Discern potential challenges and therefore develop appropriate plans to make operations more resilient Adapt and apply political risk intelligence to organizational operations Identify, assess and plan for issues and challenges of operating in politically challenging markets Ensure that political risk intelligence aligns with corporate ethical imperatives

This book addresses the vital importance of reshoring US manufacturing capability to ensure economic and military security and then discusses the proven methods that the United States used to gain manufacturing supremacy in the first place. The vital takeaway is: If the job can be made sufficiently productive, the per-unit labor cost ceases to be relevant which means a business can pay high wages, realize high profits, and deliver low prices simultaneously. The contest is then not between high wages and cheap labor, but between efficiency and inefficiency and, when automation is involved, machine against machine. Readers will be able to put these principles to work very quickly to achieve tangible results. The relatively low Federal minimum wage has meanwhile become a major issue, but inflation skyrocketed in the second quarter of 2022 when higher wages, and higher demand for goods and services, were not matched with higher productivity. The book addresses the relationship between the money supply and the velocity of money to prices, wages, and productivity. A manufacturing resurgence in the United States will not only increase our standard of living enormously but generate taxable economic activity that will help pay down rather than increase the Federal debt. Higher productivity also delivers a greater supply of goods to accompany higher wages, and thus works against inflation. This can prevent looming recessions and disruptions.

This book addresses the vital importance of reshoring US manufacturing capability to ensure economic and military security and then discusses the proven methods that the United States used to gain manufacturing supremacy in the first place. The vital takeaway is: If the job can be made sufficiently productive, the per-unit labor cost ceases to be relevant which means a business can pay high wages, realize high profits, and deliver low prices simultaneously. The contest is then not between high wages and cheap labor, but between efficiency and inefficiency and, when automation is involved, machine against machine. Readers will be able to put these principles to work very quickly to achieve tangible results. The relatively low Federal minimum wage has meanwhile become a major issue, but inflation skyrocketed in the second quarter of 2022 when higher wages, and higher demand for goods and services, were not matched with higher productivity. The book addresses the relationship between the money supply and the velocity of money to prices, wages, and productivity. A manufacturing resurgence in the United States will not only increase our standard of living enormously but generate taxable economic activity that will help pay down rather than increase the Federal debt. Higher productivity also delivers a greater supply of goods to accompany higher wages, and thus works against inflation. This can prevent looming recessions and disruptions.

Management of supply chains has been evolving rapidly over the last few years due to the inception of Industry 4.0, where businesses adopt automation technologies and data exchanges leading to dynamic and interconnected supply chain systems. Emphasizing on analytical approaches such as predictive and prescriptive modeling, this book presents state-of-the-art original research work dealing with advanced analytical models for the design, planning, and operation of the supply chain to provide faster and smarter decisions in the era of digitization. In particular, the book integrates machine learning and operations research models for faster and smarter decisions, presents prescriptive analytics models for strategic, tactical, and operational decision making in the supply chain, and addresses recent challenges such as sustainability in the supply chain, supply chain visibility, and supply chain digitalization. Key concepts are illustrated using real-life case studies, making the book a valuable reference for researchers, technical professionals, and students.

Creating a Culture of Predictable Outcomes demonstrates the importance of creating cultures in the design and construction industries grounded in sophisticated-caring leadership, high-performing collaborative teams, and master-level decision-making discipline, informed by values, to finally address massive inefficiencies, waste, and unpredictability. Barbara White Bryson offers specific guidance to industry stakeholders to succeed in achieving project-related predictable outcomes by focusing on culture rather than process. This includes selecting the right team members by hiring and firing bravely, valuing psychological safety, leading with values, practicing respect and transparency, fostering empowerment to make decisions at the right level at the right time, and more. This book is a must-read for design and construction professionals who want to finally understand how to set goals and meet those goals for their clients as well as for their teams.

