Analysis Without Paralysis | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: FT Press
Category: EBooks
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $10.00 (50%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 29595
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.401
ASIN: B001BFL9HQ
Publication Date: June 7, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. If you’re a manager or business owner, you need tools to make better decisions--about business strategy, marketing, competition, positioning, product development, and much more. In Analysis Without Paralysis, two renowned experts on business analysis and strategy bring you those tools, in plain English! Babette Bensoussan and Craig Fleisher teach you exactly what you need to know, without dragging you through unnecessarily complex concepts or advanced mathematics. They start with a practical, realistic introduction to the analysis process; then they walk you through ten core sets of analysis techniques that every manager can use effectively. You’ll master classic techniques like SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces, in addition to the latest approaches to competitor, financial, issue, and value chain analysis. Next, Bensoussan and Fleisher guide you through analyzing the global social, political, and macroenvironmental challenges that will increasingly shape the future of your business. For each tool, the authors present clear descriptions, context, rationales, strengths, weaknesses, step-by-step instructions, and case study examples. The result: a book you can rely on to address your strategic and business challenges--whatever your role, experience, industry, or environment. -
Don’t just collect data--use it for competitive advantage
Uncover correlations, assess trends, identify performance gaps, and identify your best opportunities -
Get truly actionable outputs from your analysis
Perform future-oriented analysis that leads to better competitive strategies and tactics -
Use analysis to anticipate and adapt to rapid change
Get early warnings of emerging threats--and respond more quickly The Practical, Plain-English Guide to Business Analysis for Every Manager and Business Owner! You can use business analysis to address your most crucial strategic and tactical challenges--without burying yourself in advanced math or arcane theory! This friendly guide walks you through the entire business analysis process and then explains each of today’s most valuable analysis tools--in plain English. You’ll be able to make better decisions and get better results--even if you’ve never been responsible for analysis before. Babette Bensoussan and Craig Fleisher illuminate BCG matrix; Porter’s “Five Forces”; SWOT analysis; modern competitor, financial, issue, and value chain analysis; long-term scenario planning; emerging macroenvironmental (STEEP/PEST) techniques; and much more. You’ll find realistic case studies, in addition to practical guidance for choosing the right tools for each challenge. Even if you’ve never performed business analysis before, Analysis Without Paralysis can help you gain the insights and build the strategies for a winning future.
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| Customer Reviews:
 It's a cannibalised version of the authors' earlier works, with only 10 selected tools & strategies, out of about 50... November 11, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
'Analysis without Paralysis: 10 Tools to Make Better Strategic Decisions', by Babette Bensoussan & Craig Fleisher;
I reckon, to complete the strategy repertoire of a 21st century manager in today's competitive marketspace, & to serve as quick handy references to a broad spectrum of tools, strategies & tips, there are only two books that really stand out in the field of business (BI)/competitive (CI)/strategic intelligence (SI).
They are actually compendiums, as follows:
1) 'Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods & Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition' (published in 2002), by Craig Fleisher & Babette Bensoussan;
I recap its content tapestry as follows:
PART 1. ANALYSIS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE AND STRATEGY:
1. The Strategy & CI Process.
2. Analysis & Its Pitfalls.
3. The FAROUT System.
PART 2. THE TECHNIQUES OF STRATEGY & COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS:
Section 1. Strategic Analytical Techniques:
4. BCG Growth/Share Portfolio Matrix.
5. GE Business Screen Matrix.
6. Industry Analysis.
7. Strategic Group Analysis.
8. SWOT Analysis.
9. Value Chain Analysis.
Section 2. Competitive and Customer Analysis Techniques:
10. Blindspot Analysis.
11. Competitor Analysis.
12. Customer Segmentation Analysis.
13. Customer Value Analysis.
14. Functional Capability & Resource Analysis.
15. Management Profiling.
Section 3. Environmental Analysis Techniques:
16. Issue Analysis.
17. Macro-environmental (STEEP) Analysis.
18. Scenario Analysis.
19. Stakeholder Analysis.
Section 4. Evolutionary Analysis Techniques:
20. Experience Curve Analysis.
21. Growth Vector Analysis.
22. Patent Analysis.
23. Product Life Cycle Analysis.
24. S-Curve (Technology Life Cycle) Analysis.
Section 5. Financial Analysis Techniques:
