Sgroi, Jr. The Innovative Lean Machine

Synchronizing People, Branding, and Strategy to Win in the Marketplace
Erscheinungsjahr 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4822-4528-8
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 264 Seiten

In order for an organization to thrive in a competitive business environment, its strategy, people, and branding must be fully optimized. The Innovative Lean Machine: Synchronizing People, Branding, and Strategy to Win in the Marketplace explains how to use Lean principles and visual tools to maximize these core components in any business.

The book demystifies theory with examples of the various visual tools any organization can rely on during the idea generation, product development, and branding processes. Filled with easy-to-follow graphics, charts, and tables, the text provides a simple, yet effective, series of visual frameworks that readers can immediately apply with little or no difficulty.

Describing how to ensure your business planning reflects what is most valuable to your customers, this resource presents the insights of a creative thought process that drives innovative solutions. It considers the key aspects of Lean that can help you drive innovation in the development of your organization’s branding, strategy, and in the selection and management of its people. It also includes discussions on the characteristics of highly effective and trustworthy people.

After reading this book, you will better understand how to use Lean tools to build a stronger brand, build better market strategies, and identify and retain effective people. You will also gain an understanding of what it takes to align all organizational activities to ensure maximum value for your customers while relentlessly driving out waste.

Zielgruppe

Senior leaders, performance improvement practitioners, change management practitioners, project managers, strategic planners, company owners, presidents and vice presidents; those seeing a visual aid in analyzing and communication information; anyone responsible for delivering customer value.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sgroi, Jr., Anthony

Fachgebiete

• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management Qualitätsmanagement, Qualitätssicherung (QS), Total Quality Management (TQM)

Inhaltsverzeichnis

An Effective Business
Introduction
Branding: A Credible Source
Stellar People
Strategy
Creative Innovation
A Highly Effective Organization
The Creative–Innovative Squeeze
The Synchronized Organization
Effectiveness: The Strategic Move
Conclusion

BRANDING: CREATING AND SUSTAINING A CREDIBLE AND REPUTABLE SOURCE

Visual Branding
Introduction
The First Parameter of Branding
The Second Parameter of Branding
The Third Parameter of Branding
The Fourth Parameter of Branding
The Branding Icon
Four Steps of Differentiation
Conclusion

Being First
Introduction
People Remember the "First-To"
Mindshare Is Key
Owning a Word or Concept
Focusing on a Subcategory
Imitation Barriers
Becoming a Generic
If You Are the Category Leader
If You Are a Follower
Conclusion

Brand Focus
Introduction
Line Extensions
Focus on a Single Attribute
Focus on Being the Low-Cost Provider
Focus on Premium Products
Focus on Incredible Customer Service
Quality and Reliability
Keep It Simple
Conclusion

Effective Brand Communication
Introduction
The Oversimplified Message
One-Word Commands
Power of the Name (a Brand Is Only a Word)
Slogans
The Logo (Shape Matters)
Promote the Category
Repositioning
Sticky Communications
Advertising
Conclusion

Brand Credentials
Introduction
Endorsements
The First to Understanding the Unique Selling Position
Demonstrating the Difference
Being the Market Leader
Highest Quality
Owning a Niche
Heritage
Being the Best in Class
Attribute Ownership
Technology Ownership
Conclusion

EFFECTIVE PEOPLE: IDENTIFY AND EMPOWER THEM

The Cross-Functional Entrepreneur
The Cross-Functional Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurial System Designer
Teams of Responsible Experts
The Four Traits of Stellar People
The First Parameter of Stellar People
The Second Parameter of Stellar People
The Third Parameter of Stellar People
The Fourth Parameter of Stellar People
The People Icon
Conclusion

