Book Description
Enterprise architecture defines a firm’s needs for standardized tasks, job roles, systems, infrastructure, and data in core business processes. Thus, it helps a company to articulate how it will compete in a digital economy and it guides managers’ daily decisions to realize their vision of success. This book clearly explains enterprise architecture’s vital role in enabling—or constraining—the execution of business strategy. The book provides clear frameworks, thoughtful case examples, and a proven-effective structured process for designing and implementing effective enterprise architectures.
Customer Reviews:
This book is about IT Strategy.......2007-08-31
I have read very few books which comes this close to defining IT's Strategic practice. Enterprise Architecture is the place where IT meets the needs of business. Enterprise Architecture is where operational risk is measured, future operational planning is done and the new business strategy is transformed into IT strategy. This book does a very good job of linking Enterprise Architecture with core business processes. It also explains the differences between, often confusing terms, such as -- application, data and IT systems/infrastructure architecture.
In last few years EA has become a large practice for Federal Government. It is fast becoming a need for every big company who is involved in making its IT agile, productive and innovative.
IT managers and business strategists both should read this to understand their role in crafting EA. This book is an easy read and uses very simple words, business examples and analytical frameworks. It is an unique book because most of Enterprise Architecture arena is muddled with acronyms and jargons, which makes the issue not only confusing but also very intimidating.
Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution
Best EA book over.......2007-07-23
This book is undoubtedly the best EA book I have ever read. It gives an overview of how to form a
1) overall strategy
2) Make EA a habit in the corporate
3) How to implement EA etc.
Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution.......2007-05-28
An excellent book for people with vision.
Very Good High level IT landscape vision.......2007-05-07
The book provides a very interesting point of view regarding IT Departament evolution states. Some chapters, while its contents are known, also are so cristal clear that helps when painting the landscape picture. If you are interesting about IT charting, it is very useful.
In the other hand, in my opinion, the book is not very clear when explaining the "operating model" concept and, the chapters related with it (operating model) are "dry" and do not encourage you to keep on with the reading, but if you progress forward, the book gets very interesting and easy to read from this point on.
EA Strategy.......2007-04-11
For those of us who need insight on how to visualize Enterprise Architecture Strategy in a step-by-step manner, this book fits within that realm. It provides insight into the characteristics of four different operating models and provides examples of how business processes relate to these operating models. Additionally, there is knowledge to be learned on how to approach the various stages of Enterprise Architectural maturity and what are the best management practices and how to utilize them. Lastly, the leadership section is the best in the book and the principles given are truly worth the time to read and absorb.
Book Description
The essential guide for forward-thinking business leaders who see the Green Wave coming and want to profit from it
This book explores what every executive must know to manage the environmental challenges facing society and business. Based on the authors' years of experience and hundreds of interviews with corporate leaders around the world, Green to Gold shows how companies generate lasting value, cutting costs, reducing risk, increasing revenues, and creating strong brands, by building environmental thinking into their business strategies. Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston provide clear how-to advice and concrete examples from companies like BP, Toyota, IKEA, GE, and Nike that are achieving both environmental and business success. The authors show how these cutting-edge companies are establishing an “eco-advantage” in the marketplace as traditional elements of competitive differentiation fade in importance. Esty and Winston not only highlight successful strategies but also make plain what does not work by describing why environmental initiatives sometimes fail despite the best intentions.
Green to Gold is written for executives at every level and for businesses of all kinds and sizes. Esty and Winston guide leaders through a complex new world of resource shortfalls, regulatory restrictions, and growing pressure from customers and other stakeholders to strive for sustainability. With a sharp focus on execution, Esty and Winston offer a thoughtful, pragmatic, and inspiring road map that companies can use to cope with environmental pressures and responsibilities while sparking innovation that will drive long-term growth. Green to Gold is the new template for global CEOs who want to be good stewards of the Earth while simultaneously building the bottom line.
Customer Reviews:
Superior Primer for the Green Movement.......2007-09-17
This book was a primary resource for the development of my client's green program. It was focused enough to provide a thorough understanding of the hot environmental issues, without being too tree-huggerish. It highlights the responsibilities of global stewardship along with those of being financially accountable in the business arena.
Excellent Book.......2007-09-10
Green to Gold is a very thorough, well written book. Anyone involved in marketing should definitely take the time to read this book. I learned a great deal from this book it was well worth my investment of money and time.
