July 5, 2008




















MCG ARTICLES

To see which are the latest published articles, go to the last page.

Commentaries

  1. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY
  2. 1.1 Competing in Mature Industries   1435 words

    1.2 Growing Profits Not Necessarily Volume   1250 words

    1.3 Lessons From the 1980's   658 words

    1.4 Guidelines for Changing Channels of Distribution   1030 words

    1.5 Reorganize Around the Customer   1727 words

    1.6 Changed number to 7.2

    1.7 "List Price" Is Obsolete   1988 words

    1.8 Regarding 1995’s Strategic Plan   2044 words

    1.9 Tough Times Are Just Beginning   1342 words

    1.10 Post Bubble Economy Management   2182 words

             Economic Support Notes for Article 1.10   2075 words

    1.11 Strategy For "06? Stop Doing What We're Doing!    1350 words

    1.12 Why The Hubbub About "Innovation"?   1325 words

    1.13 Raise Corporate Innovation Capability in '06    1090 words

    1.14 Developing Unique Strategic Insights (USIs) in 2006    1359 words

    1.15 Go Deep On Fill-Rate Economics; Change Strategy    2,150 words

    1.16 Change Your Corporate Culture To Enable Change?    868 words

    1.17 Questionate To Renew And Grow    1630 words

    1.18 Four Distributors Think About Their I T Future    2740 words

    1.19 Global Trends For Private Label Products (PLPs)    1883 words

    1.20 The Professor and The Distributor Think about “Restructuring”    2015 words

  3. GENERAL STRATEGIC HOW-TO METHODS
  4. 2.1 Achieving Sustainable Profit Power   1122 words

    2.2 Improving Productivity; Priority Areas and Achieving Lasting Results    970 words

    2.3 Measure Customer Profitability and Act    1238 words

    2.4 Strategies for a Downturning Economy   1464 words

    2.5 Strategic Alliances; Where are the Results   1080 words

    2.6 Growing and Coordinating Stakeholders Commitment   871 words

    2.7 "Kaizen" or Continuous Improvement - But How?    956 words

    2.8 Grow at a Long-Term, Stable Rate; Don't Flame Out   1257 words

    2.9 Selling Tactics for a Slow-Growth Economy (Oct. '91)    1075 words

    2.10 Trade Credit Has Become Venture Capital; Bet It Wisely    1714 words

    2.11 Information Rich, But Knowledge Poor?   1308 words

    2.12 Information into Knowledge Case #1: Why is a Branch Profitable?    1485 words

    2.13 "Strategic Planning" - Usually Isn’t   1050 words

    2.14 Good Wholesalers to Great Ones – Quickly(?)   1034 words

    2.15 Tackle the Small Order Problem – Now!   1336 words

    2.16 E-MC2 Measurements for Distributors   1826 words

    2.17 Why Aren’t "Best (Distributor) Practices" Happening    1116 words

    2.18 Data Into Dollars   1680 words

    2.19 Re-thinking Distributor Profitability   1775 words

            Case Study for Article 2.19   780 words

    2.20 A Strategic, Time Management Assignment    1180 words

    2.21 Tarketing New Profit Growth Opportunities    1180 words

            Support Notes for Article 2.21   460 words

    2.22 How Can Channel Players Re-deploy Master Wholesalers   1620 words

            Support Notes for Article 2.22   2100 words

    2.23 "Supply Chain Redesign = Strategy"; Every Channel Players Equation   1490 words

            Support Notes for Article 2.23   1087 words

    2.24 Fast Growing, Master Distributor Story: An Interview With John Tracy, President Of Dot Foods    2900 words

    2.25 Restructuring Wholesale Channels: Three Cases    2004 words

    2.26 Stale Strategy? Try A Strategic Conversation    1371 words

    2.27 Realizing the Potential of Activity Based Costing (ABC)    1530 words

    2.28 Distribution Channel Roll-Ups: Cons and Cures    2757 words

  5. SERVICE MANAGEMENT
  6. 3.1 How to Define Perfect Service   1027 words

    3.2 A Service Goal-the Unconditional Guarantee    1124 words

    3.3 Retain Profitable Customers to Grow    1180 words

    3.4 Selling Perfect Service Through a Channel    466 words

    3.5 Earn High Returns with Heroic Recoveries    1231 words

    3.6 Is the Balridge Award for Small Service Firms Too?    1080 words

    3.7 Succeed With The Service Economics Chain    159 words

    3.8 Selling and Getting Paid for Better Service    1359 words

    3.9 TQM Resuscitation Tactics    1120 words

    3.10 Information into Knowledge Case #2: Measuring for Margin Power    1180 words

    3.11 What Happened to Service America    1680 words

    3.12 Affordable Education For Front-Line Employees   1060 words

    3.13 Maintaining Distinctive Service Value   1271 words

            Support Notes for Article 3.13   1062 words

    3.14 Google's Service Value and Ours   1810 words

            Support Notes for Article 3.14   1800 words

  7. SALES/MARKETING
  8. 4.1 Niche Marketing    1247 words

    4.2 Sell With the Total Procurement (TPC) Model    1375 words

    4.3 Purchase With the Total Procurement Cost (TPC) Model 1277 words

    4.4 Turn Salespeople into Trade Credit Assistants   1200 words

    4.5 Reinventing Field Salesforce Productivity    1358 words

    4.6 Is Relationship Marketing Appropriate for your Firm?    1398 words

    4.7 What does "Sell Smarter" Mean?    1456 words

    4.8 Zero Sales Reps by 2000!    1236 words

    4.9 Sell Products AND A Win-Win Relationship    1398 words

            4.9 Support Notes    1398 words

    4.10 Transform Big Losing Accounts To Winners    1740 words

  9. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
  10. 5.1 Why are a Majority of Incentive Plans Failing    1111 words

