'Em
Hire Slow, Fire Fast
Don't Be Tired
The Rule of the Ds
Delegate Down, Down, Down
Don't Hire a Dog and Bark Yourself
Don't Shoot from the Lip
Never Be Little, Never Belittle
Listen to Phonies, Fools, and Frauds
Don't Check Expense Accounts
"Quit" Is for Scrabble
It's Okay to Be Quirky

Did you ever have a great boss? Everyone should have one, but not enough people do. If you're a boss, or hope to become one, or have a less-than-great boss, then this is the book that could change your career-and your life.

In times like these, being a great boss can be harder than ever. If you want surprising and useful advice on how to handle the tough stuff -- from having to fire a long-time employee to being a new boss with a demoralized team -- the stories, observations, and advice contained in this gem of a book will set your feet in the right direction. And if you just want advice on living up to the legend who preceded you in the job, or even ways to emulate someone who was a great boss to you, Jeffrey Fox has gathered anecdotes from some of the mightiest and most respected bosses in America. The bestselling author who brought you How to Become CEO and How to Become a Rainmaker knows the territory about which he speaks.

Fox is the master of the counterintuitive angle. For every boss who has implied "I know what's best, that's why I'm the boss," Fox counsels, "Listen to Phonies, Fools, and Frauds" and "Don't Check Expense Accounts." His stories from bosses who have cared equally for employees' lives and the bottom line will inspire you to see that profit counts, but so do camaraderie, motivation, and a great place to work.

In a time of considerable corporate downsizing, it's more important than ever for bosses to surround themselves with motivated employees. Jeffrey Fox's newest volume will have a place on the shelves of top brass everywhere who want to remain leaders of their pack. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Lots of useful ideas for any work setting
Recently, I read HOW TO BECOME A RAINMAKER: THE RULES
FOR GETTING AND KEEPING CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS by
Jeffrey J. Fox . . . it was one of the best business books that I have come across in a long time.

So when I came across an earlier book by Fox--HOW TO BECOME
A GREAT BOSS: THE RULES FOR GETTING AND KEEPING THE
BEST EMPLOYEES--I just had to get hold of it . . . and I did, getting the chance to listen to the taped version . . . I'm glad I did, too; it's another winner!

Fox presents nothing brilliantly new, but he writes in a clear and readable fashion . . . in doing so, he presents lots of ideas that you can immediately apply to almost any management
situation . . . he also makes it clear that management involves
just about anything that we do, and a result, we should perhaps
think of many folks as "managers" that might not ordinarily
fit into that category (I'm thinking parents here, for example).

In particular, I liked his following "Great Boss Simple Success
Formula":
1. Only hire top-notch, excellent people.
2. Put the right people in the right job. Weed out the wrong people.
3. Tell the people what needs to be done.
4. Tell the people why it is needed.
5. Leave the job up to the people you've chosen to do it.
6. Train the people.
7. Listen to the people.
8. Remove frustration and barriers that fetter the people.
9. Inspect progress.
10. Say "Thank you" publicly and privately.

Advice with attitude
Jeff Fox writes his chapters short and sweet, just how I like them. No drawn out, boring examples, just "in your face" advice that you should know.

The draw back to this book is that it's mostly things I've read elsewhere. The advantage is that Fox says it more succinctly than others, so for the time-challenged, that is a nice perk.

If you've already read dozens of books on management, you may not need to pick this up. If you're a new boss or having trouble with employees, this is probably a worthwhile read.

Not the least bit helpful
I normally don't write reviews but I just read this book and I couldn't believe how much of a waste of money it was. Here's the book in a nutshell- Hire good employees and fire bad ones.

Simple and right on target
Simple and right on target. This book gives great tips and suggestions for improving your supervisorial skills. Written in short, thoughtful, digestable chapters, this book is a must have for anyone who supervises others and want to be better at it.

Puts things into perspective
"How to Become a Great Boss" is simple to read and allows you to formalize what you might already know. Many of the ideas/suggestions are instinctual characteristics of a good manager that Fox puts into words for all to understand.

Very straight-forward tips. When finished reading the short chapters you get the message and have an idea on how to apply in real life.

One of the best books I have read since becoming a Manager. Cuts through the BS and gives you direct advice. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Since its release in 1990, Peter M. Senge's bestsellingThe Fifth Discipline has converted readers to its innovative business principles of the "learning organization," personal mastery, and systems thinking. Published nearly a decade later, Dance of Change provides a formidable response to businesspeople wondering how to make his programs stick. He outlines potential obstacles (such as initiating transformation, personal fear and anxiety, and measuring the unmeasurable) and proposes ways to turn these obstacles into sources of improvement. Senge--with considerable help from the team who worked on the follow-up development manual,The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook--presents an insider's account of long-term maintenance efforts at General Electric, Harley-Davidson, the U.S. Army, and others who are learning organization, along with experience-based suggestions and exercises for individuals and teams. "We are seeking to understand how people nurture the reinforcing growth processes that naturally enable an organization to evolve and change," Senge explains, "and how they tend to the limiting processes that can impede or stop that growth." --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (15)

GETTING TO THE CORE OF CHANGE...PATTERNS OF THE HUMAN MIND.
The core premise of the book is that the key to achieving and sustaining significant change lies in changing people's basic ways of thinking. Those of us who have worked with organizations to achieve meaningful change, quickly come to realize that the central challenge is the engrained patterns of thought in the minds of people. That is the ultimate challenge that this work sets out to tackle.

The question one is left with, as with many books of this type, is not the value of the book (it is excellent), but How many leaders of change will read this volume, take its insights to heart, and ACT upon them?

