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 ‘forecasting’
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Recognize the Signs of Contagion
Think back to January 2008. Was your company prepared for the coming financial crisis that would happen later that year with Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers collapsing? Even better, look further back to April 2, 2007 when New Century Financial (one of the biggest body shops for sub-prime…
Continue reading "Recognize the Signs of Contagion"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"Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Why Capacity Management Matters to Marketers
In a challenging global slowdown, the world seems awash in capacity. Scans of major business publications show airlines reducing flights, companies furloughing or firing employees, and manufacturers closing plants. If you agree that it appears there is more unused capacity than demand, why should…
Continue reading "Why Capacity Management Matters to Marketers"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"Tuesday, May 19, 2009
What Marketers Can Learn from Walt Disney’s EPCOT Project
Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) was a project of grandiose scale and lofty ideal. And while Disney passed away before his project became reality, EPCOT offers marketers four key takeaways (maybe more) in how to define problems, build on success, maintain…
Continue reading "What Marketers Can Learn from Walt Disney’s EPCOT Project"Tuesday, March 10, 2009
No Magic Beans, No Magic Formulas
Blame for the global financial crisis has been cast upon government leaders, bankers, home owners, and quantitative analysts. In fact, mathematical models and formulas such as Black Scholes, Gaussian Copula, and VAR have received particular attention as culprits in this financial mess.
And whil…
Continue reading "No Magic Beans, No Magic Formulas"Monday, February 9, 2009
Predicting the Future? Anchor’s Aweigh!
Marketers of all stripes are often tasked with forecasting–sales for next quarter or year, inventory levels to meet demand, or marketing budget to meet corporate goals. However, the process of forecasting is often rife with bias, data quality issues, mathematical error, and/or poor planning…
Continue reading "Predicting the Future? Anchor’s Aweigh!"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?"
