Book Description

The Third Edition of FORECASTING AND TIME SERIES illustrates the importance of forecasting and the various statistical techniques that can be used to produce forecasts. Bruce L. Bowerman and Richard T. O'Connell clearly demonstrate the necessity of using forecasts to make intelligent decisions in marketing, finance, personnel management, production scheduling, process control, and strategic management. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

covers time series methods like a cookbook
I reviewed the third edition of this book for the American Statistician in 1994. The book covers most of the important topics for an applied course and has a reasonable list of references. There are many examples and homework exercises. Statistical software packages such as SAS and MINITAB are used throughout in example problems. The early chapters cover the basics of statistical inference and regression (Chapters 2-5). This material can be skipped in a first time series course if introductory statistics is a prerequisite.

The latter chapters cover time series regression, seasonal decomposition methods, exponential smoothing and Box-Jenkins methods. But this book does not include nonlinear time series models and it overlooks the recent and popular state space approach to time series modeling. Multivariate time series methods are also left out, though perhaps they are more appropriate for an advanced or second course in time series analysis.

The cookbook nature of the text can be found in the guidelines given for Box-Jenkins model identification. The statistical theory that the methods rely on is avoided. Although a number of important probability distributions are used with their relevant statistical tables, the underlying assumptions and distributional theory is completely avoided. Important concepts such as the central limit theorem and the concept of a stationary stochastic process are given only very brief treatment. Other concepts are oversimplified to avoid the need for the development of any distribution theory.

This book will serve well for a course in which the student is interested in how to implement exponential smoothing and the general class of Box-Jenkins models through the use of standard statistical packages. However if the instructor wants depth of understanding the text is not adequate. Frequecy domain methods often useful in engineering applications are not even discussed.

While the book covers forecasting applications, it does not consider applications to decomposition of variance or discriminant analysis. Time series methods are also applicable in these contexts. Abraham and Ledolter (1984) "Statistical Methods for Forecasting" cover the same topics but in much greater depth. Also Janacek and Swift (1993) "Time Series: Forecasting, Simulation, Applications" is slightly more advanced and provides broader coverage. Anyone interested in the theory can consult a number of good books including the latest edition of Brockwell and Davis "Time Series: Theory and Methods". Shumway and Stoffer (2000) "Time Series Analysis and Its Applications" is up-to-date, comprehensive and has many good engineering applications.

This book is one of the best how to books for time series
This book covers step by step methodology and theory for the basic time series concepts. It has worked out examples with even the most rudimentary calculations demonstrated for complex subjects like ARMA and Box-Cox decomposition. It is a good book for basic practitioners and those with a basic interest in time series analysis ... Read more

Amazon.com

In today's highly fluid business environment, for disparate business units to work together smoothly is increasingly becoming a critical component of long-term success. Andrew Campbell and Michael Goold understand this, and in The Collaborative Enterprise, the two examine "how synergy happens, why it doesn't happen, and what managers can do about it." Using real-world examples, they first look at the difficulties inherent in such partnerships and propose solutions from three different perspectives: the parent manager, the business-unit manager, and the researcher. "Collaborative management can be a major source of advantage," they caution in conclusion. "But, for the vast majority of companies it is not just a nice ambition, it is a competitive necessity." --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worth Mulling Over

This is not a book that calls for underlining and highlighting, but it definitely has value as a basis for reflecting on various aspects of collaboration, and the failure of collaboration, within enterprises.

The book is written strictly from the perspective of people and perceptions.It does not have a technical or a financial side and this was disappointing.It would have been more useful to have a book that fully integrated human, technical, and financial success stories and failure stories to present an integrated picture of collaborative work principles in a global economy using the Internet as the backbone for collaborative work.

The book is well-written, the figures are useful, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to sit quietly on an airplane and think about the authors' subtitle: why links between business units often fail, and how to make them work. ... Read more

