metrics

Since 1994, at least nine books have been published dealing with the topic of agility or agile manufacturing. The first book, published in 1994 was my own, Agile Manufacturing: Forging New Frontiers (Addison-Wesley). The ninth, published in 1999, entitled The Agile Virtual Enterprise: Cases, Metrics and Tools (Quorum Books) is by Ted Goranson. I have all nine on my bookshelf and I have read them all! Books two through to eight (I won't mention them by name) all have one common specific feature - they are largely unrelated to each other. They are also not much related to the topic of agility either, but that's another story. Moreover, books two to eight are not much related to books one or nine. In fact there is a massive gap, nay gulf! However there is a common thread between the first and the ninth book.

In Agile Manufacturing: Forging New Frontiers I insisted (and I still do) that there were no agile firms. Also I was keen to point out that the notion that one could figure things out in advance and then design a strategy or an enterprise configuration based on this specification was, dead in the water. This approach simply does not work well when one is faced with significant change and uncertainty. In this kind of environment a whole new approach is needed. Ted Goranson's book makes a significant contribution to the development of this new way of working.

To be found in Ted's book are accounts of the development of virtual enterprise from the days of whaling and the importance of trust, lightweight agreements and case law in supporting the formation of agile virtual enterprises. Also to be found are discussions on what agility is and what agility is not, and why agility is important, along with comments about how agility relates to flexibility, electronic commerce and lean production. There is a detailed Agile Virtual Enterprise Reference Model and also descriptions of some agile virtual enterprise practices based on a number of case studies. From these case studies comes confirmation that agility tends to be isolated within specific parts of a firm and is often fortuitous and unplanned. These agile practices are not institutionalised and are not part of some grand agility strategy.

The book makes an important contribution to measuring agility. There is a detailed description of a modelling technique, based on communicative acts, that allows one to generate simple metrics that one can use to establish and compare the agility of different candidate processes that form part of the Agile Virtual Enterprise Reference Model. This is a novel and useful development.

This book contains a lot of substantial material and is very stimulating. The only minor point of criticism is that the description of flexibility does not make use of the frameworks and literature on that subject. I believe this would have helped to improve the positioning of agility in relation to flexibility. However, the theory of agility is still very much in the early stages of development, and this omission just highlights the fact that a significant amount of work still remains to be done on the development of agility theory.

I have no reservations about recommending this book. This is the first time that I have been able to do so, because quite frankly, most of the other books dealing with the topic of agility are embarrassments and do nothing at all to recommend the topic to industry managers. Ted Goranson's book is a milestone in the development of the topic and should help people to better understand the subject, as well as help them to deal with the real and pressing problem of unexpected change.

Paul T. Kidd

This book offers a impressive review and explanation of agility and virtualness, describing through the examples how these both concepts influenced our past, present and future.

I am personally using it as a reference for establishing in Brazil a Virtual Organization as well as for my under and post-graduation courses.

I highly recommend this book for people who really intend and need a strong basys for working with agility and virtualness.

Congratulations for Ted Goranson for this excellent work.

Agility is a term that is ventilated for a long time in the academic and some business community. However, so far the question remains broadly unanswered on what it really is about and what difference Agility makes.

This book makes a difference, saying that agility is about managing dynamic change and what consequences this has for the entire company management.

Ted Goranson does a great job in giving the reader strong pictures and cases about Agility first. But he does not simply stay with some (war-)story telling. Instead he ventures to develop general concepts and models with scientific rigour.

Linking his models to existing mainstream theories and some innovative developments allows him to show, what agility is - and what it is not.

And it allows him to trace the consequences of becoming agile into such distinct management functions as corporate finance, human resource management, manufacturing and innovation or information systems.

A book invaluable for all, who plan to apply the concept of agility and even more for those who develop methods, tools and system to support agile enterprises.

This is a well-written book. While containing
cutting-edge topics in analysis on metric spaces,
it is also accessible to students who have had
a good course in measure theory, a reasonable course
in topology, and a nodding aquaintance with
functional analysis!

this book may well save the universe

this book may well save the universe

"Metric for Me!" is an easy-to-read, fun, and practical introductory book on the metric system, and it includes a colorful reference wall chart. Robert Shoemaker's conversational style and witty observations make for a friendly and interesting reading experience. The hands-on exercises with their every-day applications are ideal for either classroom or individual learning. The brief, yet very informative, "Technological Supplement" extends the book's scope to such engineering-related quantities as fuel efficiency and pressure. Throughout, the emphasis is on using metric units without converting back and forth to other obsolete units.

Gary P. Carver, former director of the federal government's Metric Program Office.

In the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Metric Programs,we maintained comprehensive libraries of literature and tools used to teach and to learn the metric system. Almost all drew focus on the mathematical relationship of metric units to their inch-pound equivalents through use of conversion tables.

This book and chart, instead, relates metric units of measurement to objects and modules familiar in our everyday lives. Understanding is achieved by familiar visualization rather than by mathematical conversion. Anyone who has lived or traveled extensively abroad knows that this is how they became comfortable with metric measure.

