Frictions Books

This in my opinion is a primer in project management not an E-Business Implementation Management guide for business to business initiatives.

The book promises to address the "burgeoning market for "buy-side" extranet/Internet procurement supply chain management / business-to-business, Web based transactions". There are for example 3 appearances of the word supplier in the entire book.

A number of typographical errors exist. Read the word "project" for "E-Business" and with the exception of a number of somewhat usefull E-Business specific pieces around high level implementation strategy this is nothing newer than a good primer in project management in a fast changing environment.

There could be some over zealous e-ing about this one.

Also why does it list its publication date as 2001 ?

Our cooperative has been working to implement e-business for over two years. We have run into many problems that most books do not address. One wonders if the writers of most books have ever really implemented e-business. It is clear that these authors have real implementation experience--a rarity. Rather than address the wonders of e-business, this book gets down to the gut issues of implementation. How do you deal with management? How do you deal with changes in direction and technology? How do you organize a team of people across departments that don't get along with each other? How do you monitor and get the most out of vendors? How does managing an e-business effort differ from standard projects? All of these are addressed in detail in this book--in addition to over 75 other problems you are likely to encounter. For anyone who is thinking about e-business or doing it, this book is an excellent guide.

If you want to learn what e-commerce is and get a lot of jargon involving the words ¡°chain¡±, ¡°global¡±, ¡°supplier¡±, ¡°customer¡±, and ¡°e-¡°, do not look here. This is a book on how to do e-commerce. I am a manager at a software firm that implements e-commerce solutions. In doing many e-commerce projects over the past 4 years we have found that implementing e-commerce is quite different and more complex than standard IT projects. However, most books either do not address putting e-commerce in or they treat e-commerce as an IT application. E-commerce is not a standard IT project. Today about 40% of our staff do business analysis and support tasks for e-commerce rather than IT work. This is the first book to deal realistically with the problems that people in the real world face when they do e-commerce. We are now buying this book for our customers as well as our staff. The book handles the roles of business staff, consultants, and systems staff. More importantly the book discusses in depth how to detect, handle, and resolve specific things that you are likely to meet up with. This book is both valuable and realistic.

This book tells you exactly what it says on the cover "How to effectively manage e-business implementations". The chapters are short and sharp, the assumption is made you have experience in project management already. This is NOT a book about project management. I found the structure excellant for "active readers", easy to scan through and revise back on. If like me you manage several project you'll end up going back to it again and again.

The authors have used their experience in e-business implementation to provide specific guidelines and tips in implementing e-business projects. The book deals with many technical, management, user, and vendor issues that you are likely to encountered and that we have dealt with in our e-business efforts. There is more time pressure and higher management expectations for e-business than standard IT or business projects. There are good suggestions for dealing with the time pressure. E-business is a program since one project leads to another. E-business projects overlap. This book addresses that in four chapters that handle expansion and on-going e-business. Using this book we have encountered fewer problems in our latest e-business project than in previous efforts. Some other areas of the book that are good are dealing with competing demands for resources between regular work and e-business projects as well as the method for tracking, analyzing, and reporting on e-business issues. Chapter 15 has some good charts and analysis for e-business issues. Another useful idea is to have multiple project leaders for the e-business implementation. There are examples in banking, manufacturing, retailing, and natural resources that are followed through the book. While written for e-business there are useful ideas here for IT projects overall.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story flowed nicely and easily kept my attention. I was dismayed to realize that with the author's backround in research, I can only assume that some of the roadblocks encountered were not purely fictional. How sad that the cure for so many diseases could be stuck behind red tape.
Thank you Krista Tibbs, I look forward to your next book!