The book is divided into three sections around the challenges of initiating, sustaining, and redesigning and rethinking. Within these sections are the ten key challenges to profound change. The notes from the field provide a record of organizational change initiatives and specific approaches taken by GE, Hewlett-Packard, British Petroleum, Ford, Dupont, and others. The book includes case histories, round-table discussions, team exercises, checklists, and solid guidance.

This work is densely packed with valuable insights, guidance, and developmental techniques. It offers enormous potential to receptive and motivated readers who are able to move from thought to action. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

Great book to look at change from different lenses
This book is touted as a "resource" to the Fifth Discipline, but my view is that it could itself stand on its own steam as a handbook for change management. With articles contributed by a variety of authors, the book looks at the challenges of triggering, initiating, aligning and sustaining change and the various diverse ways to confront and solve those challenges.
The challenges that the book identifies are the challenges of:

Orientation, Generating Profound Change, Not Enough Time, No Help, Not Relevant, Walking the Talk, Fear & Anxiety, Assessment & Measurement, True Believers and Non-believers, Governance, Diffusion, Strategy & Purpose.

The book is choc-a-block with tools, explanation of jargon and
references to other resources. An orientation to Systems Thinking and looking at organizations as complex systems would help in clarifying the book more. Hence it is desirable to read "the fifth discipline" before you read it.
However, the delightful nature of this book ensures that you can flip open any page, read a little bit and keep it back, and feel refreshed and not thirst for more.
For people who look at organizations as communities, as networks and as human systems in addition to just being an economic entity this book will delight and scare.
For others, this book will act as a provoking way to look at change and organizations in search of equilibrium.

Ponderous
While I enjoyed this work and read it from cover to cover, it did begin to seem like too much of good thing. Some of the organization information seemed dated and some of the people who are offering advice are probably no longer held with such high regard in their former organizations. In any case, I would recommed it to anyone who is doing graduate or post-graduate work in organization and management or just wants some insight into how organizations really work.

Retread
Senge et al have done some wonderful work through time. But like many guru's they begin to sing the chorus of the song again and again with each new title. There are useful things to be found here but if you are looking to stretch your thinking beyond his early works you need to look elsewhere. However, if you are building a library of sound work in the area of change, organizational development and other assorted things then this will prove to be a useful resource. I discounted it simply because I was hoping to find a fresh breeze within.

Profound!!!!
This is the best piece of work of seen in years. It is visionary and prescritive. A must read for anyone interested in getting on the innovation highway. ... Read more

Book Description

A user-friendly guide to the basics of Six Sigma

From noted Six Sigma consultant and author George Eckes comes Six Sigma for Everyone, a practical guide that explains the underpinnings of the revolutionary quality assurance methodology. Appropriate for employees and top management alike, this book is the only one you need if your company is currently implementing or contemplating Six Sigma. It tells you what Six Sigma is and is not, what it does and how it does it, and what your role likely will be in the implementation process. Eckes uses straightforward definitions and in-depth examples to outline the processes, impact, and desired end result of implementation–eliminating the confusion and fear many feel when first introduced to Six Sigma. If you need to understand the basics, then this is the book for you. Topics include:

• The origins and history of Six Sigma
• Business Process Management: Six Sigma as management philosophy
• Individual and team tactics
• The ten basic tools each team member needs to succeed
• How you and your organization must change to make Six Sigma work

Reviews (4)

Highly Recommended!
George Eckes has written a concise, thorough introduction to the theory and practice of Six Sigma, the management philosophy that Jack Welch called the most important initiative of his entire career at General Electric. The book provides a look at every aspect of Six Sigma. In some places, it seems a bit too detailed for so short a book - particularly when the author introduces the variety of statistical charts, graphs and tables used in the analysis phase of Six Sigma. But that is a quibble. Eckes also gets a bit self-serving when, in the question and answer chapter, he takes a swipe at consultants who agree to work on a contingency basis, for a percentage of the savings a client achieves, instead of for a fee. In fact, we, where we are always glad to avoid a squabble, note that managers who use this book may achieve some level of business improvement without hiring any consultants at all.

Good intro readings on Six Sigma
Just finish reading this book. Good introduction-level material on the Six Sigma topic. This is not to say that the book is superficial or obvious. The book takes a logical cook-book approach to explane Six Sigma and how to implement a Six Sigma effort. If you are a manager that wants to understand Six Sigma and the esstntial elements of a Six Sigma program, this book is a good start. I really liked the section on the 10 Common questions about Six Sigma. However, if you want examples of detailed statistical models and metrics, then look elsewhere.

Good book for Six Sigma implemention at all level
This book provides a simple description on Six Sigma concept and how to use in practice. It will be more useful to Six Sigma experienced person.

Highly Recommended!
George Eckes has written a concise, thorough introduction to the theory and practice of Six Sigma, the management philosophy that Jack Welch called the most important initiative of his entire career at General Electric. The book provides a look at every aspect of Six Sigma. In some places, it seems a bit too detailed for so short a book - particularly when the author introduces the variety of statistical charts, graphs and tables used in the analysis phase of Six Sigma. But that is a quibble. Eckes also gets a bit self-serving when, in the question and answer chapter, he takes a swipe at consultants who agree to work on a contingency basis, for a percentage of the savings a client achieves, instead of for a fee. In fact, where we are always glad to avoid a squabble, notes that managers who use this book may achieve some level of business improvement without hiring any consultants at all. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in a completely revamped second edition, the authors of Customer Behavior have adapted the content, length, and end-of-chapter materials in the text, producing a new text that is tailored specifically to upper level 4-year programs, or to graduate level programs.Its managerial approach focuses not only on the household consumer but also on the business customer market.This text goes beyond the conventional subject matter of consumer behavior textbooks, focusing not only on the role of customers as buyers, but also on their roles as users and payers. ... Read more