Use of this approach, especially in our school systems, would help people of all ages become more comfortable with the measurement system used by the rest of an ever, more interdependent world.

Metric For Me! is a very useful book for the layman seeking tolearn the basic units of the metric system for everyday use: themeter, liter and gram. It can be used for self-instruction or by educators as a classroom text. An accompanying wall chart entitled All You Need To Know About The Metric System For Everyday Use (which is frequently referred to in the text) is a valuable adjunct to learning. The chart may be purchased separately. The book is a practical, concentrated short-course focused on teaching the three measurement units. It is a "learn-by-doing" text with no conversions between metric and inch-pound units. This is the best way to learn the metric system. Each major section contains a series of hands-on exercises, review problems (with answers), and estimating activities which provide practice and help the learner build an understanding of metric-system concepts. It stresses learning by building a frame-of-reference so the learner can visualize the sizes of metric units. The book clearly explains use of the decimal system with metric-system units and the symbols that are used to represent the units. It is also a workbook, structured so the student can write answers to practice problems directly in the book.Other short sections of this text include: information about the history and development of the metric system; a short discussion of the superiority of the metric system over other measurement systems, including its simplicity and logic; rationale for the U.S. transition to metric-system usage; and a brief discussion of Celsius temperature. For educators using the book as a classroom text, there is a suggested schedule for structuring the course as well as directions for obtaining an instructor's manual. Most equipment and supplies needed for doing the exercises can be found in the average home. But, unless the book is studied in a classroom setting where metric measuring equipment is available, for self-instruction the learner needs to obtain (or have access to) a metric measuring tape, a meterstick, a metric scale for weighing small items, and a bathroom-type scale for body weight (mass).A 10-rating was given, because for the intended purpose of the book, which is learning to understand and use the meter, liter and gram, the text (especially when used with the chart) provides total instruction necessary for the learner to achieve this goal easily and quickly.

I reviewed this book and although I am many years past elementary school math, I felt it would have been a real asset if I would have had access to it when in school. It is well written and easy to follow. The rulers included are an added benefit. I have recommended it to many teachers that I know.

This book was great, even I benefited from it. My daughter, who is 11, really learned a lot about measuring and so did I! It was easy to follow and made learning easy and fun. I've suggested to my daughter's school and they are planning on ordering it for some of there classes next year.

Great book!! Every child should beg their teacher to get this book. It is amazing to me that so many children even in High School do not have a clue how to measure. To add further insult to this issue, they hate math. I feel if more children had the opportunity to learn this basic method so simply demonstrated in this workbook more would have success with further math studies.

This is a wonderful book I have ever come across in structural engineering. Professors Shames & Dym deserve all praise for the amount of hard work, they have put in it. This book covers almost all essentials required for structural engineers especially who are involved in reseach as I am, in the field of advanced solid mechanics, theory of plates and further in finite element analysis. The way calculus of variation has been discussed with the help of comprehensive examples is magnificent.I am highly influenced by this book while taking courses for theory of elasticity, theory of elastic stability, theory of plates and fininte element.

I really like this book. It help me a lot in additional knowledge in structural mechanics. It gives a very good approach on the energy method as well as the calculus of variations. Although i would not recommend this book for studying about calculus of variations (not a book for beginner`s in this field). The book gives good details about beams (and other not so well known theories and approaches for solutions) and also plates. It deals with shear deformation as well as buckling. This book is recommended not only for civil engineering students but also for mechanical engineering. The book also provided basics for finite element analysis. But the approach of the discussion for the FEM should not be considered for an introductory course. All in all for what i`m looking for this book (mainly about plates) it is fairly complete. It is a very good book and very satisfying to read.

It is the most stunning piece of literature ever. My friends and I decided to read it for our book club, and were absolutely blown away. Go, tell your friends! Buy it for the holidays, it's a great stocking stuffer. Now my friends and i write our emails to each other our newly written Latin poems. It is a great resource, and a true treasure.

I think that this book is the most amazing latin meter book in the world.... David Califf is awesome!!!! I think everyone should buy it even if they don't speak the language... WOOOO WOOOO! Go Latin III !!!!!

It is a very well written text.It also includes chapters in advanced mechanics of materials field. I strongly recommend this book to ones who are interested in this field more than elemantary level.

I am surprised to see no reviews for this great book. This is one of those books which will be totally over your head the first time around. But if you don't lose heart and keep at it, you will realise it is a treasure trove. The style is extremely concise. What is said in 20 pages in other books gets about 5 pages, but beautifully. Read a sentence,contemplate over it and you will get it. Some of the example problems and explanations are so practical and simple, you will wonder why you should ever read another book. But you will need another book before this book starts to make any sense.

Its not your typical review that begins by praising the book's bibliography. But, then again, this isn't your typical book. The authors highlight the books that helped them most during their efforts both to create the metrics program and write the book (some 31 sources) followed by the citation of some 185 more sources listed alphabetically. This is a thoroughly researched work.

