Analyzing Your Business

Another area of critical concern is new product introductions. Too often, the seductive excitement of bringing out a series of new products leads to glossing over a key goal will they make a greater return on investment than you made before the introductions The single most important thing you can do when introducing a new product is to establish positive cashflow by not later than 

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Design the quality system from the top down by analyzing your business processes and then implement from the bottom up, starting with customer complaints. 

Go to the cuiTent business press and find an article on a company touted as an up-and-coming star. Analyze the company in terms of the good-to-great criteria discussed in the chapter and predict whether you believe the company s rise is sustainable or unsustainable. Write a short essay explaining your answer. 

When faced with a conflict, two major, related questions need to be answered Is this conflict important to me How do I know whether the situation is imperative to address Ury et al. (1988) gauge the answers to these questions in terms of transaction cost. The authors reason that in conflict, like in business, you want to minimize the costs. You need to consider the time cost, actual money cost, opportunity cost, and property cost and then determine the course of action that minimizes them. The answers also factor in satisfaction, long-term effects on relationships, and durability of a solution. For you, it may be helpful to analyze the person s relationship to you. Is this a significant relationship Will you have to deal with this person in the future Do you want things to work out In the case of a family member, boss, subordinate, or colleague, the answer is usually yes. With other scenarios such as a rude street vendor or casual acquaintance, the answer might be no. If this is your decision, there is no need to continue further. 

Know your customer. A customer is a complex business organization having many and varied problems, needs, and desires. Analyze, define, and fill these needs. 

Just as any dollar invested in the business is analyzed for ROI, so must dollars spent in the name of safety. In a nutshell, ROI is a type of scorekeeping for your safety program. 

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