Straightforward sustainability manual.......2007-06-15
Sesame Street's Kermit the Frog famously observed, "It's not easy being green." Whether easy or not, environmental and social pressures are pushing more and more companies to ride the "green wave" to ecological sustainability. In this beautifully organized, crisply written book, Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston, both Yale professors, describe how sustainability can create competitive advantage. They succinctly make the business case for sustainability, and then provide a playbook of green strategies and tactics. The presentation is neither too abstract nor too detailed: It's just right. Nor is their presentation one-sided: They enumerate many ways sustainable products and strategies can go wrong. While some of their suggestions may seem obvious, the authors deserve praise for collecting so many excellent tips and tricks, and for describing them in memorable (mostly) jargon-free prose. We highly recommend this smart book to any business leader who wants to move beyond rhetoric to action. While Kermit's wisdom is doubtless correct, this handbook makes being green much easier.
Green to Gold.......2007-05-14
I bought the book because of the title. I was not disappointed. The book is more focused on business prospects than on real environmental issues but it was what I was looking for.
Best Available Primer for Top Management.......2007-03-15
I have read and praised "Natural Capitalism," "Ecology of Commerce," and "Cradle to Cradle," here at Amazon, and I mention them to emphasize that this book, "Green to Gold," is the hands-down no-contest best primer for top management. The others are intellectual presentations. This is a business oriented primer with lots of facts, lists, and resources.
It is a pro-business book that focuses on opportunities. It is extremely well-organized, with three parts, twelve chapters, and three appendices including a superb list of active web sites relevant to doing well by doing good.
This book is based on hundreds of interviews over four years, and every aspect of it is professional presented, including boxes with "10 second overviews" interspersed throughout.
The authors are compellingly pointed in their discussion of how the environment, and attendant regulations and attendant risks of catastrophic costs, is no longer a fringe issue. Mistakes in cadmium content of connecting cables can cost hundreds of millions.
The authors excel at discussing the new pressures from natural limits that are now visible (changes that used to take 10,000 years now take 3--see my reviews on Ecological Economics, the Republican War on Science, the varied books on Climate Change, etc) and the fact that there is a growing range of stake-holders who are altering the balance of power.
The authors are clear in noting that environmental compliance and wisdom is neither easy nor cheap, but they are equally detailed in documenting that most investments to reduce environmental costs are recouped within 12-18 months. In one cited example, 3M saves $1 billion in the first year alone on pollution reduction, and over the course of a decade, was able to reduce its pollution by 90%.
On page 33 they list the top 10 environmental issues and I like this list very much as an expansion on "Environmental Degradation" which is the over-all threat that the High Level Threat Panel of the United Nations ranked as third out of ten, to Poverty and Infectious Disease. They are:
01 Climate Change
02 Energy
03 Water
04 Biodiversity and Land Use
05 Chemicals, Toxics, and Heavy Metals
06 Air Pollution
07 Waste Management
08 Ozone Layer Depletion
09 Oceans and Fisheries
10 Deforestation
The authors do a superb job in summarizing each of these in several pages perfectly suited to the busy manager. For those desiring more in-depth looks, see my many reviews across the board, including "Priority One," various books on energy, "WATER: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource," "Pandora's Poison," and "Blue Frontier."
The bottom line for the first part of the book: extremes can no longer be dampened down; and we now recognize the eco-system value of the wetlands that we have paid the Army Corps of Engineers to eradicate for decades.
The authors devised a schema for businesses to develop an understanding and then a strategy for reducing their environmental footprint. The authors do extremely well with their organized examination of Aspects, Upstream, Downstream, Issues, and Opportunities (AUDIO), and anyone looking at the book in a store can go directly to pages 62-63. This is an operational management handbook.
There is an excellent overview of the many new stake-holders (or significantly matured stake-holders including NGOs, religions, and local citizens. Business can no longer bribe government--government cannot "deliver" the way it used to (see my review of "Class War" for a sense of how corruption of other elites by our elites has accelerated all the ills of the world).
Regulations, according to these authors, should be seen as vital incentives and parameters for both reducing costs and gaining trust.
Forty global banks, and many insurance companies, now demand proper examination of ecological costs as a condition for funding or coverage.
The authors remind me of General Tony Zinni, whose books I have reviewed, in their emphasis on relationships developed over time. They urge a strong focus on relationships NOW, across the board, as a means of building a "trust bank" as well as a deeper understanding. Blocks that used to be labels "not our problem" or "not legally liable" are now labeled "IMPORTANT TO US."
