Enterprise-Value

In my humble opinion ,this maybe one of the best books of Finance... It is practical,direct to the point,the examples are clearly stated so that you can follow the concepts and central ideas and most important : you really can understand everything in an easy way....no sweat here..
You can apply almost everything in this book to your daily practice. No matter your years of experience , FFE will refresh you and reinforce your knowledge. I always have this book on my desk for reference.

‚Finance for Executives' is invaluable for everybody who needs to analyse companies and wants to know whether investment, financing or business decisions create value. It is written very clearly and is therefore easy to understand. It offers plenty of practically relevant examples, mostly based on one company which is being analysed in its different aspects throughout the whole book. Moreover, every chapter finishes with review problems (including solutions) and useful references. Some chapters offer appendices with mathematical proofs or additional in-depth analysis. - You will not be satisfied with this book if you are looking for a scientific, theoretical text. However, your expectations will be exceeded if you are a practitioner who wants to make an impact in a consulting or investment banking environment. - What does make this book so special? After working through it, you will be able to easily put into practice what you read.

This book is great as an introduction to the major concepts of finance. If you are looking for an advanced refernce book, this is not the one. But if you want to refresh your memory, or want a quick overview of concepts and methods, I can't think of a better book.

This book is an extensive rework of the authors' "The Adaptive Enterprise", and in my opinion supersedes that earlier book.

Like the first book this one borrows heavily from the software engineering community to employ proven techniques, such as layered design, patterns and a component-based approach to infrastructure. Where this book extends and builds upon the earlier work is the emphasis on extending the corporate infrastructure into a meta infrastructure that is characterized by B2B and supply chains. As such it lives up to the title because the goal of the extended infrastructure is to enrich the value chain - or at least support the underlying business goals.

What I like about this book is what the authors propose is not only attainable, but makes good business sense. It starts with a 22-page introduction that clearly defines what is and is not infrastructure, and the concept of an adaptivity. These are important to understanding the approach that follows. Chapter 2, Laying the Foundation, quickly gives the basics for a layered infrastructure, develops a model for associated services that are needed to make the infrastructure adaptable, and drills down into service-related issues. I am not in complete agreement with the impact that this approach has on IT organizational structures; however, I am not willing to write it off as unfeasible until I have a chance to carefully think it through. The ideas do have merit (on paper) and are better developed in the first book.

Much of the rest of the book is a rehash of "The Adaptive Enterprise", but the material is slanted towards the extended infrastructure. What is important is the emphasis on patterns and components as frameworks and building blocks. Where the first book brought infrastructure management to a new level, this book extends it in a manner that reflects the realities of connected enterprises defined by supply chain management and business partners. Please see my review of "The Adaptive Enterprise" for specifics that apply to this book, and if you're deciding between the two books, this is the one to get.

In The Human Value of Enterprise, Andrew Mayo proposes a quantitative methodology that attempts to bring the rigors of financial accounting to human resources management. Mayo sets forth a series of formulas designed to reveal how much each individual is contributing to the overall value that any company creates for its stakeholders. Of course, these formulas are limited by the subjective process through which managers assign values to the activities and results of their employees. That said, the procedures that Mayo outlines can be used as the foundation for a fairly rigorous system of human resource cost accounting that we from getAbstract recommend to all professionals in the field.

Written in a pithy, yet imminently readable style, this book gives a comprehensive treatment of the subject. It's refreshing to read something so concise and well-written from a CPA! Highly recommended.

This book is a good introduction to how to create a business venture in the post.com era. It is used as a text book at Copenhagen Business School, and it has been effective for students like me in order to fast grasp what I need to do in order to create a business. I will recommend this to others who wants to learn how to build companies and needs a guide for how to make a strategic busienss plan, how to acquire capital and how to create breakthrough ideas.

Good variety of dolls. Some quite unusual.

Margo's newest book is the BEST! There are tons of good quality, large, color photos! The descriptions in Margo's book are unrivaled! There is no one that can describe these doll's outfits, facial features, hair, and accessories better than Ms. Rana. This is not just a "price guide".....this is a must have book for identifying ANY Mattel made Disney doll that you will ever run across! Can't WAIT for Volume 2 that takes over where Volume 1 left off! WONDERFUL work, Margo! Thanks from ALL the Disney doll collectors for your great effort to help us all out with your vast knowledge of your collectible field!

A TRUE Fan! Michelle :-)

I have been collecting Disney dolls for over 6 years & I found this book to be VERY accurate & fun to read. The pictures are beautiful & Margo does not leave a doll or fashion out. A must have for any doll collector!