This book provides insights on how to approach and utilize data science tools, technologies and methodologies related to artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial contexts. It explains the essence of distributed computing and AI-technologies, and their inter-connections. Description of various technology and methodology approaches, and their purpose and benefits when developing AI-solution in industrial contexts is included. In addition, it summarizes experiences from AI technology deployment projects from several industrial sectors. Features: Presents compendium of methodologies and technologies in Industrial AI and digitalization. Illustrates sensor to actuation approach showing complete cycle, that defines and differences AI and digitalization concept. Covers a broad range of academic and industrial issues within the field of asset management. Discusses impact of Industry 4.0 in other sectors. Includes a dedicated chapter on real-time case studies. This book is aimed at researchers and professionals in industrial and software engineering, network security, AI and ML, engineering managers, operational and maintenance specialists, asset managers, digital and AI manufacturing specialists.

This book shows engineers with little or no previous exposure to experimental design how to use statistically designed experiments to improve products and processes. A prerequisite is an appreciation for the concept of random variation, gained through a typical statistics course or by using statistical process control in a manufacturing environment. Dr Taguchi has added greatly to our understanding of the importance of properly designed experiments in quality improvement and has provided a structured approach to designing quality into products and processes. His use of experimental designs to reduce variability and make designs more robust has had a major influence on perceptions of the role of experimental design in quality improvement. This book also covers other methods, such as the important work of Dr George Box and his associates on orthogonal designs.

Never has the need for church planting been more acute or more necessary. The world around us is beset with problems of every kind-political, social, economic, racial, and moral. The list is endless, and the difficulties are systemic and entrenched. The best minds, institutions, and efforts are being marshaled to address these problems, but are we getting to the root issues? Could it be that the solutions lie elsewhere? Indeed, the greatest reformer to ever live told us the hope we need comes from the church. Yes, the church, as anemic and as irrelevant as it may seem to some (or many). Jesus said of the community He would birth, "You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13-14). The church, in all its forms, from small to big, whether found in the countryside or in megacities is God's redeeming force for society, for culture, and for the nations. The church is God's secret weapon and His change agent for the world. He's all in on the church. As such the church is God's organizational servant on the earth. It's to be an enterprise of the highest quality. It's to sparkle with kingdom power, love, and truth. As Ephesians 3:10 states, "[God's] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms." For such a task, outstanding leaders are needed. Great leaders are not just for the arenas of business, politics, or the military. The church must also focus on recruiting, training, and deploying the best. As the leader goes, so goes the organization. This book assists in the great endeavor of planting churches. It gives church planters a biblical and conceptual framework so they can be armed with a map for how to go about establishing new works. This framework is rooted in the humble yet glorious, small yet significant, quiet yet powerful ways of Jesus.

This book addresses critical issues in today's logistics operations and supply chain management, with a special focus on sustainability. In dedicated chapters the authors address aspects concerning multimode logistics operations, reverse network configuration, forward and reverse supply chain integration, improvement of the production operations and management of the recovery activities, as well as carbon footprint reduction in transportation. Selected best practices from different countries and industries are presented to aid in the implementation of sustainable policies in private enterprises and at public-sector institutions. The book offers a valuable resource for both academics and practitioners who wish to deepen their expertise in the field of logistics operations and management with regard to sustainability issues. The book examines both qualitative and qualitative aspects of sustainable supply chain and logistics operations.

Risk is the single most prevalent and enduring factor that influences every individual, organization, and society. We often seek protection from negative risk events, but also seek to take advantage of opportunities arising from positive risk events. We may feel overwhelmed by messages encountered in daily interactions with media and society, contributing to a sense of ambiguity over how to act in response to risk-related information and misinformation. We seek to leverage evidence and reason to find our own balance between both positive and negative outcomes in an uncertain world. This ground-breaking book delivers practical concepts and tools that empower readers to leverage innovations in risk science to improve their abilities to interpret, assess, communicate, and handle risk. It provides a practical non-quantitative approach to understanding risk and to making better decisions involving risk. Think RISK covers several key themes in risk science: a) The main goals and strategies for understanding and managing risk b) How readers can inform their risk stances by considering their own individual values and mission c) The difference between risk and safety, and how that difference is critical for managing risk d) The role of psychological factors when understanding and managing risk e) The role of communication when understanding and managing risk, and f) The general importance and incentives for effectively understanding and managing risk. Written for business professionals in all private and public sectors, this book will also be relevant to non-business professionals such as medical practitioners and policymakers and would be an ideal fit for executive education and seminar-style courses in universities, corporate books clubs and training seminars. Because it's based on foundational and scientifically accepted ideas and principles, the book should remain relevant for many years.