In the middle of the book they explore the digital information advantages that can accrue to those who get out of their closed loops and increase innovation. In one instance, simply adding load to trucks reduced fuel consumption and emissions considerably.
The middle of the book contains 8 detailed "Green to Gold" plays, and I won't spoil it by listing them. A box in this section says "Truth Matters" and I applaud silently.
The authors stress that mind-set, not just a check-book, is required to get this right. Five basic rules are 1) See the forest; 2) Start at the top; 3) No is not an option; 4) Feelings are facts; and 5) Do the right thing, morality DOES pay.
Pages 168-169 are sheer brilliance, and illustrate why the value chain must be completely integrated into the environmental strategy of each element of that value chain and most especially the largest and most powerful of the elements, which must carefully consider and accept responsibility for demanding improvements by the smallest elements.
Eight lessons of partnering, 13 problems and their solutions, and a final chapter of very specific actions that managers can take, conclude the book.
My final note on this book: a pleasure to read, easy to read, so well done I got through it in half the time characteristic of denser or less well designed books. This is first rate stuff!
Book Description
The 4th Edition of Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation by Burgelman, Christensen, and Wheelwright continues its unmatched tradition of market leadership, by using a combination of text, readings, and cases to bring to life the latest business research on these critical business challenges. New co-author Clay Christensen provides his insights on innovation management and new market entries through several new cases. Approximately 40% of the cases are entirely new to this edition. Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation takes the perspective of the general manager at the product line, business unit, and corporate levels. The book not only examines each of these levels in some detail, but also addresses the interaction between the different levels of general management - for example, the fit between product strategy and business unit strategy, and the link between business and corporate level technology strategy. Each part of the book starts with an introductory chapter laying out an overall framework and offering a brief discussion of key tools and findings from existing literature. The remainder of each part offers a selected handful of seminar readings and case studies. Almost all of the cases deal with recent events and situations, including several that are concerned with the impact of the Internet. A few "classics" have been retained, however, because they capture a timeless issue or problem in such a definitive way that the historical date of their writing is irrelevant.
Customer Reviews:
Good.......2007-08-01
This is a textbook for my class. The information is chock full of case studies. The studies are written in a way that they are understandable and easy to follow, more of a story rather than a lecture. This is not a book that you read from cover to cover, but would instead refer to for a specific instance. It is dense and heavy but all told it is very acceptable as a text.
Comprehensive, but weird and boring.......2006-11-10
I bought this as a textbook for one of my classes. Overall, this is a decent book on strategic management of technology and innovation. I think some of the articles in the book are really good, but the book is very disorganized and hard to read. I would recommend it, but it seems that the editors should address major organization issues in the next addition.
very technical.......2006-02-24
The book was ok but it made for very difficult reading; it was very technical. I had to purchase it for class. Luckily I had a good professor who could break down the concepts more clearly. I would, however, suggest that Devry get an easier book to digest next time.
Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation.......2005-10-24
This book includes many good papers and many hi-tech business cases associated with technology and innovation management. Some of them are a little old but still useful to understand strategic management. If you have learned general management and marketing and want to get a view of the management of technology and innovation, this is worthwhile reading.
a useful collection of case studies and key papers.......2000-03-17
This book offers a large number of case studies from the areas of research and technology development in various industries. It covers most the important concepts of technology management such as "core competencies". It follows the traditional model employed in business schools: learning from others' experiences by means of case studies. Particularly relevant are the sections on "heavyweight teams".
Book Description
With Managing IT as a Business you'll get practical advice on how to unleash the full potential of this critical function so that companies can derive maximum benefit. It offers a proven plan for bridging the gap between CEOs and CIOs that has, until now, impeded their ability to work together in order to craft objectives, establish budget guidelines, and develop metrics for measuring IT value and success. In short, with this book as a guide, business leaders will learn how to manage IT as they would any other functional business unit.
Download Description
Typically, information technology ranks highly among most companies' top five expenditures. Yet IT continues to be one of the least understood and most poorly managed areas in business. While all executives recognize the importance of technology as a means of improving customer service and of making work more efficient, few understand how to leverage IT strategically and how to use it as a driver of business success. Managing IT as a Business provides executives with practical advice on how to unleash the full potential of this critical function so that companies can derive maximum benefit. It offers a proven plan for bridging the gap between CEOs and CIOs that has, until now, impeded their ability to work together in order to craft objectives, establish budget guidelines, and develop metrics for measuring IT value and success. In short, with this book as a guide, business leaders will learn how to manage IT as they would any other functional business unit. Through numerous case studies that outline the lessons other senior executives have learned while maximizing their IT investment.