In her debut novel, The Neurology of Angels, Krista Tibbs explores the political, economic and personal issues surrounding the pharmaceutical industry in the US.
Although the characters and situations are fictitious, I got a real sense from Tibbs that she's done her homework. I'm not a US citizen, so my knowledge of the FDA and other government regulations that influence the US drug industry is limited. However, Tibbs does her best to inform the reader through her careful research on the topic.
Galen, Eddy and Elizabeth are the three central characters in the book. And all three are parents with a vested interest in the development of a new drug, Lexistro. Galen is the head of a pharmaceutical company; Eddy is the politician; while Elizabeth is the lawyer. Their paths cross personally and professionally, and their individual stories are interwoven and explored.
The drug industry in the US is a subject which is obviously very close to Tibbs' heart. She has created a story that is entirely plausible and characters who are flawed, but really only have the best intentions.
This is a great read for those who enjoy a good medical drama.





Zara Stevens
Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories

The Neurology of Angels is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking novel. I found the narrative compelling and the issues raised extremely relevant, especially in an election year. I learned a lot and enjoyed a story that revolved around believable and likeable characters. Although the book includes some medical data and details of bureaucratic red tape, this is primarily a story about people living difficult lives and facing monumental problems which are compounded by the actions of well-intentioned people working at cross-purposes. The FDA's drug approval process essentially controls who in this country has access to the newest drugs - and who does not. Legislators make decisions based on human reactions to health care problems faced by Americans, without truly understanding the economic fallout of their actions. The Neurology of Angels is a powerful novel exploring these issues through the intertwined lives of several people for whom drug availability is a daily personal dilemma. Two parents whose children suffer from rare and fatal illnesses - one with an existing but expensive cure - one with no cure at all - play tug-of-war over laws and regulations and resources, while a scientist-turned-entrepreneur faces heart-rending choices about how and when his miracle drug will be used - and who will receive it.

This is a book I will recommend to my friends - especially to one who happens to have political ambitions. Although I recognize Ms. Tibb's personal bias shining through the narrative, she makes a compelling argument for an industry that is usually vilified by the press. Her characters are well-developed and empathetic. There are no bad guys, no villains, no one who acts from purely selfish motives. It's a story about American society - about economy and medicine - and about ordinary people who all have the same goal, but don't agree on the proper way to get there.

Dianne Salerni
Reviewing for POD Book Reviews and More

Suppose you had enough resources to make possible the cure for Leukemia or the cure for Alzheimer's -- but not both. Which one would you choose? Drawing upon her academic research and her experiences working for the Executive Office of the President in Washing, DC, her degrees in neuroscience and business, and her current profession in clinical research in the biotechnology industry, author Krista Tibbs has written "The Neurology Of Angels", a novel that provides fascinating insights into the process of drug development from the perspective of three professionals in a marathon race to save a life. Galen is a neurologist turned reluctant biotech entrepreneur who gives up everything to develop a cure for stroke. Eddy is a devoted father who enters politics on a mission to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Elizabeth is a pharmaceutical industry lawyer who is raising a daughter with a rare and fatal genetic illness. Their lives become forever entwined as the three parents engage in a tug-of-war over the failing system of good intentions which is our contemporary American health industry. What Krista Tubbs has accomplished through her novel is to lay out with vivid clarity the real-world issues facing national health care today where competing interests clash, where market forces and governmental policies collide, and where good people from differing perspectives find themselves having to make life and death decisions constrained by forces beyond their control. Superbly written from first page to last, "The Neurology Of Angels" is highly recommended reading (especially for anyone with an interest in contemporary health care issues) and a welcome addition to community library collections.

I read this book rather quickly because the story was so engaging and well written. I often read on the elliptical machine while working out and I kept adding minutes to finish the book which is high praise indeed. The premise of the book is based on how a new drug is brought to market and the politics behind how the drug companies use profits for research v. how the costs of these drugs impact the economic situation of those who need the drugs. While this is the premise, it is not in my opinion what the story is actually about.

The real story here was centered on the personal choices, intertwined family life, strained friendships and how we make hard decisions to prioritize the balance between our work and our family. The main character goes into medical research due to a loss of a loved one, and he is set on finding a cure for a rare neurological disorder. In the process he loses his family, as his wife leaves him and takes their daughter. I was in the middle of some very difficult personal family issues myself when reading and often found tears streaming down my face, in part because the pain and loss is so well depicted, and then obviously because it struck such a strong chord with me.