The Hungry Spirit is often confusing. The author freely acknowledges that modern capitalism operates according to the unrelenting market demands of efficiency and competitiveness, which maximizes the self-interests of an upper layer of market players but is detrimental to the financial and psychological well-being of the less well-placed who have either remained under corporate umbrellas or who have been discarded as redundant. Yet, on the other hand, he suggests that 'anyone with any intelligence and a bit of get-up-and-go can make money.' And for those who don't succeed, it must be because they have failed to develop 'an eye for a customer, the market, and a useful skill.' This is the understanding of an individual who early in life received both an elite education and a lucrative job posting for which he was admittedly mostly unqualified who has now decided in later years to both mildly point out the flaws of capitalistic society and chide those who haven't single-handedly overcome those economic forces.

The author attempts to fuse an emphasis on personal sovereignty, or what he sometimes calls 'proper selfishness,' and the need for community especially within business enterprises. Recognizing that it is increasingly likely that he or she will be left to fend for themselves in the harsh environment of free markets, the individual should not seek employment, per se, but should develop 'employability.' Of course, backpedaling, the author recognizes that the educational system as well as other institutions does little to develop and sustain a society of entrepreneurs. The 'one-shot' chance at an education of forgettable facts is largely useless to those who desire/must operate service businesses. But this harsh reality is not all bad; the author insists that there is a widespread 'hunger' for personal growth that will be a part of developing employability. Work that has a greater purpose will increasingly be sought. Does walking the dogs or trimming the grass of elites qualify?

This line of thinking also has ramifications within corporations. These newly 'inner-directed' employees will reject being regarded as 'human resources' or managed as some kind of business cost. They will settle for nothing less than being viewed as citizens of their companies with 'rights of residence, justice, free speech, a share of the wealth ', and a say in the governance of their [companies].' The author correctly acknowledges that the democratic reorganization of companies seems like a 'trade union manifesto,' which does not comport well with his expressed anti-union convictions. Other than through the insistence of these newly redirected employees, the author is unclear as to how the major redistribution of power that will be required to establish 'companies of citizens' will occur. Of course, the compelling question is why the author is concerned about businesses as communities. Properly selfish, self-employed, citizens no longer need to work for corporations, right?

Despite the fact that the author generally regards laissez-faire economics as troublesome for the greater society, he seems unwilling to advocate for political processes to exert much control over its excesses. In fact, he suggests that major issues are best decided outside the political process beyond the level of the nation-state by pressures from global markets or by international economic (WTO) and military alliances. Citizens/voters should confine themselves to local issues of roads and schools and police and hospitals. This minimalist view of politics and government is hardly adequate to address the effects of the 'bottom line' thinking of modern capitalism for which the author expresses concern. The revamping of educational systems to include life-long learning with replacement income during schooling and the restructuring of corporations will require greater, not lesser, political intervention.

As a critique of capitalistic society, this book is marginal at best. The author's focus on the drive for money and the workings of market forces doesn't begin to explain the structure of capitalistic societies. Absent are virtually any descriptions of the power structures in society and, most importantly, the domination of contemporary culture and the control of information by media empires. It is clear that the author has little appreciation for the profound role of citizen empowerment whether that is through the political process or such bodies as unions that will be necessary to counter the forces of modern capitalism. The idea that half of society becoming entrepreneurs trying to sell services to each other or to a layer of elites without significantly countering present economic forces will represent a general advancement for society is dubious at best. If anything, it seems a certain path for a First-World country to become a Second- or Third-World country.

In this book, Charles Handy lays out a thoughtful philosophy of how we should shape capitalism if we want to lead more meaningful lives.

This is yet another reminder that communities have to form around some larger purpose than mere economic exchange.

His references to the British think tank Demos is particularly interesting.

Mr Handy has some very thought provoking ideas about capitalism, work and meaning of life. It was his 'Personal Preface' that attracted me to buy the book. As he said in the conclusion, "Life without hope is dismal."; I wanted to find out what he meant. In Part A of the book he talks about the impact of capitalism on the capitalist society . He explores the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the marketplace and competition. It is in Part B where the main substance of the book is. It is about the self and how individuals should respond. He profiles the changing world of work over the years and its impact on individuals. In reading the section on self-knowledge and self-awareness, I found the 'obituary exercise' took a new meaning in the context of what I had read; although I had done this exercise several times previously. Learning to live with others and discovering connectivity with society is an important aspect of living. This is very vividly brought out by Mr Handy. It is here I found hope that we could live more meaningful lifes. In Part C, there are some possible solutions to the dilemmas we face. It is in this part, Mr Handy elaborates on the 7 cardinal principles of trust. In the context of career management, the idea of of a school for life and work is a valuable concept. His chapter on the role of government mentions about the I's - information, involvement, individuality and infrastructure. He concludes in the epilogue with seven trends and indicators for the future. I would consider the book as required reading for anyone who wants to add value or meaning to their life, actively contribute to society or is interested in people. Unknown to us, I think all us have a 'Hungry Spirit' within us. Mr Handy's book may meet some of this hunger!