The hospitality sector is facing increasing competition and complexity over recent decades in its development towards a global industry. The strategic response to this is still that hospitality companies try to grow outside their traditional territories and domestic markets, while the expansion patterns and M&A activities of international hotel and restaurant chains reflect this phenomenon. Yet, interestingly, the strategies, concepts, and methods of internationalization as well as the managerial and organizational challenges and impacts of globalizing the hospitality business are under-researched in this industry. While the mainstream research on international management offers an abundance of information and knowledge on topics, players, trends, concepts, frameworks, or methodologies, its ability to produce viable insights for the hospitality industry is limited, as the mainstream research is taking place outside of the service sector. Specific research directions and related cases like the international dimensions of strategy, organization, marketing, sales, staffing, control, culture, and others to the hospitality industry are rarely identifiable so far. The core rationale of this book is therefore to present newest insights from research and industry in the field of international hospitality, drawing together recent scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art expertise to suggest directions for future work. It is designed to raise awareness on the international factors influencing the strategy and performance of hospitality organizations, while analyzing and discussing the present and future challenges for hospitality firms going or being international. This book will provide a comprehensive overview and deeper understanding of trends and issues to researchers, practitioners, and students by showing how to master current and future challenges when entering and competing in the global hospitality industry.

Company democracy is often misunderstood in the business context as democracy is usually related to politics. In this book, the authors present a different dimension. They focus first on democracy from an organizational culture perspective and then offer employees opportunities to understand and apply democracy from the company floor level. The Company Democracy Model (CDM) is an industry-wide, practical methodology for knowledge management utilization under applied philosophical thinking. The model progresses through a framework in which an organizational evolutionary spiral method empowers the creation of knowledge-based democratic cultures for wise and effective strategic management and leadership. This new innovative methodology, supported with techniques and processes, can gain/create many ideas, insights, innovations, new products, and services that can benefit a company. One purpose of using the model is to create a robust conceptual framework as a theoretical basis for a business strategy that promotes sustainable, continuous, and democratic development. Another purpose is to emphasize the importance of intellectual capital and compare capital-related and human-related business issues in shaping a company's competitiveness, profitability, productivity, performance, and shared value. A third purpose is to use its symbolic infrastructure that builds solid democratic systems for viable business development and management. Finally, the described purposes give the reader new ideas to change and improve the design of business activities in a collective and modern democratic way.

With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the business world, a new era of Business Intelligence (BI) has been ushered in to create real-world business solutions using analytics. BI developers and practitioners now have tools and technologies to create systems and solutions to guide effective decision making. Decisions can be made on the basis of more reliable and accurate information and intelligence, which can lead to valuable, actionable insights for business. Previously, BI professionals were stymied by bad or incomplete data, poorly architected solutions, or even just outright incapable systems or resources. With the advent of AI, BI has new possibilities for effectiveness. This is a long-awaited phase for practitioners and developers and, moreover, for executives and leaders relying on knowledgeable and intelligent decision making for their organizations. Beginning with an outline of the traditional methods for implementing BI in the enterprise and how BI has evolved into using self-service analytics, data discovery, and most recently AI, AI Meets BI first lays out the three typical architectures of the first, second, and third generations of BI. It then takes an in-depth look at various types of analytics and highlights how each of these can be implemented using AI-enabled algorithms and deep learning models. The crux of the book is four industry use cases. They describe how an enterprise can access, assess, and perform analytics on data by way of discovering data, defining key metrics that enable the same, defining governance rules, and activating metadata for AI/ML recommendations. Explaining the implementation specifics of each of these four use cases by way of using various AI-enabled machine learning and deep learning algorithms, this book provides complete code for each of the implementations, along with the output of the code, supplemented by visuals that aid in BI-enabled decision making. Concluding with a brief discussion of the cognitive computing aspects of AI, the book looks at future trends, including augmented analytics, automated and autonomous BI, and security and governance of AI-powered BI.