Book Description

Leaders face numerous critical crossroads in their careers, moments that can provide extraordinary learning and growth opportunities or ensnare them and prevent further development. The good thing about these passages is that they’re predictable, and with proper preparation, leaders not only can survive them to become stronger but can use these experiences to enhance their leadership, compassion, and effectiveness. This book lays out thirteen specific “leadership passages” based on research, interviews, and coaching of senior executives in such well-known companies as Johnson & Johnson, Novarits, Intel, GE, and Bank of America. For each passage, the authors describe what to expect, how the passage constitutes a choice point, and what effective leaders do to navigate and grow from the challenge. Some of the passages include: moving into a leadership role for the first time, dealing with significant failure for which you are responsible, derailing/losing your job, being acquired/merging, losing faith in the system, understanding the importance of children, family and friends, and personal upheavals such as divorce, illness, and death. The authors provide a wealth of practical tools and techniques to improve your leadership, along with real-life examples from recognizable leaders and breakthrough ways in which companies can use the concept of leadership passages to grow talent. ... Read more

Book Description

Open Space Technology: A User's Guide is just what the nameimplies: a hands-on, detailed description of facilitating Open SpaceTechnology (OST). Written by the originator of the method-an effective,economical, fast, and easily-repeatable strategy for organizingmeetings of between 5 and 1,000 participants-this is the first book todocument the rationale, procedures, and requirements of OST.OSTenables self-organizing groups of all sizes to deal with hugely complexissues in a very short period of time. This practical, step-by-stepuser's guide details what needs to be done before, during, and after anOpen Space event. 1

Owen begins by detailing all the practicalconsiderations necessary to create Open Space. He begins with the mostimportant question-should you do Open Space at all-and examines whattypes of situations are appropriate for Open Space Technology and whattypes are not. He goes on to look at nuts-and-bolts issues such assupplies, logistics, and who should come and how you should go aboutgetting them there. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of the most valuable books in the world
As Brookings revealed in 2000, most of the world's 10000 biggest organisations don't yet have the measures to govern the vast majority of value now produced in services and knowledge businesses because as our networking age blossoms value dynamics are mainly intangible, deeply woven into the human relationships we self-organise, not for precise planning and overpowering command and control from the top. Value multiplication is a core gravity which should be embedded in everyone's right to work, learn , behave openly.

Whilst some of those of the transparency communities interlinking at http://www.valuetrue.com open source the simplest maths of intangible systems, others have much more fun voting on what are the safest methods to protect your system from doing an Andersen or a NASA self-destruction of its greatest purpose. Open Space is voted as the number 1 method uniting transparency communities, and because of its simplicity I predict it will always be the gateway to anyone who prizes self-organising, a term which actually means making the most of everyone's time, learning and passions to make a diffeernce to our overall purpose. A very valuable book, which in my dreams would start any MBA course or any professional's training.

Open Space is now 21 years young and over 100000 experiences mature and networked by people who are both most open with their knowlhow and conscious that you learn something subly more about human relationship trust from every Open Space you particpate in. It is as near as organisations (seen as human relationship infrastructures) can get to a modern day miracle, and long may Harrison light up the open world. See his latest deep concerns with conflict resolution applications at http://www.practiceofpeace.com

a "How to" book
I recommend using open space tehcnology and/or other large scale intervention techniques to mine the collective emotional intelligence of a group of people (this may be your company, or people from an acadamic field you belong to).

This book gives you the details on HOW to organize and facilitate an open space meeting - (what kind of location you need, how to organize the room, how to use break up rooms, how to facilitate, ...). You'll also get imporatnt rules and lessons for making this technology work. In short, it's pretty good at doing this "HOW TO" part.

WARNING: If you want to know WHY it works and if you want some examples, there are 2 other books to take a look at:

- tales from Open space (Harrison Owen, Editor, 1995)

- Expanding our now (Harrison Owen, 1997)

Good luck!

Patrick E.C. Merlevede, MSc -- author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

A Good Read!
Harrison Owen presents a hands-on, step-by-step manual for putting on an open space technology workshop. In OST workshops, participants basically set and facilitate the agenda with some guidance from a facilitator. Here, the book's examples are particularly handy. Owen suggests conference duration, agenda and techniques including how to set up a meeting, invite participants, prepare the logistics and meeting site, facilitate activities and more. While these workshops generally involve hundreds of people, you can also put on an OST event with as few as five. If you want to read gripping business philosophy, look elsewhere - this is a practical how-to manual, a task it accomplishes quite well. We [...] recommend this informative guided tour of the OST process to those who want to know how, because they already know why

A Journey *Not* for the Faint of Heart
When I particpated in my first Open Space, a friend told me to trust the process. At first glance, Open Space seems not to make a lick of sense or too "airy fairy" to work. Its a powerful process I've used this book as a guide to help me facilitate many Open Space sessions.

I highly recommend this book if you want to facilite Open Space---it provides many good ideas for before, during and after the session, covers when and when not to use Open Space, and gives the would-be facilitor the mind- and heart-set to facilitate Open Space well. I would not recommend faciltiating Open Space without first experiencing it.

I've used Open Space with churches, as a partnership-building experience, in organizational change, and in forming national government programs---in the right hands and at the right time, Open Space is a powerful process---this book gives you tools to facilitate it. Use it wisely and well!