This is an excellent book that I have purchased for key leaders in my organization. It does a great job of linking Value Stream Mapping to Lean Concepts.

Being a "real world" lean practitioner and having gone through the many trappings in "going lean," I found T. Burton and S. Boeder's book, "The Lean Extended Enterprise" to be one of the most practical and usefull text on the market. These authors have blended the best of academics, case histories, lean tools, and industrial science to provide a road map to navigate a lean implimentation. I.e., not only on the shop floor, but across the enterprise. This helps preclude the sub-optimiztion syndrome and lack of work organization and syncronization that many of us have experienced while attempting to go "lean."

The book provides a great reference model ("Lean Extended Enterprise Reference Model-LEERM") for understanding the strucure and framework for assisting companies, their customers, and suppliers in transitioning to a total value stream conversion to lean. Unfortuately most books on the subject of lean only address the application of specific lean tools (Kanban, SMED, etc.) and do not provide the strucured methodology necessary for aligning the total organization. The Lean Extended Enterprise Model outlined in the book identifies Panels of Value Stream Integration; (1) Strategic Journey Panel, (2) Best Practices and Principles Panel, (3) Implementation Panel,(4) Methodologies, Tools,and Enabling Technologoes Panel. Additionally the book provides a formal performance measurement tool to support the Lean Extended Enterprise Reference Model. The termed used to define this model by the authors is "Lean Extended Enterprise Assessment Process-LEEAP". Seven major evaluation areas are identified in detail; (1) Leadership, (2) Customer and market focus. (3) Uniform improvement infrastructure, (4) Value stream processes, (5) Extended enterprise integration, (6) organizational learning, and (7) Performance measurement. This book is a must read reference for those companies who are serious about implementing Lean throughout the entire Supply Chain.

A treatise of sorts from Unisys executives, with a foreword by Steve Ballmer. Sounds promising, though the theme is not exactly avant-garde...Brandenburger/Nalebuff covered this is in "Co-opetition" much more eloquently as long back as 1997.

A discomfortingly large chunk of the book is devoted to drilling the already established business dictum that collaboration, i.e., "a company's alignment of its business activities and processes with other organizations to create shared value and manage shared risk", is not merely a TACTICAL way of enhancing value or efficiency but is rapidly becoming a STRATEGIC necessity for the continual innovation needed to exploit fast-paced yet fleeting business opportunities.

Is it just me, or haven't we known this for what, 10 years now? This part of the book appeared to have been freeze-dried into place and was about as exciting to read as an ice tray.

Fortunately, the book soon picks up as the authors point out how collaboration, while critical for competitive relevance, is potentially risky and a pain in the rear to actually manage. Executives must evaluate the choice of partners, the form of the collaboration, the expected rewards, the possible risks, and the implications for personnel, operations and technology. In addition to explaining the underlying dynamics of collaboration, the book provides frameworks and diagnostics for the strategic and operational decision-making needed to effectively exploit the collaborative imperative.

And in this, it excels. What's more, it brims with some fascinating real-world case studies, arguably the most ambrosial of prose in any business book, and the authors cast a wide net too -- UBS, Cisco, U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency Network, the Global Straight Through Processing Association (GSTPA) etc.

Overall, a mild to medium recommendation that may just be worth your time if you are involved in collaborative operational work. If you are really serious or care about the strategic perspectives of collaborations, you may also want to take a look at "Co-opetition" or more recently "The Support Economy" -- both trailblazers in their own right.

This book is extremely helpful and provides indepth analysis on the subject at hand. (clever title too). it is obviouse that the authers have an outstanding knowledge of the subject matter

BOOK REVIEW:
If there is one thing that is certain, we live in an uncertain and changing world. Those companies that are agile and can quickly and cost effectively change to take advantage of new business opportunities will not only survive they will thrive. Being first to market with a new products or services usually means a higher margin return while the competition is playing catch up.

Business collaboration defined by the authors as " the alignment of business activities and processes with another business to create mutual benefit" is a growing tool used by many companies to quickly and cost effectively implement new business strategies.

Technology has and will continue to evolve to further enable collaboration, as noted by the many excellent examples sited in this book. Effective collaboration requires more than technology, it requires value creation from all collaborators, shared rewards, and managed risk.

