During the past decade Japanese companies have derived many of their competitive advantages from streamlined work-flow processes. Desperate to replicate the Japanese systems, American managers have bought into countless theories advanced by management consultants which, lacking a methodology, have proved fruitless and frustrating. Now, from inside a world-renowned learning organization, comes that methodology. Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) is an improvement and problem-prevention system created and developed by George Robson to "empower" natural work teams in three General Electric businesses. Composed of a logical set of steps, at the heart of which is "Process Flow Diagramming," CPI focuses on and simplifies the critical elements of work flow processes and eliminates those parts that add no value. Not only has this methodology helped these GE businesses save in excess of $35 million during the first two years of implementation, but similar techniques are now being employed by leading-edge companies throughout the world. CPI is a transportable system that not only has profoundly changed manufacturing practices, but has been applied with equal success in all areas of a business. Robson shows how the "Iceberg Phenomenon" can identify the measurable benefits of accurately accounting for direct and indirect costs by carefully tracking expenses. Planning for the true costs of customer service, marketing concessions, and retraining can turn unplanned losses into short- and long-term returns on investments. Robson focuses on activities that are critical to quality in design and production and demonstrates how non-value-added work can be eliminated. The staggering cost of re-work, calculated in "The Rule of Tens," is reduced by catching mistakes before they escape to subsequent stages of handling. The CPI system, which has been widely praised within General Electric, will be of broad interest throughout the business and university communities.

Price: $12.49 GBP

From Enron and WorldCom to the Catholic Church and Major League Baseball, reputation crises have never been more widespread. Now Ronald J. Alsop, a veteran Wall Street Journal authority on branding and reputation management, explains the dangers -- and gives organizations the eighteen crucial laws to follow in developing and protecting their reputations. Consider this example of a simple decision made by a low-ranking employee: When rescue workers at the site of the World Trade Center disaster sought bottled water from a nearby Starbucks outlet, they complained that an employee charged them for it. In a matter of hours, the Internet had picked up the story and Starbucks' carefully cultivated worldwide reputation was quickly besmirched. This is just one instance among many of how the business world, ever more global and competitive, has become increasingly difficult to navigate. Studies have demonstrated the powerful impact of reputation on profits and stock prices, and yet less than half of all companies have a formal system for measuring reputation. Clearly, companies in every industry -- from Dow Chemical to Disney to DaimlerChrystler -- have much more to learn. It is still the rare company that realizes the full value of its reputation: how corporate reputation can enhance business in good times, become a protective halo in turbulent times, and be destroyed in an instant by people at the lowest or highest levels of the corporate ladder. Mr. Alsop provides eighteen thoroughly documented lessons based on years of experience covering every aspect of corporate reputation, with a clear distillation of the complex principles at the heart of a reputation. He explains: • How to protect your reputation when the inevitable crisis hits • How to cope with the many hazards in cyberspace • How to create a reputation for vision and industry leadership • How to establish a culture of ethical behavior • How to measure and monitor your ever-changing public image • How to make employees your reputation champions • How to decide when it's time to change your name The result is a book that is important not only for business executives, consultants, and advertising, public relations, and marketing professionals but also for anyone eager to learn more about the companies they work for, buy from, and invest in.

Price: $17.99 USD

During the past decade Japanese companies have derived many of their competitive advantages from streamlined work-flow processes. Desperate to replicate the Japanese systems, American managers have bought into countless theories advanced by management consultants which, lacking a methodology, have proved fruitless and frustrating. Now, from inside a world-renowned learning organization, comes that methodology. Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) is an improvement and problem-prevention system created and developed by George Robson to "empower" natural work teams in three General Electric businesses. Composed of a logical set of steps, at the heart of which is "Process Flow Diagramming," CPI focuses on and simplifies the critical elements of work flow processes and eliminates those parts that add no value. Not only has this methodology helped these GE businesses save in excess of $35 million during the first two years of implementation, but similar techniques are now being employed by leading-edge companies throughout the world. CPI is a transportable system that not only has profoundly changed manufacturing practices, but has been applied with equal success in all areas of a business. Robson shows how the "Iceberg Phenomenon" can identify the measurable benefits of accurately accounting for direct and indirect costs by carefully tracking expenses. Planning for the true costs of customer service, marketing concessions, and retraining can turn unplanned losses into short- and long-term returns on investments. Robson focuses on activities that are critical to quality in design and production and demonstrates how non-value-added work can be eliminated. The staggering cost of re-work, calculated in "The Rule of Tens," is reduced by catching mistakes before they escape to subsequent stages of handling. The CPI system, which has been widely praised within General Electric, will be of broad interest throughout the business and university communities.

