Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 17, 2013

FedEx’s competencies in digital and transportational networks are its innovation platforms. Who doubts Microsoft’s technical core competencies in software, networking and gaming technologies? JC Penney and its failed CEO Ron Johnson had many admirable and effective core retailing and merchandising core competencies.

Core Competence 8

Core Competence Prahalad Supply Chain Hamel 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 27, 2017

The bad news: Petabytes of new data and algorithmic innovation assure that “autonomy creep” will relentlessly challenge human oversight from within. At one American retailer, an autonomous ensemble of algorithms replaced the entire merchandising department. It’s a different kind of engineering.”

Outsourcing 8

Outsourcing Software CAPEX Competitive Advantage 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

Innovation is widely regarded as important to long-term business performance. So, to achieve higher performance, should company boards and investors choose CEOs with the expertise that would better qualify them to lead innovation? This work builds on earlier research into CEO qualifications.).

CEO 8

CEO Innovation Pharmaceuticals Merchandising 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Data science can enable wholly new and innovative capabilities that can completely differentiate a company. But those innovative capabilities aren’t so much designed or envisioned as they are discovered and revealed through curiosity-driven tinkering by the data scientists. Sounds great, right? – in order to get more focus.

Learning-by-Doing 10

Learning-by-Doing Engineering Metrics Cost 10

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

It has sophisticated functions that together manage user-generated content, the in-depth tracking of consumer buying behavior, and the innovation of new features based on the resulting insights. Their leaders are officers with titles like Chief Risk Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, and Chief Growth Officer. Frito-Lay Inc.,

Supply Chain 8

Supply Chain Real Estate Short-term Merchandising 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 26, 2017

Each of these companies has aligned and integrated its culture and brand to create a powerful engine of competitive advantage and growth. As the industry moved toward an emphasis on customer service and merchandising, the company fell behind, because its employees were focused more on increasing inventory turns and sales per square foot.

Brand 8

Brand Company Operations Merchandising 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

They’re more productive , more profitable , more innovative , and they pay better. And academic research has found that rising industry concentration correlates with the patent-intensity of an industry, suggesting “that the industries becoming more concentrated are those with faster technological progress.”

Software 8

Software Company Competitive Advantage Henderson 8