Don't confuse thorough with academic or theoretical. Included is a whole chapter on selling your metrics program to management including suggested slides and a clear step-by-step list of points to emphasize. A metrics program is as much about people as it is about software and this books is careful to support ideas on both flanks.

If you are interested in starting a metrics program or are just interested how such programs work this is an excellent place to start. I highly recommend it.

This book, written in 1986, is as applicable today as it was when it was written over 14 years ago. To summarize, this book is a diary of the trials and tribulations of implementing a metrics program at Hewlett-Packard that is packed with practical advice that came from lesson's learned and a great roadmap to implementing a program of process improvement. The book addresses the difficulties and rewards of establishing an effective, viable metrics program. The authors clearly show the business and technical value that rewards the daunting effort, and guides the reader by providing an engaging saga that is easy to read packed with factual information. I was also struck by the excellent use of [the 144] charts that convey meaningful statistical information and portray data in a clear manner. Another nice surprise is the attention paid to metrics and how to effectively interpret and use them after a project transitions to production. Although I first read this book when it was originally published, it took 14 years of experience in the trenches to fully appreciate the message and content embodied within this book. I strongly recommend this book to the beginer and exerienced practitioner alike. If you have previously read this book I urge you to re-read it. Over the years I have learned and re-learned from this slim (288-page) book. I expect to spot additional gems of insight as I re-read it in the future. If you by one book on software metrics and process improvement, this is the one to get!

Sterne does a good solid job of presenting material nicely. He also talks about the important stuff. Sterne explains What to measure, how to measure it, when to measure it, but not why (i.e. what is the significance of measuring this particular metric?). Overall a real eye opener regarding web metrics and their importance in the overall value chain of the internet experience and success of the site.

As a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist I found this book to be an excellent resource to clarify the differences between website traffic analysis, search engine optimization and tracking business success metrics. I like to drive home to my employer that we need to focus on the goals of our sites and define our own metrics as to what success means. My interest is always, "How will this increase sales?"

This book makes very clear which numbers matter and why, including web traffic, sales and marketing. I especially like the focus on "actionable" intel: metrics are great but what do they tell us to DO differently? How will this give us a competitive advantage? What does it tell our sales people?

I recommend this book for newbies as well as pros. If you're a pro there is so much in this book that there has to be something new that will help you compete. If you're a newbie you will soon be talking like a pro. Career advantage. It is written so anyone can understand it in a kind of Dr. Phil tone. I also like that it uses examples from all sizes of companies instead of just telling me how Amazon and EBay did it - like we're all in that league.

There is a lot of information here, it will take you a while to read it. No I did not find every chapter riveting but I seldom find that in any non-fiction book. Many times however I put the book down, weighed the insights provided against how we do things presently and pondered how I could convey the points to the marketing department. If I can give the sales force an edge we all win.

A complete how-to book to determine the success of a Web site. Sterne clearly explains how to use metrics to quantify business goals. The tools, services, and techniques for measurement described in the book will be helpful for any e-business or other company with an Internet presence. A must-read.

This was the question many of our service line leaders asked when the CEO told us we would collect, analyze, and report our service metrics to the Board of Directors. The problem was that very few persons understood what was meant by the term "metrics". Dr. Frost does an excellent job of explaining the importance of measuring performance to improve efficiency, meet regulatory standards, improve communication, improve safety, and serve as a basis for recognition and achievement. In just over 90 pages and two hours, I was convinced that I could make a difference in my organization by understanding and using metrics. Precise and clear explainations of the terms "balanced scorecard", and "key performance measures" served as catalysts to help me decide what to measure and how to do it. This is an excellent primer for the more rigorous study of measurement and metric design.

I really enjoyed this book, especially for the price. It opened my eyes to how modern corporate measurements have been evoloving. My copy of this book has lots of sticky notes sticking out of it as there are a lot of novel points I want to go back to. The only bad thing about the book is that it is only 96 pages long. It is easy to read and makes a good reference book. I emailed the author a question and he quickly responded...added bonus.

This has to be one of the most sensible, best written books on performance measurement ever written. True, it's less than 100 pages and any single topic in the book would merit 100 pages, but the way the author clearly presents the information and his gift for explaining complex topics and concepts in simple terms makes this a valuable resource for those of us who never seem to catch up on our reading backlog.

Highlights: (1) Part 1's chapter on The Balanced Scorecard manages to capture the essence of Kaplan's and Norton's seminal book on that subject. (2) All of Part 2, including measurement models, defining metrics and the three-step method given by the author are invaluable tools. (3) Part 3's Using Metrics to Improve Performance is on the mark in each of the chapters. Likewise, Part 4's Advanced Metrics is excellent because the treatment of process and capability metrics makes these two topics understandable (I had a hard time grasping these topics in other books).

This book earns 5 stars and goes on my short list of books to recommend to clients and colleagues.