New efficiency theory refers to the various parametric and semi-parametric methods of estimating production and cost frontiers, which include data envelopment analysis (DEA) with its diverse applications in management science and operations research. This monograph develops and generalizes the new efficiency theory by highlighting the interface between economic theory and operations research. Some of the outstanding features of this monograph are: (1) integrating the theory of firm efficiency and industry equilibrium, (2) emphasizing growth efficiency in a dynamic setting, (3) incorporating uncertainty of market demand and prices, and (4) the implications of group efficiency by sharing investments. Applications discuss in some detail the growth and decline of the US computer industry, and the relative performance of mutual fund portfolios.

Revealing the flaws in human decision making, this book explores how AI can be used to optimise decisions for improved business outcomes and efficiency, as well as looking ahead into the significant contributions Decision Intelligence (DI) can make to society and the ethical challenges it may raise. Offering an impressive framework of Decision Intelligence (DI), from the theories and concepts used to design autonomous intelligent agents to the technologies that power DI systems and the ways in which companies use decision-making building blocks to build DI solutions that enable businesses to democratise AI, this book provides a systematic approach to AI intelligence and human involvement. Replete with case studies on DI application, as well as wider discussions on the social implications of the technology, this book appeals to both students of AI and data solutions and businesses considering DI adoption.

The Spring Electric is a lower priced electrical vehicle from The Renault Group. It is the result of an impossible project that was a breakthrough in cultural innovation. The development of the Spring brought together a French company, a Japanese partner, an Indian project, and a Chinese developer to deliver a car for the European market. The Innovation Odyssey: Lessons from an Impossible Project examines four key issues central to this vehicle's development: The nature of the automotive industry itself and the actors involved in these "societal" innovations. The movement toward the electrification of vehicles is inseparable from public policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Without substantial subsidies or rigorous bans on internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), the electric vehicle (EV) would not be developed. It is these public policies that create the conditions for an electrified vehicle market. Electrification is thus a three-way game, in which public actors play a central role alongside suppliers and customers. Therefore, an analysis of these policies is essential to understand manufacturers' strategies in this area. What are the differences between these policies? Do they introduce regional competitive advantages? How do firms in the globalized automotive sector adapt to or take advantage of these differences? How can they combine local adaptation. Product strategy. To what extent should this technological breakthrough at the heart of the car be associated with a more profound break in the definition of the automobile product? Is the answer an electrification of the dominant ICEV design (and if so, how?) or a complete redefinition of the vehicle? International cooperation. Automotive design is largely concentrated in the technical centers of the parent companies: Detroit, Guyancourt, Wolfsburg, Yokohama. How can the design processes and the European and Chinese skills and know-how be combined in a project designed far from the traditional European or Japanese bases and under time constraints? Can this original form of design inspire new forms of international cooperation, and under what conditions? Globalized innovation strategies. For multinational groups such as car manufacturers, competitive advantage depends on their ability not only to invent relevant products that find customers in local markets, but also to deploy them rapidly at the global level, harnessing economies of scale that a startup, however innovative, cannot achieve. How then to combine local adaptation of innovations with effective global deployment?

Having a team that knows how to adapt and innovate quickly can make all the difference in these challenging and competitive times -- for your organization and you personally as a leader. Leaders as coaches are crucial for a true learning organization, and high-performance teams need and want their leader to coach -- not tell. But not just any kind of coaching! Coaching that is enabling and inspiring because it increases adaptiveness and creativity -- with each individual and the whole team -- so they achieve important goals together. That's what the Coaching Kata helps leaders to learn. Take a fresh look at this five-phase, dual-purpose coaching model, become the leader you always wanted to be, and your team needs you to be. This business novel will transform the way you see and lead your team.

