Llinlithgow Associates
Strategy without execution is fantasy.
Execution without strategy is thrashing.
Either without a management system is unlikely.
Key Postings
ECONOMY & MARKETS
- Cuspiness, Collisions & Conundrums: Market Carry, Employment & Euphorillusions
- Turbulence Isn't Chaos: Dollar, Rates, Trade and Markets
- Turbulence vs Chaos: the Buddha's Lessons on Data, Distortions & Decisions
- The Policy-driven Economy: Turbulence, Outlook, Recovery?
- Carry Me Out to 'ol Rateginny: Markets, Dollar, Gold, Rates
- Markets in a Policy-Driven Economy: Turbulence, Data and Idiocies
- Antipasto Appetizer, Bouillabaisse Main Course: Markets, Economy, Policy, Outlook
- Jobs, Debt & Growth: Level Setting the New Normal
- Response vs. Performance: Walking Wounded & Mental Attitudes
- Adaptation & Resilience: Looking for the Naked Swimmers
- A Bit of Xmas Cheer: Innovation As The Future
- Christmas Wishes: Peace, Prosperity and Performance
INDUSTRIES
- Firestorm Flaring up: Finance Reform, Compensation Wars & Sausages
- Paying the Piper: Finance Industry, Performance, Value & Regulation
- The Business of Banking: Challenges, Issues & Outlook
- Airline Merger Frenzies (II): Network Structure, Costs and Strategic Outlook
- Retail Industry: Plus Ca Change...or Bend Over and Kiss...
- From 500K to 5K Feet: Retail Sales to Retailer Performances
- AutoFutures: Re-Thinking the Car Business, or NOT ?
- Back to Bizzness: Escalating Troubles for Auto Industry
- New (Old ?) Frontiers in the Oil Markets: the Return of Geo-Politics
- Tech Trends I (Readings): Big Picture to Key Players
- Tech Trends II (Analysis): What're the Drivers and Outlooks
- Tech Trends III: Dell Earnings to Bandwidth to Content Wars
- Technomediatainment (Telecom): RIM, ATT, Sprint, Cable Wars
- Technomediataiment (Content): the Revolution is HERE
- B2C Wars:Yhoo/MS Merger - Disaster in the Making ?
COMPANIES
- Bad Times, Really Bad Behavior, Bad Trouble: Fannie/Freddie and Perdition Road
- Six Steps to Prosperity: HD Initiatives to Consider
- Performance Re-visited: Another Trip to HD's Woodshed
- Value Delivered: Revisting HD as Retail Exemplar
- Bad Times, Bad Earnings, Bad Outlook: Consumer and Industrial Performance
- Time to Sell WMT ? I: Thinking the Unthinkable
- Dell Computer: It Ain't Your Grandfather's Beige Box
From time to time we write BizzX Newsletters to summarize the Economic situation and outlook, the impact on markets and valuations and assess the implications for investment and business performance. Below you'll find a summary of six different newsletters spanning the period from 2006 to 2009 which show how the current dire situation was anticipated and what could have been done to prepare and position for it. The last newsletters focuses on what needs to be done to adapt to these brutal realities and adopt necessary strategic, operational and control initiatives to survive. Below you'll find links to PDF files which are downloadable.
More frequently and informally we also publish a blog examing the Economy, Markets and Business situations. For the latter we discuss our approach to Enterprise Performance and apply it to Industry and Company assessments as well as dive into particuarly critical operating functions where appropriate. Again key post links plus links to the topic archives are at right.
BizzX Newsletter Summary
Below is an expandable icon graphic of the more detailed summaries of each of the six newsletters we have made available. Clicking on the image will take you to a downloadable PDF version.
Individually they each have proven accurate and useful as outlook guides and for enterprise evaluation. Taken as a set they tell a story of increasing economic weakness, lack of market recognition and over-optimistic valuations and a near absence of business preparation in a general sense. Sadly that still seems to the base. However they also lay out systematic, discplined and "whole enterprise" approaches to getting ahead of the curve, adapting to the current brutal realities and adopting the necessary initiatives.
We strongly urge you to consider and evaluate the writings and then apply them to your circumstances. Analyzing your current environment, the outlook, developing appropriate strategic responses and turning those into operational specifics and an effective operating plan and management controls is something we be happy to discuss at any time.
NEWSLETTERS
Vol. 1(1). May, 2006
Valuations, Values and Performance
Vol. 2(1). February, 2007
Vol. 3(1). June, 2008
From Moscow to Kursk: Triaging for Opportunities
Vol. 3(2) February, 2009
The Battle of Stalingrad: Early in a Long, Tough Fight
Vol. 3(3) June, 2009
Between Stalingrad to Kursk: Preparing to Win the Next Battle
Vo. 3(4) September, 2009
Economy, Markets and Business: Preparing for the New Normal
January, 2010
Key Questions to Consider
We'd like to strongly suggest you consider these questions and give us a call if you'd like some help in working them through:
1. What direction is the Economy headed in and in what timeframes ?
2. How will that impact my business ?
3. What specific strategic realities will we be facing and what should we consider in response ?
4. What's the current state of our critical operational functions ?
- Are our Marketing messages and strategies delivering ?
- Are there Sales process improvements that will help ?
- Customer Service is a major potential differentiator - is it in the state to help improve performance ?
- What about core operations that are the ultimate engine of value ? Manufacturing, store operations, warehousing/distribution ?
- What about Product Development opportunities ? Right processes ? Value-driven ? Customer-based ?
- What about key operational support functions - Transportation, Distribution and Logistics ?
- Are our IT capabilities appropriate ? Applications, platforms, controls, systems management ?
5. Are the Management Systems in place ?
- Budgeting ?
- Operating plans and controls ?
- Resource Management ?
6. How about Leadership ?
- Communications ?
- Compensation & Measurement ?
- Accountabilities ?
- Assignments and Responsibilities ?
- Staffing and HR Issues ?
