From "Made in China" to "Invented in China"
Bain Brief 8/27/2008
by Paul DiPaola and Jerry Li
As Chinese businesses face off against multinationals at home and abroad, they know they'll need more than low-cost production to compete. With China's labor cost advantage eroding, domestic executives are waking up to the fact that there's a new requirement for growth: world-class capabilities for innovating. How important is innovation to Chinese executives? Two years ago Bain & Company asked business leaders from around the world if innovation is more important than cost reduction for their long-term success.
Finding growth in Europe's shifting grocery landscape
Bain Brief 7/18/2008
by Marc-Andre Kamel, Nick Greenspan, Andrea Petronio, and Rudolf Pritzl
Despite slow growth, fierce competition, and razor-thin margins, the European grocery market is not as mature as many industry observers think. There's room to grow-both at home and abroad-for grocers that know how to capitalize on their core business, use innovative technology, develop actionable consumer insights, and nurture the best management talent.
Lean Six Sigma for the services industry
Bain Brief 5/20/2008
by Peter Guarraia, Gib Carey, Alistair Corbett, and Klaus Neuhaus
Lean Six Sigma's growing popularity in the services industry masks a downside. Many organizations have invested a great deal only to see little value result from their work. An upfront diagnostic X-ray helps companies get more from their efforts.
Lean Six Sigma for the manufacturing industry
Bain & Company 5/20/2008
by Peter Guarraia, Gib Carey, Alistair Corbett, and Klaus Neuhaus
Lean Six Sigma has gained widespread popularity as a methodology for improving both factory output and quality. But for every success story there are tales of dissatisfaction from companies whose Lean Six Sigma efforts failed to deliver. Manufacturers are finding an upfront diagnostic X-ray improves their odds of streamlining operations and cutting costs.
Leading change management requires sticking to the PLOT
Bain Brief (World Economic Forum) 3/13/2008
by Todd Senturia, Lori Flees, and Manny Maceda
There's no single, perfect answer for leaders pursuing change initiatives; instead, success requires taking several basic steps. We've codified four elements in an approach we call PLOT: Plan, Lead, Operate, and Track. The PLOT framework--a toolkit for change management--calls for leaders to identify the sources of value and then focus on a few areas for improvement: get the right people in place quickly, rally the troops around milestones, make sure the tough calls are made, and rigorously track progress.
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