This book examines key issues, challenges, opportunities and trends in innovation processes and supply chain management. It proposes ways for organizations to improve their performance by developing business strategies, establishing business innovation activities, and aligning business and innovation activities among firms. Further, it showcases and analyzes the implementation of inter- and intra-organizational process improvement activities and the implementation of organizational innovation solutions to address new product and process-related collaborative relationships across the supply chain. The book is useful for researchers, academics and professionals, presenting some of the most advanced research, concepts, and case studies on the relationship between innovation and supply chain.

Enterprise Level Security 2: Advanced Topics in an Uncertain World follows on from the authors' first book on Enterprise Level Security (ELS), which covered the basic concepts of ELS and the discoveries made during the first eight years of its development. This book follows on from this to give a discussion of advanced topics and solutions, derived from 16 years of research, pilots, and operational trials in putting an enterprise system together. The chapters cover specific advanced topics derived from painful mistakes and numerous revisions of processes. This book covers many of the topics omitted from the first book including multi-factor authentication, cloud key management, enterprise change management, entity veracity, homomorphic computing, device management, mobile ad hoc, big data, mediation, and several other topics. The ELS model of enterprise security is endorsed by the Secretary of the Air Force for Air Force computing systems and is a candidate for DoD systems under the Joint Information Environment Program. The book is intended for enterprise IT architecture developers, application developers, and IT security professionals. This is a unique approach to end-to-end security and fills a niche in the market.

This book describes how manufacturing enterprises, by reinforcing their existing monitoring and control of manufacturing processes, can successfully face the ever-increasing pressure from internal and external environments to maintain their competitive advantage. Numerous performance measurement systems have been elaborated to satisfy these requirements, stressing the importance of financial and operational metrics. It also highlights the fact that research on generating and linking financial and operational metrics, especially in real-time, has not garnered sufficient attention to date. The book follows an approach that integrates enterprises across different levels and departments. By computing and linking the financial and operational metrics in real-time, the book demonstrates how to provide a comprehensive view of an entire enterprise.

The Spring Electric is a lower priced electrical vehicle from The Renault Group. It is the result of an impossible project that was a breakthrough in cultural innovation. The development of the Spring brought together a French company, a Japanese partner, an Indian project, and a Chinese developer to deliver a car for the European market. The Innovation Odyssey: Lessons from an Impossible Project examines four key issues central to this vehicle's development: The nature of the automotive industry itself and the actors involved in these "societal" innovations. The movement toward the electrification of vehicles is inseparable from public policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Without substantial subsidies or rigorous bans on internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), the electric vehicle (EV) would not be developed. It is these public policies that create the conditions for an electrified vehicle market. Electrification is thus a three-way game, in which public actors play a central role alongside suppliers and customers. Therefore, an analysis of these policies is essential to understand manufacturers' strategies in this area. What are the differences between these policies? Do they introduce regional competitive advantages? How do firms in the globalized automotive sector adapt to or take advantage of these differences? How can they combine local adaptation. Product strategy. To what extent should this technological breakthrough at the heart of the car be associated with a more profound break in the definition of the automobile product? Is the answer an electrification of the dominant ICEV design (and if so, how?) or a complete redefinition of the vehicle? International cooperation. Automotive design is largely concentrated in the technical centers of the parent companies: Detroit, Guyancourt, Wolfsburg, Yokohama. How can the design processes and the European and Chinese skills and know-how be combined in a project designed far from the traditional European or Japanese bases and under time constraints? Can this original form of design inspire new forms of international cooperation, and under what conditions? Globalized innovation strategies. For multinational groups such as car manufacturers, competitive advantage depends on their ability not only to invent relevant products that find customers in local markets, but also to deploy them rapidly at the global level, harnessing economies of scale that a startup, however innovative, cannot achieve. How then to combine local adaptation of innovations with effective global deployment?

