QUICKSTRATEGY

This book gives business leaders a comprehensive guide to direct their business strategy in rapidly changing markets.  It not only explains the theory of business strategy, but it also gives actual case studies applying the theory and relating strategic planning to managers’ day-to-day decision making.

Unlike many academic discussions on the subject of strategic planning, this book is written for business leaders who are looking for a quick method to direct their business strategy without sorting out the vague concepts and incantations of consultants and academics.

In the 1950’s, a collaborative study centered in Boston, MA with the involvement of a number of large U.S. corporations tried to identify those business characteristics that led to high financial returns on investment.

The study looked at a number of business variables including level of capital investment to sales, research and development, and selling expense to sales, etc.  If you were a participant in the study, you could access this data to help you understand how your business could improve its return on investment.  To many, the most striking outcome was that businesses in market leadership positions always seemed to generate much higher returns on investment. 

Kenneth R. Andrews in his book, The Concept of Corporate Strategy, published by Richard D. Irwin in 1971, followed with a concept that strategy was a match between a company’s strengths and weaknesses and the environment in which it did business.  The market leaders in the earlier study clearly had overwhelming strengths and few weaknesses, giving rise to their market position.  However, Andrews gave us little insight into how to apply his concepts to the variety of environments in which we do business.

Michael E. Porter’s book, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Free Press 1980, taught us that the structure of the industry determines the state of competition within that industry and establishes the basis for a company’s strategy.  He defined five forces that he claimed would determine the average profitability of the industry.  He emphasized the importance of choosing the right industry and, within that, the best market positions to maximize financial returns.  That’s good for stock pickers, but difficult to apply by those of us who are trying to run a business.

Various professors at major business schools and consulting firms have more recently emphasized “Core Competence” and company “Capabilities” as the basis for strategic planning.  The problem I have with core competence or capabilities in today’s fast moving business environment is what to do with my core competence and capabilities when the market shifts and they don’t lead to a performance or price advantage in the eyes of my customers. 

This book is written in a personal style based on the author’s 27 years of first-hand experience as a business owner, company president, and head of corporate development at several large diversified companies¨.  It begins with three case studies that show how the QuickStrategy™ methods are useful in reducing complex business strategies to a two-page summary.  These case studies are followed by an in-depth analysis of strategic planning concepts.  It concludes with a step-by-step guide to the use of the QuickStrategy forms that describe your markets and market strategy.  The author demonstrates a practical knowledge of what is necessary to develop winning strategies.