Book Description

Without a disaster recovery plan, there's no second chance. This is a low-cost, turnkey tool to prepare your company for emergencies. Easy-to-follow and concise, Business Resumption Planning is the most up-to-date reference source with answers to the most frequently asked questions about data center recovery, communications recovery, general business operations recovery and more. You'll learn how to: ·Identify and document critical business processes ·Determine resource requirements and organize recovery teams ·Establish, document and test recovery policies and procedures ·Protect and recover data center, voice and data, communications equipment and business operations·Conduct a Technical Vulnerability Analysis of the physical environment ·Perform a Business Impact Analysis Included with your volume are complete forms and checklists on a CD-ROM to help organize and custom-tailor your own contingency and disaster recovery plan quickly and inexpensively without overlooking details. No one knows what the future will bring, but with Business Resumption Planning you can prepare for it. And, you'll receive an annual update-shipped on approval-to keep you advised of all the latest trends and techniques in this extremely important field. With Business Resumption Planning you can profit from the experiences of professionals like yourself and learn exactly what to do when disaster strikes. You owe it to yourself and to your company to purchase this valuable tool today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A good comprehensive approach to your Resumption Plan
This is a very comprehensive overview of the entire Business Resumtion planning process. It gives enough detail for you to get started and walk you through the entire process. It is very consistent with other research I have done on the internet in regards to Business Resumption. The book takes you through Business Operations Recovery, Data Center Recovery, and Voice and Data Communications Recovery. I have so far focused on the Business Operations Recovery, but I am sure that the other sections are just as comprehensive. Certainly the best overall resource for Business Resumption that I have found to date. This will be my "go to" manual during this entire planning process. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a new point of view on the subject of business failure prediction, through the application of multicriteria analysis methods. The aim of the book is to provide a review of the research in the area and to explore the adequacy of these methods to one of the most complex problems in the area of financial management. In addition, the book explores the applications of the methods so that it can become a very useful tool for researchers and practitioners. The analysis of the modeling and the results in these applications provides the background for further employment of the methods. ... Read more

Book Description

In recent years there has been a great deal of discussion about the social economy and the term 'The Third Way' has attained a level of household recognition, especially in America and Britain. Academics and commentators have debated the usefulness of the social economy as a restraint on capitalist excesses with some arguing that the 'third way' is but a poor substitute for a welfare state. This book provides a refreshing and accessible account of real life experience in a social economy.By focusing on new evidence, this book critically analyzes such themes as:*the range of academic and policy expectation that have emerged in recent years in the developed world*the policies of New Labour in Britain*the dynamics of social enterprises in Bristol, London. Middlesbrough and Glasgow. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Detailed planning book using a common sense approach
This is a detailed It planning book that covers all aspects of setting up and managing a technology planning process. It tells you how to avoid problems. Each step of this planning process results in usable tables that can be easily updated. The disk provides a means to do this. At the end of the planning process you have a series of interrelated and integrated tables that are ideal for getting management commitment.

Excellent approach for the person to do IT planning
This well written book gives a step by step approach for creating an IT strategic plan. It works better than the methods of the big accounting firms. How to deal with issues encountered in planning is also covered. In addition, there are literally hundreds of guidelines from the real world. This book recognizes that planning resources are part-time people and an army of full time planners. Excellent approach for firms and agencies of all sizes.

Excellent step by step planning book for IT
This book is very well organized. It begins with the need for a planning process and proceeds to go through steps in developing the IT plan and implementing the planning process. It covers how to develop department IT plans. Hundreds of guidelines are given as well along with experience. ... Read more

Book Description

The approach of this book is step-by-step, from the initial understanding of the business through measurement after implementation of process change.The focus is on major, discrete change and improvement in groups of projects.Information technology is a major theme.Not only do you need a strategic systems plan for the enterprise and key departments, but a strategic plan is also an integral part of designing and implementing improved processes.Measurement is also a theme throughout the book.

With the material in this book, you will be better equipped to do the following: Understand the business and select the most appropriate processes for improvement; assess technology and develop a strategic systems plan for the enterprise and for key departments; create new business processes that work; define a project plan and team that can implement process improvement; market the new process to management and employees; develop an implementation strategy and plan; implement the new processes and measure the results; and, identify and solve problems and issues that arise during the entire project. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A short sighted, oversimplified book
The method suggested is practical but its failure to address the fundamental questions of "What is the Solution for?, and Why does it exist (what is its purpose?)" and a few others besides will result in managers making short sighted, short term changes that are likely to cause significant, unforseen systemic problems with time.

Someone buy the author a System Dynamics textbook. In my view its failure to take the complex and inter-connected nature of reality into account and obsession with oversimplified comparison tables/matrices dooms the book to starting the fire at home.

Comprehensive and easy to use, not text-bookish at all.
I used this book for a university management subject (my own idea, there was no set text) and it was great. It's simple to follow and easy to read, and very practical. It helped me understand what Process Improvement is when I had no prior knowledge. It's even just interesting to read cover to cover, it reads so well. I would give it 5 stars, but I haven't actually used it in real life yet!