I do not want to spoil the rest of the story, because it is a very good one. The issues are well documented, including the medical research (or at least I assume they were not being a neurological scientist) and the political framing. I recommend the book highly as an emotional and touching depiction of choices and love and as a great backdrop for an important debate on health care.

Super Great. Great Buy. Buy it now. Vol. 1,2,3, and 5 were the most erotic and have the largest selection of sexy stories. Vol6 six wasn't bad, but I wouldn't call it a must have. These 4 volumes are all you need for now. Get Manhandled too while you're at it. You'll thank me.

Billed as the year's best erotica, and that it is. Friction 3 brings the best of the year's gay male writing to one place, by some of the finest authors out there: T. Hitman and R J March, who both had books published last year, lead the list. Hitman's baseball story is complemented nicely by his "Gustavo" love story, which is very sweet and hot. March delivers a decent offering, too. Definitely worth a look, and recommended to all my friends.

With the editing of seasoned gay erotica veterans Jesse Grant and Austin Foxxe, more than 40 ficticious accounts of gay sexual encouters keep this collection smoldering and has us asking for more. Backed by the Gay Community News, the "Friction" series is famous (or infamous, given whoever's view) for delivering the best and steamiest in accounts of man-to-man sex. Among the stories' contributors to the collection are celebrated gay writers Bob Vickery, Thom Wolf and Dale Chase. They, and other talented writers, leave absolutely nothing untouched or left to the imagination. It's all here: oral, intercourse, kissing, caressing, love, romance and some daring experimentation. The editors obviously devoted significant time collecting the best of the genre's writings for this edition: literally, with very rare exception, the reader will need to get up after just one installment to cool down. The first entry is among the best for its simplicity and candid acknowledgement of two mens' lust for each other. Definitely not bedtime stories for the kiddies, but very definitely the bedtime stuff of something other than sleep.

There are over 40 strories included in this book so it is definately value for money. A handful of them manage to miss their mark but on the whole the quality is very high. Inclusions from Dale Chase, Alan Mills, Bob Vickery, Thom Wolf and T. Hitman are among the stand out tales.

The authoors have made this book available for reading online under a creative commons license at:
http://dreamsongs.com/IHE/IHE.html
This is very generous of the authors and thankfully is happening more and more with FOSS related books. - see Karl Fogels "Producing Open source" or Lessigs "Free Culture".

By all means buy the hardcopy if you like the online version. Personally I'm more likely to want to support an author who is good enough to make the material available online.

This is not the book I was expecting, but that's my fault. I was expecting something beyond "The Innovator's Dilemma" focused on management. What I ended up with was in fact much more useful, an elementary but essential and easy to read guide to Free/Open Source Software (F/OSS).

This book is a real gem, and for any manager thinking about how to explode out of their tired old proprietary software architecture, joins "Wikinomics" and "Infotopia" as essential reading.

This book is well-structured, comes with credible and extensive references and appendices, and also offers an online version for preview or later quick search at [ ...w.]dreamsongs.com/IHE.

I'm still waiting for Sun and RedHat to create a skunkworks where we can quickly test-drive and adapt open source softwares addressing each of the 18 functionalities that the Central Intelligence Agency has known it needed since 1986 but still does not have precisely because the CIA is the anti-thesis of open source (see image I have added above).

Earth Intelligence Network is going to put CIA out of business--it will be based on open source software, and everyone will benefit. That is a good thing! The sub-title of this book is on target: it is a primer on open source as business strategy. To that I would add what I have recommended to the organizers of OSCON, that managers be very aware of the others opens: Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Open Spectrum, Open Access, Open Culture, Open Innovation, Open Society, and Open Circle/Open Space. There are others emerging. Open is now a meme as well as a culture, and this book helps us to understand why that is and why that matters.