Price: $19.99 USD

Follow a proven path to greater wealth-with the newly updated bestseller How to Buy and Sell Apartment Buildings Through his popular seminar program, Eugene Vollucci has shown thousands of experienced real estate investors and novices alike how to take advantage of one of the most rewarding investments you can find-apartment buildings. In this bestselling guide, the Volluccis' simple, step-by-step program shows you how to become a real estate millionaire just like they did. With material on new IRS rulings, tips on avoiding common pitfalls, and new advice on assuming loans with delinquent clauses, How to Buy and Sell Apartment Buildings is more comprehensive and complete than ever. This Second Edition includes all the information that you need to find great real estate deals, understand complicated leases and contracts, exploit all the tax breaks you're entitled to, protect your assets, and turn a small investment into millions! With the Volluccis' straightforward, three-step system, you'll be able to: * Gauge markets so you know when to buy or sell * Read between the lines of property set-up sheets to spot good properties * Use the latest computer software to accurately evaluate properties * Develop a marketing plan to maximize profits when selling * Take advantage of all the recent tax law changes * Put together an asset protection plan that'll make you judgment-proof How to Buy and Sell Apartment Buildings, Second Edition also shows you how to concentrate your assets for higher returns, use consultants so you aren't left on your own, set up a family living partnership to protect your assets, and much more.

Price: $34.95 USD

A Groundbreaking Pricing Model for the New Business Landscape Why would any customer choose Brand X over Brand Y, regardless of price? In a word: Value. When customers feel they are getting good value from your product or service, they are more than happy to pay more—which is good news for you and your business. Even in today’s global market—with its aggressive competitors, low-cost commodities, savvy consumers, and intangible digital offerings—you can outsell and outperform the rest using Value-Based Pricing. Done correctly, this method of pricing and selling helps you: Understand your customers’ wants and needs Focus on what makes your company different Quantify your differences and build a value-based strategy Communicate your value directly to your customers Now more than ever, it is essential for you to reexamine the reality of the value you offer customers—and this step-by-step program shows you how. Developed by global consultants Harry Macdivitt and Mike Wilkinson, Value-Based Pricing identifies three basic elements of the Value Triad: revenue gain, cost reduction, and emotional contribution. By delivering these core values to your customers—through marketing, selling, negotiation, and pricing—you can expect an increase in profits, productivity, and consumer goodwill. These are the same value-based strategies used by major companies such as Philips, Alstom, Siemens, and Virgin Mobile. And when it comes to today’s more intangible markets—such as consulting services or digital properties like e-books and music files—these value-based strategies are more important than ever. So forget about your old pricing methods based on costs and competition. Once you know your own value—and how to communicate it to others—everybody profits.

Price: $35.00 USD

During the past decade Japanese companies have derived many of their competitive advantages from streamlined work-flow processes. Desperate to replicate the Japanese systems, American managers have bought into countless theories advanced by management consultants which, lacking a methodology, have proved fruitless and frustrating. Now, from inside a world-renowned learning organization, comes that methodology. Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) is an improvement and problem-prevention system created and developed by George Robson to "empower" natural work teams in three General Electric businesses. Composed of a logical set of steps, at the heart of which is "Process Flow Diagramming," CPI focuses on and simplifies the critical elements of work flow processes and eliminates those parts that add no value. Not only has this methodology helped these GE businesses save in excess of $35 million during the first two years of implementation, but similar techniques are now being employed by leading-edge companies throughout the world. CPI is a transportable system that not only has profoundly changed manufacturing practices, but has been applied with equal success in all areas of a business. Robson shows how the "Iceberg Phenomenon" can identify the measurable benefits of accurately accounting for direct and indirect costs by carefully tracking expenses. Planning for the true costs of customer service, marketing concessions, and retraining can turn unplanned losses into short- and long-term returns on investments. Robson focuses on activities that are critical to quality in design and production and demonstrates how non-value-added work can be eliminated. The staggering cost of re-work, calculated in "The Rule of Tens," is reduced by catching mistakes before they escape to subsequent stages of handling. The CPI system, which has been widely praised within General Electric, will be of broad interest throughout the business and university communities.

Price: $40.90 AUD

How-to guidance for optimizing incumbent technologies to deliver a better product and gain competitive advantage Their zip codes are far from Silicon Valley. Their SIC codes show retail, automobile or banking. But industry after industry is waking up to the opportunity of "smart" products and services for their increasingly tech-savvy customers. Traditionally technology buyers, they are learning to embed technology in their products and become technology vendors. In turn, if you analyze Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and eBay, you marvel at their data centers, retail stores, application ecosystems, global supply chains, design shops. They are considered "consumer" tech but have better technology at larger scale than most enterprises. The old delineation of technology buyer and vendor is obsolete. There is a new definition for the technology elite - and you find them across industries and geographies. The 17 case studies and 4 guest columns spread through The New Technology Elite bring out the elite attributes in detail. Every organization will increasingly be benchmarked against these elite - and soon will be competing against them. Contrasts the productivity that Apple, Google and others have demonstrated in the last decade to that of the average enterprise technology group Reveals how to leverage what companies have learned from Google, Apple, Amazon.com, and Facebook to your company's advantage Designed for business practitioners, CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, technology vendors, venture capitalists, IT consultants, marketing executives, and policy makers Other titles by Vinnie Mirchandani: The New Polymath: Profiles in Compound-Technology Innovations If you're looking to encourage technology innovation, look no further. The New Technology Elite provides the building blocks your company needs to become innovative through incumbent technologies.