A must have for facilitators
Harrison Owen, the creator of the facilitation concept of "open space", has written a fabulous user guide for anyone wishing to attempt this process. Not only does he outline in detail the nitty-gritty of effectively running a one to three day conference using this technique, but he also describes his own experience utilizing "open space". His stories are truly inspiring and do an excellent job of demonstrating the power of this method. I was especially impressed by the way he drew on several native american and west african philosophies to shape aspects of the facilitation.

Having participated in open space workshops, I had a good grasp of the idea and could easily picture what he described. For others who have not yet had that experience, reading another of his books, Tales from Open Space, might also be useful as it goes into more historical detail of the evolution of Owen's work and gives additional anecdotes. ... Read more

Book Description

How businesses can thrive by learning which customers are creating the most profit-and which are losing them money.

One of the oldest myths in business is that every customer is a valuable customer. Even in the age of high-tech data collection, many businesses don't realize that some of their customers are deeply unprofitable, and that simply doing business with them is costing them money. In many places, it's typical that the top 20 percent of customers are generating almost all the profit while the bottom 20 percent are actually destroying value. Managers are missing tremendous opportunities if they are not aware which of their customers are truly profitable and which are not.

According to Larry Selden and Geoff Colvin, there is a way to fix this problem: manage your business not as a collection of products and services but as a customer portfolio. Selden and Colvin show readers how to analyze customer data to understand how you can get the most out of your most critical customer segments. The authors reveal how some companies (such as Best Buy and Fidelity Investments) have already moved in this direction, and what customer-centric strategies are likely to become widespread in the coming years.

For corporate leaders, middle managers, or small business owners, this book offers a breakthrough plan to delight their best customers and drive shareowner value. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Make your Angel Customers Happy
We should all be aware of unprofitable Customers. Anyone in business should be already aware of the 80/20 rule - that 80% of your profits come from 20% of your customers.

This book goes that one step further - by some excellent case studies it shows how 150% of your profits come from 20% of your customers - they are the Angels. The Demons are those 20% of your customers who actually lose you money equal to 150% of your profit.

Its not another book about CRM (Customer Relationship Management), but it is about being Customer-focussed rather than Product-focussed.

I have multiple relationships with Companies who could do with reading this book - including my own employer, with whom I have around 20 Contracts, and yet any one Business Unit only seems to know about 1 or 2 others at best. All those lost selling opportunities - for example they know the ages of my kids from my Travel Insurance Policies, but have never tried to sell me any College Savings Plans!

Read the book and make your Angels happier - and get rid of the Demon ones!

This is a great strategy book
This is a skillfully written, subtile and insightfull book.

I believe that the reviewer who said that "this book stated the obvious and that outside of a novice business student, anyone who finds this book interesting or useful may want to consider another profession than business" has missed the point of this book...completely.

The importance of this book is NOT in stating that "the customer is important .. some more than others". This we all know.

The importance of this book is in outlining a practical methods for ascerting which customers are money making one and which are not money making one **by going at the junction of customer marketing and customer finance**. It is by offering a practical way to relate the two perspectives (the qualitative and the quantitative one) that this book was useful to me.

The key thing I learned from this book is the introduction of detailed customer-finance reasonings to evaluate clients.

I also was greatly inspired by their concept of CUSTOMER DEAVERAGING. I too often see company that thinks in terms of their "average customers" and thereby miss any valuable & actionable insight on how to relate to their customers in a way which is both more profitable and more meaningfull (from both the customers and the client perspective).

Well for company who are like that, I think this is a GREAT book that uncovers what needs to be done in both a practical and theorically sound way.

I can testify that having applied a big part of the framework of this book to solve one strategy problem of one of my european client, we did uncover some really devishly customers (50% of their client acquisition was focusing on customers from which their will be never enough money generated to cover the initial customer acquisition expense) and some really angel ones (25% of their customer acqusition was focused on clients that represents overall 65% of their actual profit). We were also able to do some detailed financial modelling to discover that, in their specific case, they should refocus their attention on the angel customers and probably completely change their business model and value proposition for dealing with their demon ones.

If I had one critic it would be that the part relating customer oriented strategy and the stock valuation is treated without enough precision.

Having said that, I can also state the customer business I was speaking about is a recurrent one and that as a result the benefit of acquiring an angel customer goes well beyond the financial revenue derived from them in the first year. So, beyond the immediate profit improvement that are likely to results from their refocusing on the right customers this year, I anticipate this company to achieve a surge of their financial results in the following years (This hopefully will ultimately also find a reflection in their stock price...)

Behold customer centricity
We have all been frustrated in our interactions with companies that are unable to fulfill our needs. Selden's book paints in broad strokes the steps companies can take to transform themselves into truly customer centered organizations. I have found that while many companies claim to be "customer centric," it is actually impossible for them to be so because, as Seldon insightfully explains, they are not organized around customer segments, are unaware of the varying profitability of these segments, and treat customers equally.

This book should serve as a wake up call to senior executives who desire to take their companies to the next level of success. I found it compelling that the companies cited in the book that have undertaken this transformation have been greatly rewarded through increased profitability and above average stock movement.

After reading this book, I believe that executives may perceive such a reorganization to be daunting and require the use of outside consultants. However, Seldon poignantly points out that the immediacy of favorable results on a small scale will make company wide transformation quickly achievable, and produce substantially improved financial returns.

"Elementary Dr. Watson, elementary"...Garbage
What garbage! I guess if you like PLATITUDES like "mom & apple pie" you'll like this book, or if you're into the OBVIOUS that "customers are important.....some more than others" this book will be a revelation, or if you've never taken a "101 Marketing" course in college or highschool, you'll find the bromidic counsel within this simplistic book (reward good customer & turn bad customers into good customer) new or useful. However, I agree with the book reviewer above: finding practical application to such broad generalities is difficult, if not laughable.

