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Organizations facing financial difficulty often resort to tried-and-true
fixes such as reorganizations, staff reductions, or new marketing campaigns. But
for many companies these are stopgap solutions that do nothing to rectify the
real problem -- an outdated business model ill equipped to deal with the pressures
of business in the New Economy, a world where flexibility and adaptability are
vital components of success. The concept of Business
Darwinism provides a framework and a new operating model for meeting today's business
demands while preparing for tomorrow's possibilities. Future success demands that
companies evolve an adaptable business model that can roll with the punches. Business
Darwinism offers a macro-level model for using information technology and business
initiatives to manage organizational change. The successful
evolution of any company is predicated on its ability to use information to its
strategic advantage. But most firms have not invested properly in their information
capabilities to allow them to compete in the New Economy. They manage their information
assets based on cost control rather than information value. These companies miss
opportunities to create competitive advantage based on information and knowledge.
Business Darwinism introduces new techniques for restructuring
the role of information management to deliver added information value. It offers
a new set of metrics for measuring information value and shows organizations how
to build information management processes and business intelligence into their
core business operations -- equipping them for rapid evolution and unforeseen
change. The author provides illustrative examples that
showcase the real-world application of the business evolution framework for companies
across all industries -- from manufacturing to financial services. Profiles of
companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, Intel, and others are included to help
business leaders understand the practical utility of the evolutionary model. Business
Darwinism: Evolve or Dissolve links corporate strategy, business models, and
IT architecture into a coherent model for driving business and technology initiatives
that help a firm survive, compete, and adapt to today's business world -- and
tomorrow's. Eric A. Marks is a Client Advisor with
Cambridge Technology Partners. Prior to that, he was managing director of BrightRoad,
Inc., an e-business consulting division of Ontos, Inc. of Andover, Massachusetts.
He formerly worked as a principal consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in its
supply chain management/high-technology consulting practice.
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