Research in cognitive science over the last 30 years shows much of what we know about culture in the business world is based on myth, wishful thinking, outdated science, or is just plain wrong. This is why culture-shaping and change programs in organizations often amount to little more than sloganeering with minimal impact on the lived experience of employees. This book bridges the gap between the latest research on cognitive science and culture, providing a valuable guide for change leaders, CEOs, and practitioners on how to sustainably work with and change this important resource. It answers many of the major questions that have plagued culture work, such as: Why so many CEOs and management consultants preach culture change when so few culture interventions actually succeed Why CEOs persist in believing "culture starts at the top" when virtually no research in anthropology supports that claim Why most culture shaping approaches have no answer for how to affect culture in global companies Why culture doesn't cause us to do anything, yet we persist in believing that somehow it does Why so many culture-shaping projects focus on corporate values despite the fact modern science shows why changing personal values is exceedingly difficult What we are learning about culture from the last 30 years of cognitive science gives us the foundation for far more impactful and sustainable interventions than have been possible to date. This book explains why, showing how everyday business practices well beyond HR are key to culture change. Why? Because the brain's synaptic plasticity can only be altered through new sustained and widespread organizational habits and routines. This groundbreaking, practical guide will show you finally how to realize the full power of culture as a transformational, empowering, and competitive resource.

Currently, change is the new normal. As change grows, so does risk. But how will leaders understand the risk if they don't measure it? In short, they won't. The reality is that ignorance is never bliss. What leaders and their organizations don't know will eventually impact them and their customers. Thus, situational awareness, forethought, and preparation are now key competencies for leaders to survive in high-risk environments. In this book, readers will learn the basics of leadership time management, the disruptability quotient, the leadership "canary" and why it's just as important to leaders as it was to coal miners, and the slippery slope of change management (do we improve, change, or model the current state?), signals of leadership maturity and false positives, mastering the art of organizational knowledge, the pearls, and pitfalls of leadership rebranding, and the risk of non-utilized talent. Why aren't current leaders required to undergo "storm proofing" from an operational perspective? As many of us experienced in various academic programs, the main foci are technical skills in management, organizational theory, data analysis, and many of the traditional leadership training courses. But, what happens when a leadership storm appears such as an unprecedented pandemic or supply chain crisis, or talent gaps where workers are not available to complete the basic services humanity relies on daily? Most leaders were not and are not prepared for today's storms. The result is reactive leadership, higher-than-expected risk propositions, and disruptive transformations that force leaders from their perches to find the next best role their skillsets will buy. This book is for leaders and professionals who are currently, or will be leading teams, divisions, and organizations. Its purpose is to provide practical guidance on how leaders can "stormproof" their portfolios. Thus, they will be able to survive, thrive in, and outlast high-risk leadership storms that will overwhelm their less-prepared peers.

Currently, change is the new normal. As change grows, so does risk. But how will leaders understand the risk if they don't measure it? In short, they won't. The reality is that ignorance is never bliss. What leaders and their organizations don't know will eventually impact them and their customers. Thus, situational awareness, forethought, and preparation are now key competencies for leaders to survive in high-risk environments. In this book, readers will learn the basics of leadership time management, the disruptability quotient, the leadership "canary" and why it's just as important to leaders as it was to coal miners, and the slippery slope of change management (do we improve, change, or model the current state?), signals of leadership maturity and false positives, mastering the art of organizational knowledge, the pearls, and pitfalls of leadership rebranding, and the risk of non-utilized talent. Why aren't current leaders required to undergo "storm proofing" from an operational perspective? As many of us experienced in various academic programs, the main foci are technical skills in management, organizational theory, data analysis, and many of the traditional leadership training courses. But, what happens when a leadership storm appears such as an unprecedented pandemic or supply chain crisis, or talent gaps where workers are not available to complete the basic services humanity relies on daily? Most leaders were not and are not prepared for today's storms. The result is reactive leadership, higher-than-expected risk propositions, and disruptive transformations that force leaders from their perches to find the next best role their skillsets will buy. This book is for leaders and professionals who are currently, or will be leading teams, divisions, and organizations. Its purpose is to provide practical guidance on how leaders can "stormproof" their portfolios. Thus, they will be able to survive, thrive in, and outlast high-risk leadership storms that will overwhelm their less-prepared peers.