Anyone, outside of a novice business student, that finds this book interesting or useful may want to consider another profession than business! Look for a used copy of this book on Amazon......I'm selling it cheap. How does garbage like this get published? ... Read more

Book Description

Value-Based Fees shows consultants how to easily and adroitly educate clients about value determining worth and consequent investment. Unlike the contingency fees of attorneys, Weiss explains, his technique is about establishing a win-win dynamic with clients, while accommodating buyers' egos that "you get what you pay for."

Filled with stories of successful consultants, sample proposals, letters of agreement, and other practical tools, Value-Based Fees' pragmatic advice includes:

• Step-by-step guidance on how to establish value-based fees
• How to create the "good deal" dynamic in client relationships
• Sixty ways to raise fees and increase profits immediately
• How to prevent and rebut fee objections
• How to use retainers wisely
• How to develop fee progression strategies
• How to make money while you sleep, eat, and play!

Value-Based Fees clearly explains how to charge for your value--and get--what you're worth, providing the kind of nontheoretical, pragmatic advice that will help to improve any consultant's practice immediately. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Pricing Paradigm Buster
Alan Weiss has done it again. So many consultants are charging hourly rates for their services that they never benefit from the value they create for their clients. Alan's book describes numerous ways for consultants to change their fee structures and earn higher fees based on value-added work instead of hourly (clerical-type, my term) work. Plus, the book shares several different ways to develop multiple streams of income from consulting and related activities. I recommend this book to everyone. Even as an experienced consultant, I learned some things that will benefit my practice from Alan's book.

The Holy Grail of Consulting
I enjoy Mr. Weiss' books and presentations, which I find engaging and entertaining. With this book he has given me reasons to confirm my belief that charging a client based on my time and materials used in a project is a problem for both myself AND my client. First I am not true to the client when I bill time just for showing up but not providing any value. Then, how do you compare the value of one who charges $150 for one hour versus the consultant who charges $150 for 2 hours (at $75/hour)? Is one better than the other? Why put the client in a position to make that decision. Basing charges on value (either real or perceived) to the client removes hourly rates from the equation.

Yes, all this is based on having true relationships with your clients and Mr. Weiss goes through many different iterations of working with your clients on finding value, education them on value and providing value. There are lots of quick stories and references to his own consulting engagements, many of which are the same ones used as examples in many of his other books, which he not so subtley sells in this one. But then again it is one of the "Ultimate Consultant" series of books he has recently published.

Enjoyable and educational reading which has brought about many heated conversations with my peer group about rates and charging clients. It should provoke you also.

Far Beyond Million Dollar Consulting
While Alan Weiss's eternal best-seller "Million Dollar Consulting" remains the most valuable book overviewing consulting practices, this book takes the reader into the actual mechanics and philosophy of value based fees. The transition will be worth six figures annually, because it's been worth it to me. The single negative review claiming this book repeats "Million Dollar" is far off base as far as I'm concerned (or the reviewer didn't read this book). For example, Value Based Fees deals with converting hourly clients, setting up retainers, combatting the competition's lower fees and a wealth of detail that the more primary book doesn't touch. Get this book today, because you're leaving money on the table every day it's unread.

If you only read one book......
This book is a MUST read not only for those consultants who have to submit proposals but should be required reading for all professions who charge by the hour - YES doctors, opticians, dentists, accountants and lawyers as well!!

This book gives a sound theoretical basis for charging value based fees instead of hourly fees (everyone in the world ONLY has 24 hours in a day so this approach makes absolute sense).

BUT the Coup de Grace is the fourth chapter "If you only read one chapter....." which sets out exactly how to structure value based fee proposals and gives a live example.

I have long been charging value based rather than time based fees but this chapter raised my fees to a new level.

A Better Model
Not only does every consultant and hourly contractor need to read this book--but, so does every business executive and purchaser of consulting services. Alan Weiss presents a clear business case for the evolution of compensation in the consulting industry. He walks the reader through an elegant model and gives the logic and the examples to support what is a radical divergence from the "hourly or daily fee" mentality that pervades the market. This is a must read for any consultant who wants to be paid what they are worth and for any company that wants to get what they pay for when using consulting services! ... Read more

Book Description

You’re not alone if the thought of running your own business has crossed your mind. Even if your vision of a small business differs from your neighbor’s, you probably dream of being your own boss and of providing a needed service or creating a cool new product.

But your very first small-business decision may be to admit that you’re not ready for this career – at least not yet. If you’re straddling the fence, Small Business For Dummies will uncover whether this career works for you. You’ll also gain insight into getting your personal finances in order before exposing yourself to the risk of a new business, and discover how to draw a roadmap to reach your career destination. This easy-to-understand guide is also for those who want to

• Write a gang-buster business plan
• Create the right legal framework for your business
• Locate financing that suits your needs
• Develop and market your product
• Hire the right employees for the right jobs
• Build your business

You’ll also gain understanding of the tactical side of running a small business, from pricing, budgeting, business expansion, and complying with government regulations to operational issues including:

• Managing your time
• Collecting accounts receivable
• Understanding your financial statements
• Taking good care of your customers
• Locating new financing or revising existing financing

You don’t need to be a genius to run a successful small business, but you do need some help. And that’s exactly what this book is, a guide into the stimulating world of small business ownership and management. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Big Fan of the Series, but This Book Lacks Meat.
First of all, Eric Tyson writes some other great books under the Dummies series, such as "Home Buying for Dummies". This book, on the other hand, is good as a primer. There are a lot of chapters that aren't critical to starting a business. Then the chapters that finally do touch at the core of starting a business, only cover the subject with a light, superficial touch. The best part about this book is that they refer you to read other books related to the subject, such as Nolo Press' "The Small Business Start-up Kit." If you can borrow "Small Business for Dummies" from a local library or friend, I recommend doing so. You can then save your money on other books that cover the various business start-up subjects in more depth. For example, there are a whole series of Nolo Press books about forming a LLC, corporation or limited partnership. They also have books dedicated to trademark registration, writing business plans, buying commercial insurance, negotiating contracts, financial management, hiring more staff, etc. And by the way, I don't have anything to do with either company. Just a guy trying to get a head in business.