Price: $49.95 USD

The graphic artist's guide to sustainable design Graphic design is frequently thought of as a purely decorative effort. Yet these efforts can be responsible for shocking impacts on natural resources just to produce a barely-glanced-at catalog or mail piece. Sustainable Graphic Design: Tools, Systems, and Strategies for Innovative Print Design helps designers view graphic design as a holistic process. By exploring eco-conscious materials and production techniques, it shows designers how to create more effective and more sustainable designs. Sustainable Graphic Design opens your eyes to the bigger picture of design seen from the viewpoints of the audience, the creative vendor, their suppliers, and society as a whole. Chapters are written by a wide range of sustainable design pioneers and practitioners—including graphic designers, creative managers, marketing consultants, environmentalists, researchers, and psychologists—giving you critical information on materials and processes. Case studies illustrate and tie concepts together. Sustainability isn't a fad or a movement; it's a long-term paradigm shift. With this forward-looking toolkit, you'll be able to infuse your work with sustainability systems thinking, empowering you to play your role in achieving a future where design and sustainability are natural partners. Contributors Paul Andre Paul J. Beckmann Sharell Benson Arlene Birt Robert Callif Don Carli Jeremy Faludi Terry Gips Fred Haberman Dan Halsey Jessica Jones Curt McNamara John Moes Jacquelyn Ottman Holly Robbins Pamela Smith Dion Zuess Biomimicry Guild Carbonless Promise Chlorine Free Products Association Environmental Paper Network Eureka Recycling Great Printer Environmental Initiative Package Design Magazine Promotional Product Solutions Sustainable Green Printing Partnership Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Price: $49.95 USD

The Ultimate Guide to Sales Training is the go-to reference for sales managers, sales trainers, sales coaches, and sales consultants who want to increase a sales force's productivity by using these proven techniques: Building Mental Flexibility Anchoring Concepts for Easy Recall Encouraging Behavioral Change Covering a wide range of topics, The Ultimate Guide to Sales Training shows how to develop a selling system, prospect effectively, and qualify and disqualify prospects. The book also covers information on using power questioning techniques, handling objections, and includes solution selling guidelines and ideas for creating and delivering potent presentation practices. In addition, the author covers such hot topics as managing reps attitudes and how to close the sale. He also includes suggestions for overcoming buyer resistance and making change occur as well as getting beyond barriers that block decision-makers, and much, much more. Praise for The Ultimate Sales Training Handbook "This book should be on the desk of every sales manager and sales trainer. Dan Seidman created a treasure chest of ideas, concepts, skills-sets and motivation tools that are ready to be converted into cash." — Gerhard Gschwandtner , founder and publisher, Selling Power Magazine "Sales professionals throughout the world will discover performance improvement through this training encyclopedia. Dan Seidman is helping make sales training a major strategic driver for all organizations." — Tony Bingham , president and CEO, ASTD "Each chapter just might be the one piece that plugs the gap in your team's performance. Dan is truly earning the title Trainer to the World's Sales Trainers." — Willis Turner , CAE CSE, president and CEO, of Sales & Marketing Executives International

Price: $60.00 USD

An essential overview of post-deregulation market operations in electrical power systems Until recently the U.S. electricity industry was dominated by vertically integrated utilities. It is now evolving into a distributive and competitive market driven by market forces and increased competition. With electricity amounting to a $200 billion per year market in the United States, the implications of this restructuring will naturally affect the rest of the world. Why is restructuring necessary? What are the components of restructuring? How is the new structure different from the old monopoly? How are the participants strategizing their options to maximize their revenues? What are the market risks and how are they evaluated? How are interchange transactions analyzed and approved? Starting with a background sketch of the industry, this hands-on reference provides insights into the new trends in power systems operation and control, and highlights advanced issues in the field. Written for both technical and nontechnical professionals involved in power engineering, finance, and marketing, this must-have resource discusses: * Market structure and operation of electric power systems * Load and price forecasting and arbitrage * Price-based unit commitment and security constrained unit commitment * Market power analysis and game theory applications * Ancillary services auction market design * Transmission pricing and congestion Using real-world case studies, this timely survey offers engineers, consultants, researchers, financial managers, university professors and students, and other professionals in the industry a comprehensive review of electricity restructuring and how its radical effects will shape the market.

Price: $161.00 USD