This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the world of open source software. It approaches open source from a business angle and discusses how businesses can use open source to further their goals.

The book starts with discussing the philosophy of open source, the various strategies that businesses can adopt to engage with the open source community, the various licenses that can be used and also how to successfully conduct an open source project by building a community.

The language used is simple and the examples used are real.

The authors explain how open source can be compatible with a company that develops its own proprietary software. A key point of the book is that going with open source can be a very pragmatic decision about speeding up product development. Because no matter how innovative your people are, the chances are high that due to sheer numbers of other people, you can use open source code developed by the latter.

One does not have to buy into the entire open source mindset to acknowledge that there is merit in accessing external code that is useful. If for no other reason than that your competitors might already be doing so. Reimplementing an open source application takes time to write and debug. So sometimes, look outside your company.

Not a bad collection, but it's the concept of "Best Gay Erotic Ficiton" that I object to. Does the editor really expect us to believe that fully a quarter of the best gay erotica published last year appeared in just two magazines (InTouch and Indulge) owned by one publisher? Or that one writer (Bob Vickery, who is good) is responsible for a sixth of the best porn? Missing are any of the other topflight queer authors found in, say, Best Gay Erotica or Best American Erotica, and the mass-market magazine source of these stories makes for a certain uniformity of style and narrative approach. A lot of the stories are fun, few are revelations, and if the publisher had subtitled it "Good Stuff from Some of the Stroke Magazines" it would have been more accurate.

This book has a wide variety of stories, ranging from musclebound hunks to pretty boys. A lot of the stories are really good, especially RJ March and Bob Vickery's stories. There are several from each of these guys, and that's a good thing.

This is a fantastic book that lives up to its promise as the best gay men's writing. In particular, stories by T. Hitman who has been regularly featured in most of the big gay 'zines and R. J. March, Bob Vickery, and Grant Foster round out a provocative collection of first-rate writing. Highly recommended.

Michael Bronski's enlightening anthology of mostly forgotten gay writings from the mid-twentieth century is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. Alternating literary analysis with lively samples, he demolishes the notion of a dearth of gay literature from World War II to the 1969 Stonewall riot. All of the works excerpted here are out of print, and while some may not be to our modern readers' tastes, they are all evocative of gay men's lives at the times, for better or for worse. From insightful drama to hardcore erotica, these books did much to shape America's views of homosexuality, and "Pulp Friction" whets the appetite and showcases where today's gay literature can trace its roots. Also included is an appendix where Bronski lists a smattering of gay novels published from 1940 to 1969. This anthology is a great introduction to this genre of queer writings.

I've respected Michael Bronski's journalism for years, but this is the first of his books I've read. I'll definitely be reading more. Here he performs two amazing feats. First, after doing an extraordinary amount of background reading, he selects examples of gay pulp fiction from the 1940s through the 1970s, ranging from the surprisingly literary to campy porn. I worried that the excerpt approach would be frustrating, but Bronski has a real knack for setting the scene, and the excerpts are all satisfying on their own. Given that most of these novels are hard to find (now probably more so), this is a tremendous resource.

Second, he offers an introductory essay bursting with insight & nuanced introductions to every piece (often with tantalizing information about the writers). At the back, perhaps most valuable of all, he puts together an annotated timeline of highlights of gay male literature 1940-1969 which discusses works by the writers included in the book as well as more literary work (Genet, Vidal, Baldwin, etc.). It's an essential resource for those looking for further reading.

The later pieces are often pornographic, campy and silly (very entertaining, occasionally dark or hard-core) while some of the earlier pieces are generally more thoughtful, even literary, though sometimes downbeat. Bronski's selections always emphasize what was exceptional or unique for the time. *None* of these pieces are routine. My personal favorites are "Sam," "Spur Piece," "Lost on Twilight Road," "The Boys of Muscle Beach," "Song of the Loon," and "Gay Revolution" (in which the world is turning gay, Body Snatcher-style). "Maybe--Tomorrow" is hilarious yet somehow brilliant. ("Muscle Beach" & "Gay Whore" are also hysterical.) My excitement about gay literature has been completely renewed. Bronski has eschewed the stuffy (often depressing) "classics" angle for a poppier approach of the smartest kind. At a minimum, every gay discussion group should read this book, but it should also appeal to adventurous non-gay readers.

