Harvard Business Review

JUNE 29, 2016

Sky Futures, a third-party drone services company that specializes in such inspections, works with oil companies, such as BP, Shell, Statoil, and Conoco Philips, and has raised $9.5 Airlines Easyjet and Lufthansa have adopted drones as a tool for aircraft inspections. million in investment capital in just the past year.

Competitive Advantage 10

Competitive Advantage Company Outsourcing Analysis 10

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 30, 2017

Sears Holdings has indicated that “substantial doubt” exists about its ability to continue operations. While the announcement, made in the company’s recent annual report, seems to be a white flag of surrender, it could just be a yellow warning light. The company says it is taking action to ensure its future viability.

Retail 8

Retail Brand Airlines Apparel 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

In a recent strategy meeting we attended with the leaders of a Fortune-500 company, the word “culture” came up 27 times in 90 minutes. How to Be a Company That Employees Love. Take for example the airline industry. We saw this play out in retail, banking, telecommunications, and the fast food industry as well.

Motivation 8

Motivation Company Airlines Learning-by-Doing 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 8, 2015

Eighteen years ago, five airline companies—Lufthansa, Air Canada, United Airlines, Thai Airways and Scandinavian Airlines—formed an alliance with a vision to offer better services to their customers. Even when dealing with any one airline, they could enjoy access to the resources of several airlines.

Airlines 8

Airlines Hotels Operations Open-book 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

The service companies that thrived coming out of the Great Depression — think Macy's and Disney — figured out how to take care of their customers in a climate of fear and uncertainty. It turns out winning service companies aren't great at everything. Use airline check-in kiosks for inspiration.

Airlines 15

Airlines Call Center Retail Bottom-up 15

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 22, 2015

Since the late nineteenth century, we have seen five distinct movements in the way companies compete. Many companies still compete this way and there continue to be successors to Taylorism, including business process reengineering and lean production. Edwards Deming , who introduced quality as a way of life for Japanese companies.

Six Sigma 8

Six Sigma Company Lean Production Taylorism 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 21, 2010

Although dampened somewhat by the economic climate and job uncertainty , the five+ weeks from late November through the end of the calendar year represent more than $500 billion in sales — or approximately 40% of the entire year's retail revenue in the U.S. Even automobile companies and airlines seem to have learned this lesson.

Productivity 15

Productivity Products Supply Chain Airlines 15

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 26, 2011

And while these companies were the first to acknowledge the business benefits of delivering a great customer experience, business-to-business (B2B) organizations are increasingly getting in on the game. Often, the best way for B2B companies to satisfy the multitude of business customers is to focus on the needs of their customers' customers.

B2B 15

B2B Airlines Travel Stage-Gate 15

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 12, 2016

We see positioning in the airline industry. Australia, for instance, has three main domestic airlines: Qantas, Jetstar (Qantas’s no-frills line), and Virgin, which started out as no-frills and has since chased the business-class, high-margin segment. That’s not the story in the clothing industry. But go further.

Business Model 8

Business Model Airlines Retail Travel 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 15, 2012

That's why I've begun to encourage senior leaders of companies, executives who run business units or departments, even mid-level managers who are responsible for a specific brand, to step back and take time (probably much longer than twenty minutes) and write their organization's obituary. What legacy did your company leave in its industry?

Company 11

Company Brand Banking Long-term 11

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 2, 2014

The art of endurance can be studied in some of the world’s oldest companies. The company has been around for over 250 years. It started life as an ironworks company, pursued vertical integration by entering coal, eventually moved into pressed steel wheels before diversifying into front wheel drive technology and beyond.

Competitive Advantage 9

Competitive Advantage Airlines Telecommunications Long-term 9

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 26, 2012

Welcome to problem #1 for retailers: The company knows that a potential customer has interacted with it across a lot of touch points but it has no idea that all these interactions are with Jane. Retailers are desperate to unlock this intelligence so they can make more personalized offers. Be systematic. Fill in the data holes.