Customer Reviews:
Must Buy if Upgrading from IT Management to CIO.......2007-08-07
Great help for someone that has just upgraded
from IT Management to a CIO role and needed to
upgrade as well his agenda. Excellent source of inspiration
and perfect guide for a profession that is still
under transformation. Definitely a must have.
The book is focused (and written by) on world class CIO positions,
but I found it equally useful for smaller scale CIOs.
It's exactly there that it lacks some information
on the organization of smaller IT groups (
<20 persons).
If you are a CIO then buy it. If you are an IT manager
you need something else.
A Must-Read for Every CIO.......2006-04-01
Excerpt from review on bsmDigest.com:
"Mark Lutchen's groundbreaking book continues to influence technology leaders with its vision for building mature IT organizations. As more CIOs and CEOs grapple with the challenge of applying effective management processes to their increasingly critical technology organizations, this engaging book offers very practical advice for doing it successfully. Drawing on his experience both as an actual CIO managing a large, global IT organizations and as a management consultant working with many large organizations, Lutchen delivers a clear, integrated vision for enlightened IT management."
Pragmatic and clear........2005-06-24
I have only one simple statement - where were you Mark when I started my IT career 17 years ago? Today I would have been a CIO! I highly recommend this book for those starting out their careers in IT as it gives a big picture look to the field. Own it and refer to the clear and relevant graphics in the book.
Insightful!.......2004-06-03
In the fall of 2003, the Harvard Business Review published an article advancing the proposition that "IT doesn't matter." The article's author suggested that because IT was now a commodity, and everyone had it, it no longer conveyed any distinctive competitive advantage and therefore, strategically, did not matter. In fact, at many companies, IT doesn't matter as much as it should - not because it is a commodity that other companies also use, but because most companies don't get every potential benefit from their IT. To advance your business agenda effectively, make IT a real part of the business. Author Mark D. Lutchen shows managers, particularly CEOs and CIOs, why IT is not fully a part of business at the moment, and what it will take to turn IT into a competitive, strategic asset. We recommend this useful, well-written, clearly organized book to anyone whose job involves decisions on IT budgets, organization, investments or strategy.
A must read for IT professionals developing a career roadmap.......2004-03-27
This is a fabulous book for experienced or aspiring IT managers whose goal is to prepare for ascension through the ranks, especially to the CIO level. In simple yet rich language, Mark presents a clear picture of the future of the IT organization and the competencies needed in the CIO and senior team heading up this professional services operation. The examples and case studies are rich with insights. In short, this book is pragmatic and weighty, yet also highly readable and I dare say outright enjoyable. I highly recommend it as a must read for anyone who wants to develop an effective IT career roadmap. Thank you Mark Lutchen.
Joe Santana,
Co-author Manage IT
Book Description
Successful project management is increasingly vital to all organizations, driven by the demands of global competition, rapid technological growth, and faster time to market (just to name a few). For those in technology fields, project management skills are fast becoming a required core competency. And those who have mastered these skills continue to be in high demand worldwide, commanding higher salaries than those around them. But how does one extend those skills or acquire them in the first place? Fundamentals of Technology Project Management is a great place to start.
Of the hundreds of project management books on the market, precious few address the unique needs of the IT project manager. Unlike most other project management books, Fundamentals of Technology Project Management tackles the specific issues that technology professionals must face, such as understanding technology resources, managing project scope and feature creep, and meeting client expectations, among many others.
Whether you're a college student, a software engineer, or an IT professional, Fundamentals of Technology Project Management will help you gain a comprehensive understanding of the project management life cycle and learn how to manage it – from first steps on through to intermediate topics (as well as some advanced ones). Author Colleen Garton explains — in easy-to-understand language— not only the what but the how of IT projects. What's more, unlike general project management books, the examples and case studies in this book are all based on technology projects, making them far more relevant to the learner.
Also included is a content-rich CD-ROM loaded with features to make the life of any IT project manager (or the IT professional with project management responsibilities) far easier. There are document templates you can use for all phases of the project — from the initial RFP to closing reports. Plus, the author steps you through meeting agendas, status reports, cost analysis, technical specifications, and more. In addition to the document templates, you're provided with PowerPoint slides that can be modified and used for reporting progress to users and management.
The continuing rise in importance of project management cannot be denied. Let this book be your guide to becoming a more effective, more efficient IT project manager.
