article thumbnail

Fixing the World's Infrastructure Problems

Harvard Business Review

In Jakarta, from 2005-2009, the number of cars rose by 22% annually, while the distance of usable roads actually declined (PDF). South Korea''s Public and Private Infrastructure Investment Management Center has saved 35% on its infrastructure budget by rejecting 46% of the projects it reviews, compared with only 3% previously.

article thumbnail

A New Model for Innovation in Big Companies

Harvard Business Review

Masala also wanted everything to happen quickly — for the teams to work within very tight time and budget constraints, produce fast results, quantitatively analyze them, and to help Kuoni make the decisions required to take the ideas forward. Constraints encourage them to focus on their existing advantages and remain experimental.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Integrating Maintenance of Board Certification and Health Systems’ Quality-Improvement Programs

Harvard Business Review

To address this shortcoming, Mayo Clinic formed a partnership in 2009 with the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Pediatrics to create a pilot program: the Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program for Part IV MOC. Constraints on Health Care Budgets Can Drive Quality.

article thumbnail

A Transformation Is Underway at U.S. Veterans Affairs. We Got an Inside Look.

Harvard Business Review

billion, its budget in 2015 was slightly higher than the total gross sales of General Motors. For example, Scott Blackburn, an Army veteran and former McKinsey & Company partner was paired with Chief of Staff Robert Snyder, who joined VA in 2009 after a 26-year career in the Army, to lead the transformation and reorganization initiative.

article thumbnail

Filing for a Patent Versus Keeping Your Invention a Trade Secret

Harvard Business Review

Wyeth, a pharmaceutical acquired by Pfizer in 2009, was the sole supplier of Premarin. Budget constraints and the costs for filing a patent force a smart evaluation of your options. The drug, provided as a treatment for negative symptoms of menopause, became the most widely prescribed drug in the US and Canada during that time.