Just after the end of World War II, a small literary movement began, unnoticed to most of the public: the gay pulp novel. From quiet novels about homosexual relationships post-WWII to the psycho-analytic and sexually charged writings of the Sexual Revolution to the more speculative and activist writings post-Stonewall, Author Michael Bronski has drawn from extensive research and a large collection of pulp novels to give an in-depth look at this almost hidden movement. Through this anthology, the reader not only sees a history of the gay literature but of societal views concerning homosexuality and how they have progressively changed.

Bronski has chosen to cite only a few chapters from specific works to point out the pulp styles as they changed with the times. At first, I thought I would be put off by this, but instead, it has interested me enough to try to find copies of some of these works, many of which have not been in publication since the 1950s and 1960s. One selection of note is from "The Gay Haunt" by Victor Jay. Kind of a gay "Blithe Spirit," even the snippet that was included in this book had me laughing hysterically.

This is a fascinating read, most definitely worth your reading.

Gathered together in one annual anthology are erotic stories that have appeared in many of the nearly 60 gay men's magazines across the country.

An anthology that really sizzles. These stories are hot and generally well written. With the exception of two of the stories they scorched the pages. Definitely one of the better erotica compilations and definitely recommended if snuggling up in bed by yourself.

This book shows what some have to deal with and what their friends have to suffer. Everyone lies and just about everyone gets hurt. It's sad but makes the point that you can't trust too many people.

I don't know why no on has written about this book yet? A great read for all middle school and high schoolers. One will face the question asked in the underline message in this book: Who can you trust? A new best friend or your favorite teacher. Readers will understand the main character's candor when she is faced with stating the "truth" even if it means hurting the one she cares for.

True or False ??? This is the question eigth-graders must answer through the haze of rumor and innuendo. The youth readers will learn the dangers of gossip, as it erupts into a firestorm and randomly consumes its participants. Adult readers don't run away. Lessons learned here are relevant for all age groups. Years of life experience will not exempt one from the temptation to gossip. Whether inadvertantly or deliberately, gossip and rumor has its consequences. Once in the public square it becomes hard to withdraw or correct. Adults would benefit from a degree of self-evaluation and introspection, while reading this book.

Did you ever think that there was no such thing as a true rumor? Think again! This is what happened to Alex, Tim, and Simon. ALl three of them are best friends except Simon is a teacher. Alex and Tim are his [...]students and the all know eachother very well. Friction by E.R. Frank is fiction because although this is not a true story, the event taken place may still happen.
Alex is a very generous person. She has many good qualities such as being really good at soccer and rooting for world peace. She likes Tim a lot and he likes her too. But, rather than have the whole school find out, the just don't talk about it. Alex is also very good friends with her teacher Simon. This later creates problems in the story because of Stacey, the new girl. Stacey is also one of the main characters and she is a real punk! She thinks that she is so cool just because she lives a huge house and has lots of friends. Another thing is she has a tongue ring. Its pretty disgusting. At first Stacey seems really nice, but the rumors she spreads are not so nice. Alex always tries to comprimise with her, but Stacey never listens. Simon also does some pretty bad things throughout the story as well.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to keep reading and reading. This book is also for people who can relate to problems like bad rumors and struggling to find solutions. I also recommend this book to people who can relate ot real world difficulties, such as bad rumors and the struggle to find solutions to problems.