Will jumpstart your project and save significant time
This is the second book I have read by Team Lientz and Rea. It provides a clear roadmap to implementing process improvement, and does so with structure and a rich set of tools on the accompanying CD ROM.

Book: This is a step-by-step guide for process improvement projects. With the exception of the last two chapters (managing the project and examples) the material is sequential and needs to be read and used in order. I rarely read introductions, but in the case of this book I am glad I did because it sets the context and provides questions and a checklist that will prove invaluable as you go through the book.

Critical success factors are the key to process improvement initiatives and this is where the book starts. Next you are lead through the development of a project plan that establishes your direction and the time and resources that need to be devoted. This is a go/no-go hurdle to determine the cost/benefit of a process improvement initiative. You are then lead through the tasks and deliverables of business analysis and technology/process assessment to nail down the "as-is" processes. The section on determining the new process, and the follow-on section on implementation and measuring results are definitely based on best practices. The authors' approach is to the point and complete. I especially liked the chapters on defining and measuring success, and follow-up after implementation - both of which are too often glossed over at the end of a project. Also valuable was the chapter on measuring strategic systems, which is a mature step in a process improvement initiative that is rarely done. Overall: an exhaustively complete set of steps for implementing process improvement that is augmented by a well-written chapter on how to manage the initiative, and a collection of examples and outsourcing and downsizing considerations. This book could be the project manual for an internal process improvement initiative as well as a manual of methods and procedures for a consulting firm.

Software: The array of software tools that come with this book is simply incredible and will cut hundreds of hours off of the planning and execution of your initiative (or if you're consulting company, provide ready-made tools). There are three Microsoft Access databases: Issues, Lessons learned and planning issues. Each database has well-designed data entry screens and numerous reports. There are also 114 Excel spreadsheets that are both numbered by project step and descriptive name. The same numbering/naming scheme applies to the 21 Word documents that are checklists, templates and other artifacts that you will need in order to effectively execute a process improvement project. The authors also provide ten PowerPoint presentations for you to fill in the blanks and present to stakeholders. And, the best for last, there are six Microsoft Project plans: two that illustrate an example project used in the book, two Gantt charts, a resource pool and an outsourcing project plan. Each is not only thorough, but they all are well-formed. By that I mean they have properly developed dependencies and all of the important project views. The first thing I do when I see an MS Project plan is switch from Gantt to PERT view to see if the developed knew what he or she was doing (dependencies that make sense and logical, etc.) The authors do.

This is a complete plan and collection of tools that (1) approaches process improvement in a carefully thoughtout, effective manner, and (2) will jump start any project and save hundreds of not thousands of hours from the planning and execution process. Moreoever, you will benefit from the authors' extensive experience and will do the right things the right way of you follow their step-by-step procedures and heed their advice. Five solid stars and my highest recommendation.

Comprehensive and practical
Our company has tried reengineering and it failed. A member of my staff bought this book. The method works. We have followed the steps in the book and found them to be easy to use, can be done in parallel, and address many of the problems that we encountered when we tried reengineering. There are many useful suggestions on how to overcome problems such as resistance to change, the role of IT, how to get employees involved, how to make presentations to management, and how to organize and perform the work. It is organized for easy access. The CD-ROM was very useful and saved time since it contains files that help implement the material in the chapters. Overall, this is probably one of the best books in process improvement.

comprehensive treatment of process improvement
This book is one of the most comprehensive books on process improvement and reengineering to date. It covers standard process improvement through a step by step way, managing the implementation of process change, and systems planning. There are some good examples too. The overall approach is a logical step by step method that proceeds from analyzing your current business through evaluating the results after implementation. It is well written and easy to get through. We used an earlier edition of this book and it was very useful. This one is more so-there are more examples, guidelines, and experience. It is clear that more experience has been added to this book. When you use this book you should convert the guidelines into checklists. Overall, one of the best process improvement books. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Informative explanations of liability and computer law.
Perhaps outdated but offering ample food for thought is Sean Melvin's Y2K Business & Legal Survival Guide, which deals with handling the legal aspects of Y2K-related claims. The explanations of liability and computer law still apply.

Essential for anyone who needs to contest a ticket
Traffic Court is not about justice, it is about revenue. Books like this for the lay public are essential in protecting your rights. We listed this book on the sbrusa.com website as a recommended book for anyone who uses drivers in their business (such as vending companies). ... Read more