Excellent book for wannabe and current small business owners
After I finished Tyson's excellent Investing for Dummies, I picked up Small Business for Dummies which Tyson, an entrepreneur, personal finance writer and counselor co-wrote with entrepreneur Jim Schell. This book too was outstanding. It's practical, well-written and organized and comprehensive. Filled with anecdotes as well as concrete advice.

Good book for aspiring business people
If you aspire to start your own business or are already in one, you will find a wealth of information in this excellent book by Tyson.

Even experienced business people will find an idea or two.

Excellent Book
Great book for a novice like me in conducting real world business. It starts for the basics which I needed. Worth more than the money spent.

Good Book For People New To Business
"Small Business For Dummies" is a good book to introduce people to the world of small business. The book is filled with solid business advice and information which runs the gamut from managing employees to controlling inventory to building customer relationships.

The book starts with a short chapter asking, "Is Small Business For You?" The authors discuss reasons to start a small business and reasons to remain an employee working for someone else. There is a short aptitude test to see if you have the characteristics to be successful as an entrepreneur.

Tyson and Schell define a small-business owner as a person who owns a business with 100 or fewer employees. To reduce the risk of starting a business, the authors suggest you consider starting a part-time business.

I especially like how "Small Business For Dummies" addresses the issue of risk in starting a small business. When an entrepreneur starts a larger company, the founder might collect $150,000 a year in salary, have a great severance package, and even if the company fails, there probably won't be any personal stigma for the founder. On the other hand, small business failure is much more painful, carrying not only the stigma of personal failure, but also dire personal financial consequences.

The second Chapter, "Laying Your Personal Financial Foundation," gives new entrepreneurs a quick course in personal finance, Tyson's specialty. Some entrepreneurs fail to get their personal finances into shape before launching their business.

Tyson and Schell point out, the more financially sound you are, and the more fully aware you are of your spending and financial needs, the more likely you are to succeed in business. A common cause of business failure is running out of money while trying to establish your new company.

Tyson and Schell suggest building up your cash reserves (or a "war chest") of about three to six months of living expenses before starting your company. The authors also discuss the importance of disability, health, and term life insurance in protecting yourself and your family.

Chapter 3, "Finding Your Niche," dispels the common myth that your "niche" is the key to success. Tyson and Schell write: "[T]he niche or idea won't ultimately make or break your business; the day-to-day running of the business itself is what ultimately determines success- or failure. Stated another way, you show us a crackerjack business person, and we'll show you someone who can get rich in the cookie business whether or not he or she has the foggiest idea how to bake the darn things."

"Small Business For Dummies" gives us the valuable tip that trying to be a low-cost player is likely to lead to failure. Small businesses can't compete on price. They must compete on quality and service.

Tyson and Schell also unveil your most valuable business asset- you. After telling us a short story about Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart) borrowing $1,800 to buy an ice cream machine, Tyson and Schell write: "And so it will be with the rest of us who follow in Sam Walton's footsteps- we alone will either make our company, or we will break it. Sure, the niche will be important but we will select it. And certainly our employees will be important, but we will choose the people we hire (and the people we fire). And, of course, our products (or services) will be important, but we will have the final word in defining them. Everything that happens within our business will have our own personal stamp on it. Nothing will be outside of our grasp."

One option to creating a company from scratch is buying an existing small business. Small Business For Dummies devotes two excellent chapters to buying a business.

The book has an excellent discussion of due diligence and evaluating a business to buy. Some of the suggestions include:

~ Examine the business's tax returns. While many small business owners trying to sell a business will try to overstate earnings and the potential of the business to a potential buyer, the owner will likely try to minimize the profits reported to the IRS to save money in income taxes.

~ Talk to key customers, employees, and other companies in the industry. Try to get a feel for the level of ethics and reputation of the company you consider buying. People of low ethics are more likely to try to sell you a bad business for an inflated price and not care about your future success or happiness with the business.

~ Consider hiring a business appraiser, so that you have information about the prices for which comparable businesses are selling.

~ Get proof showing that all business taxes are fully paid to date. And, make sure that the seller is liable for any existing, undisclosed liabilities.

Many people can't afford to purchase an existing business. How do the cash starved build a company? Bootstrap. The Book points out that one Inc. Magazine survey showed that about 79% of the fast-growing Inc. 500 companies relied upon the founder's personal savings and 16% relied upon financing from family members for funding. In contrast, only 7% received bank loans, 5% received angel investments, and 3% received venture capital.

Tyson and Schell write: "The fact that bootstrapping is so pervasive and works so well makes sense if you think about it. First, what better way to instill discipline and to make things work efficiently that to have a limited supply of funds? Second, because you care deeply about risking your own money or that of family or friends, you have a powerful incentive to work hard and smart at making your business succeed. ... Bootstrapping is the unchallenged king of start-up financing."