This book does an excellent job of describing how organizations build processes and services to enable collaborative partnerships and alliances. After reading this book you will be better equipped to evaluate your company's readiness for collaboration and implement measures to improve your company's readiness in key areas.

This book appears to be based on two false premises. One, the bottom line is the bottom line, if organisations manage to get more value out of their people the bottom line changes. Two, there's no such thing as an intangible - market value of a business is tangible value. The big omission is any definition of value even though the authors constantly refer to this concept.

An ideal read for HR people who want to talk a good job but of little use for those who genuinely want to find practical ways to add value through people.

This book argues that competitively successful organizations seek to constantly build long-term value by strategically managing some of their intangibles. As we know, intangibles are not accounted for in an organization's financial statements. By exploring the world of intangibles, the authors explore a new idea or a new bottom-line, which has the building of long-term market value as its central theme. The authors have identified 7 key intangibles that have to be nurtured. They include the following: shared mindset, talent, speed, learning, accountability, collaboration, and quality of leadership. They have built their formulations on the basis of their own real experiences or a survey of the practices followed by globally successful organizations. The book is based on an Architecture which is the central model on which its contents revolve (p.13).

Some of the prominent features of the book are as follows: Firstly, the book explores a new bottom line suggesting that the intangibles are as or even more important as the hard strategies, systems and processes; for it is the focus on the intangibles that helps build customer, investor, and employee confidence about the future.

Secondly, the book should be seen as outlining an agenda to focus on for HR managers; this is to charge them to increase the shareholders' value through helping develop each of the intangibles. The present crisis of HR department globally emanates from the allegation against it that it indulges in wasteful expenditure in non-measurable activities. Thus the book suggests that HR managers have to become coaches, architects, designers and facilitators of organizational capabilities.

Thirdly, the observations and formulations of the authors are based on inter-disciplinary perspectives within management segments, and are not just reflections of organization theory or effectiveness or just better HR management. They have drawn from researches from disciplines such as human resources management, financial management, IT, and leadership.

Fourthly, the book succeeds well as a solid guide that makes a complex subject simple to the reader by putting before her the essence of various functional perspectives related to management of intangibles. The discussion helps in gauging what works and what does not, and why.

Fifthly, the book contains some remarkably interesting and effective tips of leadership building at the top as well as leadership-building as a way of organizational life. The authors point out that when leaders identify and implement the seven intangibles identified in the Architecture, they "create intangible value" (p. 251).

The book is an essential reading for any executive who wants to better handle the complexities of managerial life in the era of chaotic competition. It surely helps the reader see a larger picture. Though the book has been written in extremely user-friendly way, I feel if it had a simpler title it would have carried a much higher attention value of potential lay readers. Still, there is no doubt that it will be especially liked by those managers and leaders who want to build confidence about shaping their future in the chaotic business world.

Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood have done it again- created a wonderful book which is an invaluable toolkit for aspiring and practising managers."Why the Bottom Line Isn't" is a highly relevant and accessible resource for busy executives, which can also save your organisation substantial dollars in consulting fees.This book is also recommended reading for non- executive Board directors and investors.
As the authors outline in their introduction, "Why the Bottom Line Isn't", began when they asked a simple question- How can two companies in the same industry, with similiar earnings, have vastly different market values. In addressing this question, Ulrich and Smallwood explore the world of intangibles and a new bottom-line, that has building long -term market value as the central theme.
Based upon their extensive consulting experience and drawing from diverse disciplines, such as finance/accounting and organisation behaviour,the authors focus on how to identify and build intangibles within one's organisation.An Architecture for Intangibles is created and this four layer model provides the framework and structure for " Why the Bottom Line Isn't". As the framework is developed,the reader is taken on a journey that focuses on the leadership implications- and resulting actions- for each layer( and their various components) of the architecture for intangibles. Ulrich,Smallwood and Zenger's excellent work from Results Based Leadership(Harvard Press 1999)on "leadership brand" is also integrated.
This outstanding book is really a treasure chest resource - it is full of useful hints,quizzes,question and process lists, tips and exercises. It also contains questionnaires and is supported by extensive reference notes and web links, for those requiring further information and support.
The practical emphasis is demonstrated via the utilisation of many company examples and stories that support the many insights which are presented. The communication style which the authors employ is also very appealing and engages the reader.Close attention to education objectives are also very evident, with the authors utilising fresh techniques in tackling complex issues within organisations. For example,to surface sacred cows which exist in most organisations,they recommend treating them as you would a computer virus, because they have the same deadly impact on your operations, as computer viruses have upon IT systems.As a result,a virus detector list of 27 items is produced
In summary, this book is essential reading for any executive who is wanting to better handle the complexities of life in 21st century organisations.