With Fundamentals of Technology Project Management you will:
- Discover the top ten reasons projects fail
- Master the five keys to project success
- Explore the six phases of the project lifecycle, step by step
- Review the documents necessary for good project management and learn how to complete them
- Understand the warning signs of a project in trouble and learn how to get it back on track
- Learn Quality Management and Quality Assurance practices in easy-to-understand terms
- Acquire practical ways to develop effective leadership and team-building skills
Customer Reviews:
It is a very good buy!.......2007-06-27
It is a great project management book with lot of free templetes. Writers explained everything very easily. Every project manager should have a copy of this book.
Not as good as expected.......2007-05-13
The condition of the book was new when I saw it on the item list, but acctually, it was not. There are many pages in this book have been marked and noted abviously. I'm so said that the seller was cheating me.
Good book on PM in Technology.......2007-04-30
If you work on technology projects, you will pick up some good tips from this book. You will also learn a few general pronciples of project management. However, do not expect it to be compatible with the PMI Standard for project management.
Great book for Beginners.......2007-03-01
I have taken on a new task as a Program Manager so this book was excellent. It really laid out the processes and what you need to be an effective Project Manager. If you're new to technical PM, this is great. If you've got the experience, this book may not be for you. The CD that came with the book is full of great templates! The author made some very interesting points and is just a good book all around.
Fundamentals of Technology Project Management.......2007-01-04
It's a great book for a project manager. It both helpful for a beginners in the project handling and management, and for the experienced project leaders. For beginners - it is the guidelines how to organize and coordinate the project 'right the first time'. For experienced leaders it's a chance to review your organizational skills and practice and have more 'scientific' approach to projects currently running.
Book Description
Breathtaking in its simplicity and profound in its impact, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) distills the balanced scorecard process into twelve logical steps, equipping users with an implementation resource kit that includes questionnaires, worksheets, workshop outlines, and a list of over 500 performance measures. Author David Parmenter provides you with everything you need to master and implement a KPI-driven strategy.
Customer Reviews:
Prepare to be converted.......2007-08-14
This is a must for every accounts dept. It gives you a fresh and concise look at developing your accounts dept and company as a whole.
Lots of ideas to think about, easy to read and understand. Even step by step lists that you can follow.
I would recommend this book to anyone from a trainee accoutant to FCO's it throws out the old way of looking at things and brings in a new and exciting way of thinking about the bigger picture.
As accountants we are very happy to plod along with our wonderful spreadsheets, this helps you look at better ways of working.
Everything it promised to be.......2007-07-24
It promised key performance indicators and it actually provided them. Easy to read, good format.
KPI Usability Review.......2007-07-05
I found this book to be reasonably helpful. There are lists and lists of key performance indicators in the back of the book. There was one story in particular (won't give it away for all of you who want the book) that was particularly good and I have started sharing that example in my work (Six Sigma). All in all, I think I am looking for more of the "how to do it," which I found this book to be a little light on. . . . . .
A rational methodology to implement KPIs.......2007-07-03
The main purpose of this book is to be a practical methodology to implement KPIs, and it does this reasonably well.
I would say that many recommendations throughout the book will be of good use, although there are several concepts that are applicable in a cultural environment that is more common to multinational companies or very large local companies.
The best chapter of this book is the first, where David Parmenter discusses the concept of a KPI, from a practical point of view. He divides indicators in three basic types, that makes sense and help understand them :
. KRI - Key Results Indicator
. PI - Performance Indicator
. KPI - Key Performance Indicator
In this chapter, he emphasizes the fact that KPIs are just the few main indicators that management of a business must identify, so that they focus on the right things... Something to remember all the time when you are implementing BSCs, Dashboards and the like.
The proposed approach behind this methodology is a practical one. It is for those that want faster results. The final phrase of the book could be: "roll up your sleeves and put KPIs to work as fast as you can".
Great Framework for Developing and Implementing KPI's.......2007-04-10
This was a very easy concise yet comprehensive framework and structure for developing and implementing KPI's. It distinguishes true KPI's from performance indicators or results indicators which people gravitate to as they think they are KPI's. This laid out a logical framework to follow. It is an easy read and provides many checklists as well as sample KPI's.
Book Description
Why do so many world-changing insights come from people with little or no related experience? Charles Darwin was a geologist when he proposed the theory of evolution. And it was an astronomer who finally explained what happened to the dinosaurs.
Frans Johansson’s The Medici Effect shows how breakthrough ideas most often occur when we bring concepts from one field into a new, unfamiliar territory, and offers examples how we can turn the ideas we discover into path-breaking innovations.