Small Business For Dummies is worth reading. It is also available at many public libraries.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur" ... Read more

Book Description

Invaluable." --SUCCESS. "In simple, straightforward language, Fournies offers practical solutions to the problems of employee performance ... [This book] should be on the desk of anyone who manages others."--ENTREPENEUR. THE TOP 10 REASONS EMPLOYEES DON'T DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO:
10.They don't know why they should do it;
9. They don't know how to do it
8. They don't know what they are supposed to do
7. They think your way will not work
6. They think their way is better
5. They think something else is more important
5. They think they are doing it
4. They are punished for doing it
3. They are rewarded for not doing it
2. It's beyond their personal limits
1. No one could do it
This book tells you how to avoid or handle each situationÑand the 6 other reasons that comprise the total list of reasons employees don't do their jobs. Universally praised and a perennial best seller, this book made The New York Times business bestseller list in early 1998--10 years after it came out! Why? Competition to attract and keep good employees is fiercer than ever. Today's employers need the no-nonsense people-management skills this book teaches. Based on real experiences of 25,000 managers surveyed by a Columbia Graduate School of Business professor, this results-oriented guide--newly updated for todayÕs changing workplace--provides proven, straightforward methods that work on real jobs, in real businesses, in the real world.This updated edition also gives you new input from 5000 additional managers, plus more help with temp workers, service industries, flex time, computers, telecommuting, stress, and safety! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Kinda weak
There's probably some stuff in here that would be useful for a manager who is completely clueless, but I didn't find much that would be useful insight for someone further along than that. I gave it a few chapters, because a friend I respect recommended it, but then gave up. I guess the book is okay for what it is, but it isn't likely to make any lasting improvement in your relationship with your employees. It generally comes from a perspective that has been somewhat popular in recent years, to the detriment of business, one that says:
- Process is more important than substance.
- Management can be detached from leadership.
- Management is more about skill than about character.

Employees follow and build loyalty to leaders who lead, not administrators who manage. When you've proved yourself as a leader, when you've proved (by consistent actions over time) to your employees that you really have their best interests at heart, and when you've shown that you'll work with those who want to improve, but will deal decisively with those who poison the work environment, then amazingly enough, employees tend to start doing what they ARE supposed to do.

I'd recommend skipping this one and picking up a copy of Leadership as a Lifestyle, by Hawkins, instead.

Somewhat simplistic, but still decent.
I work as a Customer Care supervisor at a Call Center. I purchased this book, along with quite a few other management books, in an effort to immediately and consistently improve my management and leadership skills.

I didn't find this particular book to be very helpful in that endeavor. Many of the chapter subjects are common sense.

The positive side of this book, for me, is that I have worked under, and dealt with, many very poor managers with counter-productive leadership habits. During such unpleasant circumstances, I've often wondered if the individual in question really didn't get how their behavior and habits were adversely affecting morale and productivity.

I'm not currently in such a situation, but if I were, I'd carefully study these simple solutions to the common management problems, and try to gently make suggestions toward their implementation by the manager with whom I'm struggling.

What seems like common sense to someone actively pursuing self-improvement, might not be so common to the hopelessly mediocre manager. It might not make so much sense to them either. So use small words and explain gradually! :)

Excellent guide for new as well as seasoned supervisors.
Have used this text in five different management workshops. Sales and product support supervisors like the practical guidelines to assist them remove obstacles standing in the way of better employee performance. Sales managers especially like the concepts because the suggestions offered are very realistic and cause the managers to re-think how they communicate with, supervise and direct employees on day-to-day basis.

Good analysis of 16 reasons for unmet expectations
Really helpful book! Fournies gives 16 reasons why employees (and maybe peers or others) fail to meet expectations. The book doesn't just give a list, though. It gives succinct insight into how to tell which is the reason in a particular case. Then, once we have the cause identified, it gives good advice on how to correct the root cause. I found it very helpful in handling failed expectations of others -- sort of Sun Tsu's *The Art of War* without the executions. I recommend this book as a tool for managers at all levels to turn frustration into solutions.

A no-nonsense guide to managing humanely.
A truly great (and succinct) book that explains the *real* reasons employees don't do what they are supposed to do. Shows how managers ought to take responsibility for employee performance. Might be painful for x-managers. ... Read more

Book Description

Completely Revised and Updated

"This book on valuation represents fresh new thinking. The writing is clear and direct, combining the best academic principles with actual experience to arrive at value-increasing solutions."
–J. Fred Weston, Cordner Professor of Money and Financial Markets, Graduate School of Management, UCLA

THE #1 GUIDE TO CORPORATE VALUATION IS NOW BETTER THAN EVER!

"A ‘how-to’ guide for corporate executives who want to get at the unrealized shareholder values trapped in public companies."
–New York Times

Hailed by financial professionals, professors, and students worldwide as the single best guide of its kind, Valuation provides crucial insights into how to measure, manage, and maximize a company’s value. This long-awaited Third Edition has been comprehensively updated and expanded to reflect business conditions in today’s volatile global economy and to provide highly effective ways for managers at every level to create value for their companies.

In addition to all new case studies, Valuation now includes in-depth coverage on valuing dot.coms, cyclical companies, and companies in emerging markets, along with detailed instructions on how to drive value creation and apply real options to corporate valuation. Here is expert guidance that management and investment professionals and students alike have come to trust, including:

• Valuation’s acclaimed chapter devoted to insights into the strategic advantages of value-based management
• Strategies for multibusiness valuation, and valuation for corporate restructuring, mergers, and acquisitions
• International comparisons of the cost of capital, differences in accounting procedures, and how valuationworks in different countries
• Detailed, actual case studies showing how valuation techniques and principles are applied

This timeless, respected book on valuation allows you to face the crossroads where corporate strategy and finance meet with more confidence and winning strategies than ever before.