Retail 12

Retail Loyalty Customer Loyalty ROI 12

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

on devices that retail for less than $250. This discount is directly targeted to tablet makers (to be more competitive against iPads) as well as notebook manufacturers (to take on rivals that use Google’s Chrome operating system). They’d drop fares on all of their daily flights on the city pairs served by the discount airline.

Discount 8

Discount Airlines Price Licensing 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 20, 2016

After all, investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase are assigned to monitor specific industries, speak up in companies’ quarterly conference calls, help execute deals and transactions, and advise corporate clients. Only the latter strategy produces good results for both company shareholders and employees.

Long-term 8

Long-term Airlines Health Care Short-term 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 27, 2011

Credit cards are convenient, document purchases, include various types of insurances, allow up to 60 interest-free days of float, and provide miles on my favorite airline, JetBlue. As a result, I'd patronize retailers that offer cash discounts over those with higher "same cash or credit" prices. I'm eager to hear your opinions.

Price 12

Price Discount Cost-Benefit Analysis Retail 12

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 20, 2010

On-line exchanges for barters, swaps, and sharing of goods or services have made direct connections possible, sometimes without much money changing hands beyond a fee to the exchange-operator. How could every school have a garden to supply salads to companies in exchange for school supplies?

Finance 15

Finance Strategy Banking Retail 15

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

For example, same-store sales or sales per square foot measure success in the retail industry, and various volume measures do it in commodity industries. Companies in industries facing change have to change their key metrics, often before the new reality is clear. For years, U.S. Know your metrics and the behaviors they drive.

Metrics 8

Metrics Business Model Retail Automotive 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 13, 2014

Every CEO of a large company worries about the small competitor that will come from behind and change everything. Consider Southwest Airlines, which shook up the airline industry with its low-cost, high-customer service approach to air travel. What makes it work for our company? Who is that David to our Goliath?”.

Health Care 8

Health Care Innovation Airlines Retail 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 9, 2013

The news wasn''t terribly surprising as 2012 had been a challenging year: sales were down by $4.3B, the company lost close to $1B, and its stock price dropped by more than 50%. Both Macy''s and American Airlines previously tried to stop discounting in favor of everyday low prices, but quickly had to retreat due to poor customer reception.

Merchandising 8

Merchandising Discount Retail Price 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

I also argued in my last post that the CEO has a critical and unique role to play in process improvement, enabling a companys activities to be redesigned across functions and divisions. But if board members conclude that their companys vitality depends on process improvement, what kind of CEO should they choose?

Process 15

Process CEO Insurance Banking 15

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Wharton Business School professor Ian MacMillan wrote in a 1997 HBR article that companies seeking to differentiate themselves should examine every element of the customer value chain to find opportunities for improvement. In the 15 years since the article was written, this has become increasingly common practice.

Airlines 8

Airlines Banking Creativity Brand 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 16, 2010

Participants came from retail, financial services, packaged goods, and high tech. In the 1970s and 1980s, Herb Kelleher, founder and CEO of Southwest Airlines, personified it. Still, most companies don't operate by the Golden Rule. This heady event was sponsored by Arnold Worldwide, Marketing50, and Spencer Stuart.

Forrester 15

Forrester Retail Media CEO 15

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 18, 2016

A retailer’s point of sale (POS) system falls into that category. With this model, an investment can be defined as strategic, key operational, support, or high potential. Key operational investments sustain existing business operations, helping to avoid any disadvantage.

Tools 8

Tools Competitive Advantage Operations Technology 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

I recently argued that in industries such as distribution and logistics (Amazon, FedEx, UPS), process manufacturing (Exxon), insurance (Aetna), restaurants (McDonald's), and retail banking (Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo), continuous process improvement is essential. The company was too big for that.".

Process 15

Process CEO Operations Banking 15

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 7, 2018

Its other key stakeholders were distributors; customers-retail; customers-industrial/food service; consumers; and employees. ” Getting to grips with the full extent of the customers’ expectations led to insight which drove the company’s strategy. .” The reason?

