In a tightly interdependent global economy, information is exchanged everyday between people, communication networks and computers. Sometimes the information flow is benign or favorable. However, when the flow consists of gossip, rumor, bad news or panic, there is a tendency for such information to…
Continue reading "5 Strategies for Surviving Contagion"Posts Tagged ‘Black Swan’
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Comfortable Speaking About Statistics?
Statistics have been called “an engine of knowledge” by one risk management expert. And while it’s true that some business managers don’t have a fundamental grasp of statistical concepts, we also know there is opportunity for misuse of mathematics. Is statistics the “new grammar” or are…
Continue reading "Comfortable Speaking About Statistics?"Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Of Risk Control and Thanksgiving Turkeys
To forecast the future, marketing leaders often look to the past. But the past isn’t always a very reliable gauge of future conditions. For proof, we need to look back to a day-in-the-life of a turkey, and implications of not preparing for possible “extreme” events around the corner.
First, let…
Continue reading "Of Risk Control and Thanksgiving Turkeys"Wednesday, July 15, 2009
When Strategic Planning Gets Locked in the Basement
Strategic planning helps marketers answer what to sell, who will buy it, and how to beat competitors in the marketplace. However, in today’s volatile and chaotic marketplace, some executives argue that it’s better to “fly by the seat of your pants” and skip forecasting. What happens when strategic…
Continue reading "When Strategic Planning Gets Locked in the Basement"Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Perishing for Lack of Vision
Marketing executives should have a pulse on shifting consumer preferences, macro-economic conditions and emerging competitors. However, in forecasting the financial crisis of 2008 and beyond, most marketers (and economists for that matter) failed to accurately “call” the collapse, even though signs…
Continue reading "Perishing for Lack of Vision"Monday, January 26, 2009
Is Inventory Still Evil?
“Inventory is bad, inventory is evil,” finance and operations professors intone across business schools worldwide. And every B-school graduate knows companies should balance enough inventory to meet customer needs while accommodating shifting preferences. That said, companies face a paradox;…
Continue reading "Is Inventory Still Evil?"Monday, November 24, 2008
Don’t Forget The Turkey!
Will tomorrow be like today? In planning assumptions for budgeting and forecasting, most marketers believe that events of tomorrow, next week and next year will be much like this year, or years past with just slight deviation. However a review of the global and economic landscape (in a wild 2008)…
Continue reading "Don’t Forget The Turkey!"