The inside flap of this book claims it is for children "12 and up." However, after reading it, I cannot help but think it is most suitable for an eight year old---at least, it sounds like it was written by one. The plot is predictable and dull, not to mention the characters are native and annoying. Alex is the type of girl who still believes in cooties, while Stacey is annoying just for the sake of it. Many parts of the story seemed to be in there to fill space (something this story should have despertaly avoided), not to mention the conculsion was heartily unsatisfactory.

This book is geared too much towards IT process changes and can never escape its software base of knowledge to address general business process change in a meaningful way. It was required reading for a business process improvement class and I never went beyond the required reading because it just wasn't useful. This might be useful for an IT project lead but anyone else would be better served by any one of the many books on Toyota, Six Sigma, or Lean.

It came in on time and in the condition stated. Would buy from this seller again.

This is a very good book. I am a Data Warehouse / Business Analysis Architect and one of the keys to my profession is maximizing technology in order to solve business problems. Harmon writes about how IT is a key enabler of BPM.

Harmon really does a good job of documenting the importance of BPM and process redesign, rather than wholesale reengineering of processes through the implementation of ERP systems. Harmon writes about how business processes can be considered assets of a corporation. This is important. Another key thread in the book is that all processes in an organization should map back to the value propositions of the company and therefore map directly to strategic goals.

Mapping all processes to the value propositions of the company is important to ensure that nothing the company does is done solely for the sake of the institution, but maps to a business goal.

This book was recommended by several of my lean consulting friends, who specialize in agile project management, as an excellent source for documenting and analyzing process workflows in complex environments. I agree, this book is a must read for people tasked with redesigning informational workflows in service systems. I have read it twice and continue to learn new ways to analyze business processes.

When I purchased the book early 2003 I agreed with most of the reviews.

However, having it read again. It really shows that a lot of stuff has been outdated and certainly requires updating.

Especially on the new trends like Six Sigma, compliance and innovative technology solutions.

Around 1990, business reached one of those tipping points that change everything: You could now add knowledge, expertise, and capability better and more cheaply by involving those outside your organization than you could by building up your organization internally.

Authors John Hagel III and John Seely Brown focus on a few elements of this change as it had developed into management practices by 1995, outline the benefits of going in this direction, and describe what to do in broad outlines.

They build the book around five big themes:

1. Process outsourcing and offshoring provide access to specialization that you cannot otherwise match.

2. Flexible connections with suppliers, customers, and distributors allow you to make the most of these relationships.

3. Letting outsiders help establish the plan and agenda allows you to go in more productive directions than if your organization calls all of the shots.

4. Strategy development has to shift towards building capabilities from these dimensions. Prior approaches to strategy development are largely obsolete.

5. Shifting IT architecture and software to permit rapid flexibility in adding connections to other organizations.

The book will remind you of a shorter version of Michael Porter's books on competitive advantage and competitive strategy, except with a changed focus on developing capabilities. The book also shares Porter's affinity for using abstractions and general language that makes it hard to follow the arguments in the book. Also like Porter, you won't find very many examples.

What I found most inexplicable about the book is the authors that ignored the broader topic of continuing business model innovation (the issues presented here are just a subset of those opportunities) and the newer ways that companies are accessing new knowledge and capabilities (such as through the worldwide contests conducted by Goldcorp and Procter & Gamble). Indeed, I was shocked to see none of the most successful business model innovators cited in the book. Instead, there are lots of references to narrow studies that describe obsolete practices for strategy and implementation.

But if you want to learn how to rapidly throw together a global sourcing and distribution network for a large company that can be flexibly changed as the needs arise, this book is an excellent resource.

I recently heard John Hagel present on this book. In the book John and his co-author John Seely Brown discuss how recent changes in the world will force, indeed are forcing, companies to change how they think about offshoring and outsourcing, innovation and even their core business processes. They describe how a combination of "Converging forces generate margin squeeze" where those forces are digital technology (driving down interaction costs) and public policy (deregulation, trade and market liberalization and globalization). These trends are certainly real and visibly changing our world as we watch. Not only can "Customers can access more information about more vendors, negotiate more effectively with still more vendors, and switch from one vendor to another whenever they find greater value" but companies have more options for how to piece together the resources they need to do business. These new conditions and options, though, require companies to change the way they plan, operate and turn a profit and it is these changes that the book mostly discusses. The authors argue that these trends and opportunities are actually changing what it means to be a company. Redefining the role of the firm from economizing on market transactions, the original raison d'etre of most companies, to one of accelerating knowledge and capability growth.