Competence and Character: The Core of Trust and Leadership
Introduction
Competence: A Skilled Contributor
Trust
The First Wave of Trust
Character: Core 1—Integrity
Character: Core 2—Intent
Competence: Core 3—Capabilities
Competence: Core 4—Results
The Second Wave of Trust
Leadership
Creativity
Customer Understanding
Technology Understanding
Internal and External Negotiation
Prioritization
Execution
The Unscattered Thinker
Ideating around Nonwork Activities
Attitude
Passion
Simplistic
Continual Improvement
Team Player
Confidence
Conclusion

Tools and Purpose
Introduction
Tools
Basics
Nice-to-Haves
The Greatest Gadgets
Safe Work Environment
Software
People Resources
Financial Resources
Purposeful Environment
Candor
Purposeful Management Systems
Expectation of Company Objectives
Management Consistency
Mentoring and Coaching
Pay and Incentive
Conclusion

STRATEGY: KEEP IT CONSISTENT WITH THE BRAND

Visual Strategy
Introduction
The First Parameter of Strategy
Functional Solutions
Utility
Emotion
The Second Parameter of Strategy
The Third Parameter of Strategy
The Fourth Parameter of Strategy
The Strategy Icon
Strategy: The What, Who, and How
Conclusion

A Qualitative View of Strategy
Introduction
The Five-Slide Approach in Finding the Big Idea
Discussion Questions for Slide One
Discussion Questions for Slide Two
Discussion Questions for Slide Three
Discussion Questions for Slide Four
Discussion Questions for Slide Five
Marketing Concepts
Finding and Filling Needs
Responsive Marketing
Anticipative Marketing
Need-Shaped Marketing
Supplying Products in Short Supply
Supplying Improved Products
"Must-Be" Requirements
One-Dimensional Requirements
Attractive Requirements
Supplying Products New to the World
Conclusion

A Quantitative View of Strategy
Introduction
Functional Solutions: Utility
Emotion
Visual Depiction of Products and Product Features
Conclusion

A Study of Function and Emotion
Introduction
A Quick Review of Value
Brief Review of Function and Emotion
Functional Aspects
Doing a Job Better
Doing a Job Faster
Doing a Job More Easily
Doing a Job More Safely
Providing More Convenience
Providing a Solution to Highly Skilled Tasks
Providing a Solution That Requires Specialized Tools
Emotional Aspects
Conclusion

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Building Effective Teams
Introduction
The Team of Responsible Experts
Roles of the Project Leader (ESD)
ESDs Understand Customers
The Four Behavior Styles
The Four Styles
Analytical
Driver
Amiable
Expressive
Conclusion

Aligning Business Activities
Introduction
The Core Competence and Competitive Advantage
The Synchronized Organization: Aligning Brand Position to Market Strategy
The Individual Aligning Activities
Creating Icons Aligned to a Relevant Market Condition
Conclusion

Epilogue

Notes

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Anthony Sgroi, Jr., is a broadly experienced innovative thinker with a rare combination and proven track record in the disciplines related to customer fulfillment. Mr. Sgroi is highly experienced in the fields of engineering, manufacturing, and law, with a strong understanding of marketing and business strategy. He has considerable experience in defining value-added customer offerings utilizing the principles of Lean product development.

Mr. Sgroi has worked for many well-known companies in the areas of product development. He has developed a multitude of products that are currently on the market today. Mr. Sgroi began his career in the areas of product design and procurement. After successfully launching several products, he decided to broaden his skill set by studying business, where he acquired a strong interest in marketing and strategy. This understanding allowed him to make strong contributions across the various disciplines of business. Understanding the level of importance and to differentiate himself further, Mr. Sgroi successfully passed the patent bar, where he is admitted to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office regarding patent matters. He is the holder of numerous patents, with several pending in the areas of compressed butane lighters, hydrogen generating devices for fuel cells, and various inventions related to cleaning tools.

Mr. Sgroi has several forms of hands-on experience and multiple degrees from the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut. His degrees are in physics and mechanical engineering, and he graduated magna cum laude. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration. He is the author of The Innovative Lean Enterprise.