25. Financial Ratio & Statement Analysis.
26. Strategic Funds Programming.
27. Sustainable Growth Rate Analysis.Index.
2) 'Business & Competitive Analysis: Effective Application of New & Classic Methods' (published in 2007), by Craig Fleisher & Babette Bensoussan;
I recap its content tapestry as follows:
1. Business and Competitive Analysis: Definition, Context, & Benefits
2. Performing the Analysis Process
3. Avoiding Analysis Pitfalls
4. Communicating Analysis Results
5. Applying the FAROUT method
6. Industry Analysis (The Nine Forces)
7. Competitive Positioning Analysis
8. Business Model Analysis
9. SERVO Analysis
10. Supply Chain Management (SCM) Analysis
11. Benchmarking Analysis
12. McKinsey 7S Analysis
13. Shadowing
14. Product Line Analysis
15. Win/Loss Analysis
16. Strategic Relationship Analysis
17. Corporate Reputation Analysis
18. Critical Success Factors Analysis
19. Country Risk Analysis
20. Driving Forces Analysis
21. Event and Timeline Analysis
22. Technology Forecasting
23. War Gaming
24. Indications & Warning Analysis
25. Historiographical Analysis
26. Interpretation of Statistical Analysis
27. Competitor Cash Flow Analysis
28. Analysis of Competing Hypothesis
29. Linchpin Analysis
Combined, both compendiums discussed, compared, analysed & evaluated, with a seemingly strong bias towards application, almost 50 classic & popular contemporary tools & strategies in the BI/CI/SI field.
The two authors have apparently selected them out of 300 using their own prioritisation scheme to evaluate. [More information about the prioritisation can be found on the authors' weblog on Amazon.]
For each tool, the authors, backed with their own impeccable credentials in the BI/CI/SI arena, have presented clear descriptions, step-by-step instructions, & case study examples. For me, I have been quite impressed by their systematic & rigorous treatment.
Frankly, the first time I had encountered the authors' debut book (1), my managerial mind was blown as I have had real-world experiences with only a limited number of the tools & strategies, namely SWOT, STEEP/PEST Analyses, & GE's Nine Block Matrix (an adaptation of BCG's), plus strategic issues management.
Recently, I have acquired & read the authors' latest book (3), 'Analysis Without Paralysis: 10 Tools to Make Better Strategic Decisions', published in 2008.
I knew prior to my requisition that this book didn't offer new or fresh perspectives, but I had wanted to keep it as a memento, since I had really enjoyed the authors' earlier work.
For reader's benefit, I recap its content tapestry as follows:
Part I Introduction 1:
Chapter 1 Business Management & the Role of Analysis
Chapter 2 The Analysis Process
Part II Analysis Tools:
Chapter 3 BCG Growth/Share Portfolio Matrix
Chapter 4 Competitor Analysis
Chapter 5 Financial Ratio & Statement Analysis
Chapter 6 Five Forces Industry Analysis
Chapter 7 Issue Analysis
Chapter 8 Political Risk Analysis
Chapter 9 Scenario Analysis
Chapter 10 Macro-environmental (STEEP/PEST) Analysis
Chapter 11 SWOT Analysis
Chapter 12 Value Chain Analysis
All I can say about this book (3) is that it's a cannibalised version of the authors' earlier works, with only 10 selected tools & strategies, out of about 50.
If you have acquired the author's earlier masterpieces, then this book (3) is likely to be a redundant copy, unless of course if you are, just like me, want to have it as a memento.
If you want to access the authors' complete thoughtwares in the field of BI/CI/SI, I suggest getting the authors' two earlier books (1 & 2) as mentioned above. They may be pricey, but they are definitely worth the limited shelf space on your managerial bookshelf.
Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, November 2008
 Good Introduction November 10, 2008
The authors did a good job putting the tools together in a single book. Some of the tools covered are BCG Matrix, Competitor Analysis, Financial Ratios, Porter's Five Forces, SWOT, Value Chain Analysis and many more (10 tools in all). The chapters are all self-contained and independent, so skipping ahead to read up only on what you need is easy. I would have preferred more details for each analysis, perhaps using raw data. The case studies are interesting, the more the better. However, it would have been much more useful to include things like how the data were collected, how information was interpreted based on those data and what formula was used. For each tool, its strengths and weaknesses are discussed. Without other resources to fall back on I don't feel the chapters provided enough detail for beginners to put them into practice. Curiously though, there is this most complicated diagram I have ever seen to explain a simple SWOT analysis. With boxes and arrows taking up the whole page.
Practical September 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book set the focus on key strategical analytical tools. It's so useful for everybody concernede about strategy in practical way.
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