Customer Reviews:
Better than it would appear.......2007-10-01
This book is about developing ideas. It starts out very slowly and it seems like just another rehash of the tales told a hundred times before. It goes through the normal diversity is better arguement, which is a plus and a minus (he never gives us the minus). But as the book develops he provides a family of keen insights. He reviews much of the literature in an interesting way. Even old news is presented nicely. For example, at this point most people know that brainstorming does not really get you anywhere. Indeed, individuals will come up with more ideas than a team all working together, one after the other. He goes through this and then suggests alternatives. By the time I was done with the book I was impressed and I would recommend it to others.
Nice Book.......2007-08-01
You actually feel inspired when reading it. Just get done and you'l feel real effect.
Good for getting in an innovative and integrative mindset.......2007-06-04
This book was really easy to get through and I came away thinking more about how to keep my mind open to ideas from lots of different disciplines. It provides good examples of cross-discipline collaboration and why you should care. The book provides a few little tricks to get you thinking in a different way, but I found the subject matter itself to be more inspiring than directly applicable.
Interesting, thought provoking and you really can learn "creativity" from it .......2007-03-13
Copied from pg 2, "The idea behind this book is simple: When you step into an intersection of fields, disciplines, or cultures, you can combine existing concepts into a large number of extraordinary new ideas." Somehow you may vaguely have a similar concept as the author's in mind. What he did much more than the rest is that he had studied and consolidated on it, given it a an exotic name "The Medici Effect", and furnished it with plenty of vivid, interesting and memorable examples for others, presumably less bright people like me, to read and follow. In short, quite outstanding in the sea of books on creativity and innovation. Really helpful! Highly recommended!
Ultimately society decides whether an idea is both new and valuable...It is impossible to determine if a person's products are innovative if they have never been seen, used, or evaulated. pg 15
In essence, these people (Marcus Samuelsson, Charles Darwin) succeeded at breaking down their associative barriers because they did one or more of the following things: exposed themselves to a range of cultures; learned differently; reversed their assumptions;, took on multiple perspectives. pg 45
The most successful innovators produce and realize an incredible number of ideas....Pablo Picasso produced 20,000 pieces of art; Einstein wrote more than 240 papers; Bach wrote a cantata every week; Thomas Edison filed a record 1,039 patents. This holds true today. Prince is said to have over 1,000 songs stored in his secret vault, and Richard Branson has started 250 companies. pg 91
Research has shown, in fact, that the vast majority of successful new business ventures abandoned their original business strategies when they began implementing their initial plans and learned what would and would not work in the market. The dominant difference between successful and failed ones, generally, is not their original strategy. Guessing the right strategy at the outset is not nearly as important to success as conserving enough resources (or having relationships with trusted backers or investors) so that new business initiatives get a second or third stab at getting it right. Those that run out of resources or credibility before they can iterate towards a new strategy are the ones that will fail. - Clayton Christensen pg 130
Risk homoeostatis: people will compensate for taking higher risks in one area of life by taking lower risks in another. - Gerald Wilde pg 167
The most effective way to combat fear is to acknowledge it...For starters, you have to come to terms with what is at stake and admit that you might lose it. Often this means that you must be comfortable enough to know that if everything is lost, you can still move on. pg 180
interesting book but need to be better.......2007-03-04
1. the author have something to say, and he say it in a easy way that friendly to understand. it's good. But the author seems too hush to run into the conclusion, it seems if he spend more time in detail study, this book will be much better;
2. For the same topic, I suggest "A Technique for Producing Ideas" which is short but powerful; and it from a master's hand, if you compare that book with "Medici Effect", you will find how good it is, ;-);
Book Description
One of the key determinants of success for today’s high-technology companies is product strategy—and this guide continues to be the only book on product strategy written specifically for the 21st century high-tech industry. More than 250 examples from technological leaders including IBM, Compaq, and Apple—plus a new focus on growth strategies and on Internet businesses—define how high-tech companies can use product strategy and product platform strategy for competitiveness, profitability, and growth in the Internet age.
Customer Reviews:
very good - lots of examples.......2007-01-19
the Core Strategic Vision approach for determining strategy is interesting, and is a good framework to develop a realistic vision.
The boundaries test to determine whether your vision will deliver what you expect (it forces you to expect something!) is something companies can't forget.
And the vision of a set of product's as not only one offering, but as one containing a platform and its pre-planned offerings, with pricing strategy, is essential to get profits for a long time.
It is full with examples, specially from the software arena. Recommended.