Please visit us at www.WileyValuation.com

WileyValuation.com is a premier Web site devoted to all things valuation. At this unique online community for financial professionals, you will enjoy the following features:

• New information on valuation topics and links to key valuation sites
• Valuation message boards and chats
• Downloadable valuation spreadsheets

... Read more

Reviews (38)

Superficial and lacking in depth
The first part of the book covers very basic material that may be found anywhere on the Internet or in a beginner's finance text book. This portion will be valuable only to introductory students of the subject.

The second two parts, which deal with actual valuation techniques, are very verbose, but lacking in organization and depth. This half assumes that you are already familiar with concepts such as WACC, Free Cash Flows, and other accounting and valuation terms. Although several valuation techniques are indeed discussed, by no means is the list comprehensive. Furthermore, no systematic approach to deriving or explaining the formulas is available, and often, terms not introduced earlier are used.

On the positive side, however, the book makes easy reading and focuses on a more practical, rather than academic or theoretical, discussion of valuation.

This book may not provide much value to a serious student of valuation. Furthermore, I do not believe it will make an ideal reference for the experienced professional either. At best, it will make a good second reference for a graduate level course in valuation.

Good but bad Excel support
I liked this book. In Russia it is one of the most popular books on valuatuion. But when I can get the perfect excel support for Investment Valuation by Aswath Damodaran or good web support for Valuation Methods and Shareholder Value Creation by Pablo Fernandez, I ask the authors, why don't they put supporting material in disk? I think that the price of their sowtware ($94.50) is too high compairing with the book ($56 with discount), because there is no supporting materials - only 1 spreadsheet (from my point of view does not conform to McKinsey, as the leader of consulting business). I hope, for the 4-th edition we will have a good excel support.

Adequate, but not Original
I hoped that McKinsey would have something new to say on this subject. There are two corporate finance texts and various finance books that cover the ground better or at least as well, so it is hard to see why this book was written.

In light of recent corporate shenanigans with off-balance sheet products, it is unforgiveable that this book doesn't address how lack of value can be disguised using off-balance sheet products. Total return swaps, an off-balance sheet financing tool, isn't discussed, and credit derivatives, another off-balance sheet tool aren't even discussed. For coverage of these topics and offshore vehicles, read "Credit Derivatives" by Tavakoli.

User-unfriendliness at its best
Hmm I wonder if those giving this book five stars actually work for McKinsey. As a practioner, I don't know anyone in the industry who has actually read this book. It looks impressive on the bookshelf, but the content is anything but impressive. A lot of topics are covered, but each one only superficially and the writing is extremely dry and boring. I actually found reading this volume *painful*, and I'm supposed to like this stuff since I do it for a living! My advice for any potential buyer is read a few chapters first before you shell out for it.

Logic jumps
This book is useful if you're already quite familiar with common valuation methods and can fill in the jumps & gaps. However, if any of the areas you're looking at is new to you or if you would like a more logical, well-reasoned approach or simply a discussion of all the various valuation methods in use, buy Damodaran's text instead.

This book was the prescribed & provided reference in the Corporate Finance department I worked in but most of my colleagues and I purchased our own copies of Damodaran's text "Investment Valuation, Wiley, Aswath Damodaran", which is superior in breadth as well as logical description of valuation processes. ... Read more

Book Description

This highly respected book presents strategic and managerial issues in order to emphasize that the decisions made by operations managers should be consistent with a corporate strategy shared by managers in all functional areas. It presents the operations tools and techniques for solving problems in the context of achieving a firm's overall goals and strategies, and provides a balanced treatment of manufacturing and services throughout.The book blends the latest in strategic issues with proven analytic techniques, and offers a wealth of interesting examples to engage readers and bring Operations Management to life. This sixth addition adds an increased emphasis on processes, to provide linkage between operational issues, as well as new problem-solving software and a website with innovative Internet resources. Other coverage includes operations as a competitive weapon, operations strategy, managing technology, total quality management, statistical process control, capacity, location, layout, supply-chain management, forecasting, inventory management, aggregate planning, resource planning, lean systems, and scheduling.For operations managers in a variety of fields. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

mental tools to help tame complexity
I used this book during my MBA studies. It was okay, but I found it got a little detailed and too wordy at times. A more succinct writing style may have helped. Otherwise, the coverage was top-notch, since I really liked the material. The various inventory, forecasting and queuing models were nicely presented, as was linear programming. This book makes you appreciate how complex things are in the real world. Further, it offers you some mental tools to help tame that complexity, like SPC, six-sigma indices, and decision tree analysis.

The companion disk had some very useful things on it: MS Project, a simulation program, and a process-mapping program. I did not use the author's Excel program, though, as we were forced to develop our own during the class.

6th Edition Lacking
We used this book for an MBA course and found it to have numerous errors throughout. Additionally, many of the sections are written to an audience of imbeciles, as the concepts of "repeatability" and "globalization" are explained in extreme detail. The text needs to be updated, especially the section on ERP (no longer in infancy stage). Nothing against Coach K, but the editors for this book have dropped the ball.

Superior text on Operations Management
I used this book in my MBA studies and found it to be one of the best texts in any subject. As the subtitle suggests, it covers both strategic and analytical (or tactical) aspects of ops mgmt.
The book is a well rounded presentation of of the subject using text, graphics, equations, examples, and cases.

The most striking part of the book is in Aggregate Planning. For anyone who has worked in industry, we all know about strategic plans. How often though are ot