Study: 2009 REcession WILL SPUR PROFITABLE GROWTH THROUGH PRODuctivity and cost cutting

Senior financial executives from Fortune 1000 organizations say that driving profitable growth will remain a top priority in the upcoming recession, but that getting there will require a new approach. "Investing in revenue" will no longer be enough. Now it will take productivity improvements that deliver significant OpEx reductions. Read the full study. 

Do YOU FACE THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES?

The Greek myth about a would-be king reigning while not knowing of the pointed sword dangling by a thin thread talks to the precarious situation faced by firms today, especially those with overly lavish fixed cost structures. Is your firm effectively managing its fixed costs? Read this "point of view" to find out.

FEATURED CASE STUDY: WHAT REALLY WORKS – Realizing Sustainable Cost Reductions

Think your cost reduction programs have teeth? Guess again. Structural inefficiencies make that unlikely. This case study offers insights from a live, on-the-ground situation.

NINE QUESTIONS ABOUT COST CUTting that every cfo should know how to answer

More than any other leader, the CFO needs to be champion of game-changing cost reductions that create rather than destroy value. If you're serious about cost reduction, you should be sure your entire management team knows the answer to these nine questions. 

Closing the Business Planning Gap – How to Avoid the Disconnects that Threaten Growth

This white paper examines why business planning so often fails to deliver improved financial performance and growth. Based on research with senior executives across multiple industries, it shows how the right balance of “planning best practices” can close the gap between planning goals and business results.

Overcoming the Growth Plateau – Emphasizing the Right Entrepreneurial Practices to Achieve Sustained Growth

This white paper and its supporting study served as the basis for the “Sustaining Success: Overcoming Growth Plateaus” Alumni Entrepreneurship Conference at The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Using numerous examples from successful entrepreneurs, it describes four key business practices (and three secondary practices) that enable organizations to sustain or resuscitate strong growth.

Act Now – Indirect Spend is Where the Money Is

This “point of view” piece examines why too many organizations leave money on the table with their indirect spending. It shows how attractive indirect spend is as an area for cost-cutting, and summarizes the techniques that have helped Market Strategy Group clients achieve significant cost reduction – in one case, adding 3 cents to pre-tax EPS.

Building a Power Dashboard: Leaders Need it to Predict, Organizations Need it to Execute

This article shows why top management needs to take a second look at the executive dashboards used in their organizations. Too many organizations use dashboards that measure the wrong pieces of the business, use the wrong measures, and focus attention on the past rather than on what lies ahead. As a result, even though the best leaders can still “gut” out the right decisions, the vast middle of the organization is left adrift. And all leaders are denied the ability to detect upcoming changes and trends – something that well-designed dashboards provide to all levels of management. The article offers proven ideas and lessons learned with regard to building “power dashboards” that align business segments around market-focused measures that increase dashboard effectiveness and predictiveness. Included is a brief, 12-item diagnostic that helps leaders decide the extent to which their dashboards need rejuvenation or not.