    5.2 Pay 150% to Get 200% Output    1300 words

    5.3 Share the Numbers with All Employees-Now    1134 words

    5.31 Share the Secret - "Profit" Is A Clean Word    1368 words

    5.4 How to Get Employees to Make Good Mistakes   1213 words

    5.5 Measurement Systems that Spark Productivity   1164 words

    5.6 Why Employees Must Come First    937 words

    5.61 Employees As Appreciating Assets    941 words

    5.7 Personnel Systems for Hiring and Keeping the Best    1389 words

    5.8 Make Employees Strategically Motivated    1203 words

    5.9 Design Your Sales Incentive Plan to Reward Performance    1538 words

    5.10 High Performance Distribution - Six Key Systems   1360 words

    5.11 Open Book Management Equals Death   1610 words

             Annotated Bibliography for article 5.11

    5.12 Rethink Payroll Economics    1624 words

    5.13 Tactics For A Different Type Of Downturn?    843 words

    5.14 Business Stinks: Time to Share the Numbers   2059 words

             Support notes for Business Stinks Article # 5.14   2091 words

    5.15 Research Health Savings Accounts And Act Now!   1045 words

    5.16 (Re)Start Your Corporate Wellness Program   1425 words

             Support notes for Article # 5.16   2091 words

    5.17 Ride The Consumer-Driven Health Care Wave    1499 words

    5.18 New Math For Employee Wealth/Health Objectives    1479 words

    5.19 A Near Term Solution for Health Insurance Costs    1675 words

  11. LEADERSHIP
  12. 6.1 Steps to Leadership Effectiveness    1517 words

    6.2 Anticipatory Management    1291 words

    6.3 The Science and Value of Praising Statements   1091 words

    6.4 Implementing a "New Order of Things"   1263 words

    6.5 Release the Shackles of Fear within the Firm    1533 words

  13. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
  14. 7.1 Re-Engineer Total Channel Costs First or . . .?   1182 words

    7.2 "Infotech" Applications for Distribution Channels!    1347 words

    7.3 "Electronic Commerce" Is Targeting Distribution Channels?    1425 words

    7.4 Regarding Your Interactive Future    1550 words

    7.5 Electronic Commerce - Reality or Hype    1848 words

    7.6 The Hidden Potential Of Web Catalog Kits    1874 words

    7.7 Web Strategy Reassessment Time    1510 words

    7.8 "GREATCUSTOMER.COM" – A Planing Scenario   1910 words

    7.9 Understanding Channel "Chaos"   1750 words

  15. DIGITAL NETWORK

    8.1 Conclusions About E-Business 1999    548 words

    8.2 The Digital Networked Channel (DNC) - An Overview    536 words

    8.3 Local Distributor "Orderzones"?   515 words

    8.4 Web-Selling To, Through and Around Distributor    509 words

    8.5 Digital Channel - 2001    534 words

    8.6 Understanding Market Making Sites    510 words

    8.7 Web Tools Versus Sales Reps    576 words

    8.8 Naked, Unbundled Selling    609 words

    8.9 Channel-Wide EC on the Net Developments    560 words

    8.10 Fill New Electronic Commerce Needs    604 words

    8.11 Wanted! MRO (and other) Channel E-Standards   752 words

    8.12 E-Channel Forecasts for 2000 and Beyond    685 words

    8.13 Trade Association Re-invention Opportunities    630 words

    8.14 Wanted - B2B Sell Side Solutions    778 words

    8.15 Internet Auction Pricing is Over-rated    730 words

    8.16 Manufacturers Must Sell Direct - Sort Of    878 words

    8.17 Attack Your Cross-Subsidies Now    889 words

    8.18 B2B Re-selling Isn't    1065 words

    8.19 "B2B" Means "Back To Basics" for now    1015 words

Recently published articles:

Research Health Savings Accounts And Act Now!          February, 2005      # 5.15

(Re) Start Your Corporate Wellness Program          March, 2005      # 5.16

Ride The Consumer-Driven Health Care (CDHC) Wave          April, 2005      # 5.17

Transform Big Losing Accounts To Winners          April, 2005      # 4.10

New Math For Employee Wealth/Health Objectives          May, 2005      # 5.18

A Near Term Solution For Health Insurance Costs          June, 2005      # 5.19

Strategy For '06? Stop Doing What We're Doing!          October, 2005      # 1.11

Why The Hubbub About "Innovation"?          November, 2005      # 1.12

Raise Corporate Innovation Capability in '06          November, 2005      # 1.13

Developing Unique Strategic Insights (USIs) in 2006          December, 2005      # 1.14

Go Deep On Fill-Rate Economics; Change Strategy          December, 2005,       # 1.15

Change Your Corporate Culture To Enable change?          February, 2007      # 1.16

Change Your Corporate Culture To Enable change?          February, 2007      # 1.17

Four Distributors Think About Their I T Future          March, 2007      # 1.18

Global Trends For Private Label Products (PLPs)          May, 2007      # 1.19