Strategic Planning 15

Strategic Planning Planning Document Airlines 15

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 20, 2016

I’m talking about the superconsumers who are inside your organization, working at every level: the fashionista who works in the mail room at the headquarters of an apparel company, or the finance manager who works for a pork brand and who eats three pounds of bacon in any given week. So find them, ask questions, and let them help you.

Airlines 8

Airlines Energy Self-aware Learning Curve 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 4, 2017

And that’s not just social media accounts; it’s bank accounts, retailer gift card accounts with cash and credit cards attached, airline loyalty accounts with years of accumulated frequent flyer points, and other accounts with real value. Shore up your company’s first line of defense. Insight Center.

ROI 9

ROI Long-term Banking System 9

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 19, 2018

Why is that some companies have great heads of strategy who make an outstanding contribution to their companies while others don’t? Consider Staples, the office-supplies retailer, which had tumbled from being the market leader to being a third of the new leader’s size by 1992. alicemoi/Getty Images.

Strategy 8

Strategy Chief Financial Officer Short-term Chief Information Officer 8

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 17, 2016

It takes a special kind of company, from the CEO on down, to make a low-price position sustainable and profitable. The skills and traits to pull that off — such as cost-consciousness, relentless efficiency, and customer-driven design — must be anchored in the company and its culture from the very beginning.

Price 8

Price Airlines Govindarajan Advertising 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 9, 2013

It’s proving to be an eventful year for AirAsia, the Kuala Lumpur-based airline that has emerged as Asia’s most successful low-cost carrier in recent times. Doing so provides focus, reduces complexity, and enables companies to collaborate with different partners to meet their goals. AirAsia’s experience is instructive.

Long-term 8

Long-term Airlines Guidelines Cooper 8

Strategy Driven

OCTOBER 4, 2013

The insightful companies examine their own backyards… applying the discussions, uncoverings and applicabilities to how they will better manage in the future. Any company or organization is like a tree. Companies had to overcome the poorly handled crises, as well as mount their own proactive strategies. by Hank Moore.

Crisis 65

Crisis Airlines Transportation Crisis Management 65

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 11, 2017

Among those that have met that fate in recent months are initiatives at Target, Alaska Airlines, Coca-Cola, the New York Times, and Chubb. The problem isn’t that large companies lack good ideas. At many companies, new innovation initiatives get the blessing of the CEO — but have little interaction with the business units.

Project 11

Project Innovation Press Release Survey 11

Harvard Business Review

JULY 22, 2016

” Companies that go this route use preexisting digital platform tools to engage their networks. Airline JetBlue has turned its Twitter account into a highly responsive, 24/7 customer service line. British retailer ASOS also maintains a popular Instagram account. Think about this option as digital platform “lite.”

Real Estate 8

Real Estate Business Model Incubator Short-term 8

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 28, 2015

Companies were split into divisions, each with their own leadership. Even Brian admits that holacracy isn’t for everyone (I’m still not sure I would want to work in a company that adopted it), but I think every manager could benefit from a better understanding of the problems that it is trying to solve.

Groupthink 8

Groupthink Agility Diversity Retail 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

But what does it mean, in terms of daily tasks, to be the company’s top “executer?” But the best CEOs know that strategy is just theory unless it’s actually translated into frontline routines―unless the rest of the company actually is executing the strategy. It’s written right into your title.

CEO 8

CEO Class Chief Executive Officer Strategy 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 30, 2014

McKinsey research shows that companies with advanced marketing and sales capabilities tend to grow their revenue two to three times more than the average company within their sector. The company shifted resources to its most lucrative markets, where two-thirds of the opportunity lay. A cargo airline provides another example.

Marketing 11

Marketing Guidelines B2C Analysis 11

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

When a new employee is hired under this typical scenario and shows up the first day, the company tells her what work needs to be done and shows her how to act. How to Be a Company That Employees Love. buying an airline ticket or configuring a printer). In a model like this, the job is just a means to an end. Insight Center.

Power 8

Power Outsourcing Self-aware Airlines 8