Comprehensive coverage.......2006-03-12
This book offers a study of the strategic options for high tech firms. The coverage is wide and detailed. This is a great book.
A first approach to Product Strategy.......2006-01-31
A big number of business examples, and good explanation of concepts. A deeper vision could be found in another books about this subject, so in my oppinion this book could be a good starting point, not recomended for advanced IT product managers.
targeted for core products at large companies.......2004-05-22
I love this book: the concept of a "vector" for product
development is a terrific way to think about competition.
IMHO, this book is a must-read for all product managers,
product marketers and people involved in strategic decisions,
i.e. all senior executives.
That said, speaking as a five-time startup engineer, the advice
and examples in this book seem geared towards the core product
lines in larger companies, where you can credibly talk about
"two years from now" as opposed to wondering if you'll even be
in business, which is also the problem for new product lines at
large companies. The experience for the book comes from the
PRTM consulting firm, which was made famous for their work with
parallel product development at Intel. We hired them in the
early days at Inktomi, and found mixed success with their
process because we were terrified of immediate failure, and
they wanted to talk about version 3. Obviously, there's a
successful middle ground because Inktomi was a huge success in
the short term, but ultimately lost its strategic direction.
watch out cost to implement in ur office before do it.......2003-12-05
For example, author addressed the benefits to have a product platform strategy are focusing managemnet on key decision at the right time;enabling products to be deployed rapidly and consistently; encouraging a longer-term view of product strategy; leveraging significant operational efficiencies; helping management anticipate replacing a major product platform.
However, he may forget to remind readers that these require cost before enjoying the benefits, such as you need to hire a new tier of middle management if you company is too small to afford before; to establish the new channel capabilities to justify the investment on the platform bcz to access new markets; the IT system to calculate operation efficiencies such as engineering head count, material cost, and supply chain cost is also not cheap if you only have the option to use turn-key solution.....
It may be reasonable to equip product platform strategy only when benefits are greater than costs.
Average customer rating:
- Great for the in dept look at a well run warehouse.
- This is a must....
- Great warehousing and material handling book
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Warehouse Distribution and Operations Handbook (McGraw-Hill Handbooks)
David E. Mulcahy
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0070440026 |
Book Description
The Handbook provides a step-by-step approach to reducing operating costs, enhancing inventory control, increasing profits, improving customer satisfaction, and controlling assets. In addition, the book fully examines and evaluates the array of practices, methods, equipment applications, and current technology that contribute to the effective operation of any type of warehouse--including industrial, mail order, and retail facilities. Whether remodeling an existing facility or building a new one, readers of Warehouse Distribution and Operations Handbook will explore a broad range of topics, including: logistical and strategic considerations affecting operating costs and customer service; layout and product flow options that affect productivity and handling costs; estimating costs, writing specifications, reviewing bids, and administering contracts; loss prevention, maintenance, and sanitation functions; employee standards, productivity programs, and annual expense budgets. In addition, the Handbook provides comprehensive information on carton handling. . .vertical and horizontal materials-handling systems. . .inventory control. . .site selection. . .private, public, and contract warehousing. . .receiving and shipping. . .stackables and unstackables. . .automated systems. . .and more.
Customer Reviews:
Great for the in dept look at a well run warehouse........2007-09-23
Great for the in dept look at a well run warehouse. Has all the details to help you start or clean-up an operation and help it run like a well oiled machine.
This is a must...........2006-10-30
This book is a must for ANY professional working in the finished-goods/products Fulfillment/Distribution world. If your work and responsibilities span anywhere within a FC/DC, you should pick up this book. For less than one hundred bucks, you get one of the best written, concise handbooks I have ever encountered.
It's very important to note that this is not just a dictionary-like handbook, but rather a book that is actually easily readble and enjoyable. It is not for novices, but for anyone with some level of experience, the book comes to life and will help you build depth.
I work for a major e-retailer that disbributes products to end customers. Having worked many years here and picking up most of the know-how from experience alone, I am now questioning why our learning dept doesn't have the insight to make this book a "required" manual for all when we first started. It is excellent and provides great explanations and applications .
Buy it. If I ran a DC/FC, this is a must read for all my mgrs and jr mgrs.
Great warehousing and material handling book.......2003-05-03
This is the best book I've ever found on material handling and warehouse storage. Though a little pricey, this book has content that makes it well worth the cost. Extensive detail on material handling and storage equipment. Also has separate chapters dedicated to small item warehouses, case-pick warehouses, and pallet warehouses.