The book does a good job of showing how some companies are competing in ways that would be unimaginable just a few years ago and the authors lay out a compelling case that companies who do not respond to these new threats and opportunities are taking an enormous risk. Whether or not you believe the change will be as widespread as the book implies, the changes are real and will impact your business to at least some degree and this makes the book worth reading.

The book is extremely poorly written. Very difficult to read. The ideas are not new. Don't buy it.

John Hagel is a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company. For two decades, John Seely Brown was Executive Director of the legendary Palo Alto Research Center. The authors argue that the only sustainable edge is to generate shareholder value through constant innovation. Current approaches to strategic thinking are inadequate to the task.

The book has one irritating quality and one large value for Board members.

This is a small booked packed with lots of ideas. I was distracted by the use of "new words" to describe old concepts. It is almost as though the authors are trying to invent a new vocabulary using concepts that could be best explained in plain English. Examples of this business psychobabble include "radical incrementalism," "performance fabrics," "process networks," and "productive friction." These are really not new concepts but they have invented new words. I want to read a business book that would help me improve my company's effectiveness. I didn't sign up to learn a new language.

The good news is that Boards and CEOs ought to carefully consider their matrixed approach to talking about strategy. They call this matrixed approach "dynamic specialization."

The current fad is to talk about business models organized along industry lines. The authors argue that industry focus is insufficient for a proper conversation about strategy. Within that industry-focused model, there needs to be a second strategic focus.

They see this new strategic focus along three dimensions:

Infrastructure Management. Financial services, pharmaceuticals, and the computer industry are already structured in significant ways along these lines. State Street Corporation is an example of a company that services the financial services industry but its value clearly revolves around infrastructure management. UPS revolves around infrastructure management of logistics. An infrastructure management theme works well for relatively routine, high volume business activities.

Product Innovation. Specialized biotech companies are taking on more of R&D activities so that large pharmaceutical companies can focus on scale intensive manufacturing and distribution. There are specialty design shops that serve the fashion industry. There are specialty semiconductor design shops that serve the electronics industry.

Customer Relationship. These firms concentrate on identifying target customer segments, getting to know that segment very well, and using its resources to mobilize third party products and services to address the needs of their customers. Physicians who practice general medicine, financial planners, real estate agents, and attorneys all provide this framework. Accenture is a company with this type of framework.

From a strategic perspective, most companies today like to say that they do all three types of services within their walls. But each approach requires different economics, different skills, and different cultures. When Boards accept the CEOs notion that all three models are appropriate in the strategic mix, the inevitable implication is sub optimization of one or all of these strategies.

This sub optimization increases company vulnerability to its more focused competitors.


Laurence J. Stybel
Boardoptions.com
lstybel@boardoptions.com

Not being a specialist in business strategy I thought there was a lot of great material with excellent insights and analysis in this book, but I would have liked to see more examples or case studies that supported their views. I was suprised that after a slow start the sections on dynamic specialization and productive friction were brilliant and I think even surpass Clayton Christenson's anaylsis of the mechanisms of innovation inside corporate cultures.

In the early parts of the book, particularly the acknowledgements, it appeared that this might be another treatise on how great outsourcing is, but no matter where one stands on the issue it's established that it's a fact of life for corporate america and that the business strategy to leverage specialization outside your core competencies is going to determine future success. To take Paul Graham's analogy a bit further" "Companies are going to learn about outsourcing and specialization the same way a gene pool learns about new environmental conditions."

There's a lot of great insight to take away from The Sustainable Edge, though I wish there were more examples that illustrate their ideas.