Anyone designing a new warehouse or redesigning an existing one should read this book.
Book Description
Praise for IT Portfolio Management Step-by-Step
"Bryan Maizlish and Robert Handler bring their deep experience in IT 'value realization' to one of the most absent of all IT management practices—portfolio management. They capture the essence of universally proven investment practices and apply them to the most difficult of challenges—returning high strategic and dollar payoffs from an enterprise's IT department. The reader will find many new and rewarding insights to making their IT investments finally return market leading results."
—John C. Reece, Chairman and CEO, John C. Reece & Associates, LLC Former deputy commissioner for modernization and CIO of the IRS
"IT Portfolio Management describes in great detail the critical aspects, know-how, practical examples, key insights, and best practices to improve operational efficiency, corporate agility, and business competitiveness. It eloquently illustrates the methods of building and integrating a portfolio of IT investments to ensure the realization of maximum value and benefit, and to fully leverage the value of all IT assets. Whether you are getting started or building on your initial success in IT portfolio management, this book will provide you information on how to build and implement an effective IT portfolio management strategy."
—David Mitchell, President and CEO, webMethods, Inc.
"I found IT Portfolio Management very easy to read, and it highlights many of the seminal aspects and best practices from financial portfolio management. It is an important book for executive, business, and IT managers."
—Michael J. Montgomery, President, Montgomery & Co.
"IT Portfolio Management details a comprehensive framework and process showing how to align business and IT for superior value. Maizlish and Handler have the depth of experience, knowledge, and insight needed to tackle the challenges and opportunities companies face in optimizing their IT investment portfolios. This is an exceptionally important book for executive leadership and IT business managers, especially those wanting to build a process-managed enterprise."
—Peter Fingar, Executive Partner Greystone Group, coauthor of The Real-Time Enterprise and Business Process Management (BPM): The Third Wave
"A must-read for the non-IT manager who needs to understand the complexity and challenges of managing an IT portfolio. The portfolio management techniques, analysis tools, and planning can be applied to any project or function."
—Richard "Max" Maksimoski, Senior Director R&D, The Scotts Company
"This book provides an excellent framework and real-world based approach for implementing IT portfolio management. It is a must-read for every CIO staff considering how to strategically and operationally impact their company's bottom line."
—Donavan R. Hardenbrook, New Product Development Professional, Intel Corporation
Customer Reviews:
Essential for all managers.......2006-02-02
There is absolutely no doubt that all enterprises, small or large, are completely reliant technology to operate. Companies have aggressively built and deployed IT solutions. My experience has been that most executives kind of treat this as a black box. They understand that there are major benefits to deploying various IT solutions (and they are right), but they don't really understand the how and the why. This is where this book comes in. I think that it is essential reading for executives, particularly those who are not strong in IT. Executives need to really understand the hard issues related to managing their IT portfolio -- how should they manage their IT portfolios. This book provides an excellent road map. It will show you how to evaluate your IT portfolio in a concise and easy-to-read manner. I'm big into charts and checklists and this book provides them. With a bewildering array of IT options and the difficult task of sorting and prioritizing, this book will serve as an essential guide.
Required reading for IT management.......2005-09-23
Paradigm shift is an overused term, but if there is a field in need of one, it is enterprise IT management. IT Portfolio Management presents the first detailed overview of an emerging, business-focused approach for managing all things IT.
If you only buy and read one book on IT management this year, it should be this one. The introductory summation of just how bad things generally are in enterprise IT is worth the price alone.
IT portfolio management ultimately presents the challenging idea of an overall, end to end value chain of IT investments, from initial idea inception through prioritization, delivery, management, optimization, and retirement. Handler and Maizlish propose the formal management of Discovery, Project, and Asset portfolios; their discussion of the Asset portfolio is a groundbreaking examination of issues that too many IT organizations are just beginning to face up to.
This well written book has detailed case studies from Cisco, In-Q-Tel, and Excel Energy, and much specific guidance in the form of checklists, charts, tables, and more.
I recently saw a figure of $800 billion per year for the combined expenditure on IT by US corporations. Given the massive size of this capital investment, it is very surprising how few substantive books there are written on its general issues. Technical publishing usually produces detailed reference guides that are soon obsolete; this book (like the recent _IT Governance_ by Weill and Ross) is in the smaller category of works that discuss more general issues of large scale IT management, and should have staying power far beyond the latest .Net tome.
If you are in IT management or concerned with the architecture of IT enablement systems - buy it. Now!
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