In an economy where efficiency and delivery are key, Software Product Management Essentials is required reading for any software product manager. Software Product Management Essentials is a hands-on guide to help new product managers sift through the numerous tasks and responsibilities involved in this pinnacle job. The book is loaded with tips and example best practices to help even experienced product managers optimize their time and effectiveness. The book focuses on the unique challenges of being a Product Manager in a small to mid-sized software company. It provides a framework for the role of the Product Manager in an environment where there are few resources available to help in tackling the many things needed for a quality, on-time delivery of software. Whether you are already a Product Manager or considering a new career in product management, Software Product Management Essentials details a day-in-the-life experience of a PM with both the glory and challenges one faces in this role. Engineers, marketing personnel, quality assurance teams, technical writers, and anyone involved in the product delivery process will find this book extremely useful right away in optimizing the day-to-day interactions across a smaller software organization. 
Emphasizing that code is only part of the overall software product, Software Product Management Essentials stresses the importance of championing a product. Critical topics covered in the book include the product delivery process, beta testing, launching a software product, and software pricing. An entire chapter is dedicated to the issues of expanding the business internationally and the issues a Product Manager must consider before and during expansion. Numerous templates are provided to fast track the Product Manager's work including a sample non-disclosure agreement, product delivery checklist, and beta test agreement and summary.

Software Product Management Essentials

Business & Money

Dver, Alyssa S.

Marketing & Sales

Meghan Kiffer Pr

This book is best suited to those business leaders who have a burning desire to win. It's a book with a compelling message about the resurgence of business process thinking for competitive advantage. In an easy-to-read format, the book outlines why and how thoughtful CEO’s and leadership teams can manage enterprise business processes as the means to transform their good companies into great ones. Spanyi's book is a must read for business leaders searching for ways to manage the business in a more integrated manner by applying 21st century BPM techniques, thinking and technologies. Business process thinking is the prerequisite for executives to take advantage of powerful new BPM technologies. The book is, however, less about tools, templates and technologies and more about the set of values, beliefs and business practices needed to navigate through challenging economic times. Indeed, that’s why Spanyi says BPM is a team sport--Play it to Win! And to win, leaders must manage the cross-functional teams throughout the organization who must work collaboratively to create enduring value for customers and shareholders. 
 Much of what has been written on BPM is mechanistic and technical. Several of the works are long and tough to digest, and the links to strategy, organization design, people issues and technology are lost in the details. In a fast-paced and engaging manner, Spanyi describes how BPM can provide a robust framework enabling an organization to achieve strategic focus, organizational alignment and operating discipline. 
Spanyi proposes that organizations need to consciously work on transforming the mental models of the executive team from the traditional functional paradigm to a customer-driven model that is based on business process thinking. The book provides insight into why change initiatives like reengineering, continuous improvement and Six Sigma, when implemented piecemeal, are not nearly enough to achieve dominance in today's turbulent business environment. BPM is needed to provide the context for both change initiatives and the application of emerging technology, so that change programs can be deeply and fully integrated across the organization. 
 The book is written such that the initial reading can be done in less than the time it takes to fly from Dallas to Boston or from Toronto to Miami. A quick read can acquaint the reader with the essential concepts. Readers can then consume the book more carefully a second time, and combine its reading assignments to gain a more complete background and understanding of this vital subject (all the readings can be acquired through the book’s Web site).

Business Process Management Is a Team Sport: Play It to Win!

Spanyi, Andrew

Management & Leadership

More for Less: The Power of Process Management

There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. --Sam Walton What do your customers really want? “More for less,” of course! They want more value, more service, more consistent delivery, more accuracy, and ever more responsiveness, --and, they want to pay “less” for this “more,” along with less hassle, less bureaucracy, less sales pressure. Unless you can provide your customers with “more for less,” you can be assured they will find someone else who can, and sooner rather than later. There's no magic to providing more for less, but it requires a management mindset that's different from the norm--and that's precisely what this book is about. The findings in the 2004-2005 Mindset Study, based on exclusive interviews with frontline executives, went into the making of this book. With clarity and insight, Spanyi has penned the definitive guide for business leaders who are determined to deliver more for less to their customers and shareholders.Andrew Spanyi's More for Less is the best source of contemporary thinking about business process management. It's eminently clear and practical, with nary a faddish or false word. This book is just what companies need to improve their operations.Thomas H. Davenport President's Distinguished Professor, Babson College and Academic Director, Process Management Research Center The author has provided clarification on how enterprise processes need to be closely aligned with a company's core vision and business strategies in order to drive step change improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. Spanyi's book helps to "connect the dots" for many leaders who may be confused or not convinced of the value of integrating strategy, processes, metrics, improvement projects, and IT into driving improved bottom line results.Bill Cantwell, Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Air Products Andrew Spanyi has done it again. I consider myself a seasoned facilitator of improving the business using a combination of Quality strategies and tools. When I read Andrew's book I found myself saying “I knew that” a lot. More frequently I found myself saying, “I never thought of that.” His unique way of focusing on Business Process Excellence and the numerous examples of ways to measure your business is a must read. Jim Pearson, VP of Customer Quality and Six Sigma, EMC Corporation Process is the competitive battleground of today, and how an organization thinks about process, or process orientation, is the sustainable competitive advantage for the 21st century. This book is a great combination of theory and practical examples that can accelerate the development of this new way of managing. - Dr. Kevin McCormack, President, DRK Research During the last twenty years, the business process mindshare of business leaders has waxed and waned. However, Andrew Spanyi has remained steadfast and compelling in his advocacy of the central role processes play in revenue growth, cost reduction, quality improvement, and time compression. Process improvement tools are well-chronicled elsewhere; More for Less adds an important tile to the mosaic by describing why and how leaders can use enterprise-wide process management as a strategic weapon.Alan Brache, author of How Organizations Work: Taking A Holistic Approach to Organization Health and co-author of Implementation: How to Transform Strategic Initiatives into Blockbuster Results and co-author of “Improving Performance: How to Manage the White Space on the Organization Chart." Finally, a sensible book on the conversion to process thinking for managers. Not only is it down to earth and filled with good examples, it recognizes that sometimes what looks easy is hard to implement, due not to its complexity, but to stubborn managerial mindsets. This book will help you change the mindset in your organization.Allan R. Cohen, Edward A. Madden Distinguished Professor of Global Leadership, Babson College, co-author, Influence without Authority This thoughtful and persuasive book should be read by everybody in today's process community. In addition, it's a well-structured and comprehensive introduction to the power of process for anyone not familiar with this critical perspective of business. This book puts process on the map.Steve Stanton, Independent speaker, author, and consultant. One of the pioneers of process-centered innovation.This important book will provide leaders with clear direction for their process management initiatives. Spanyi has an amazing talent to summarize complex issues, make convincing observations, and provide guidance. More for Less may become one of the most important sources of knowledge for managers with a desire to increase the process orientation of an organization.Dr. Michael Rosemann, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia Andrew Spanyi hits the mark in More for Less. He nails the key elements of process management in today's business environment and challenges accepted thinking previously assumed to be gospel in process improvement circles. More for Less is an excellent piece of work and a “must read” from one of the thought leaders in the world of Business Process Management. - Stephen G. Smith, Senior Vice President &amp; Managing Executive, Rummler-Brache Group

If you have read Thomas L. Friedman's bestseller, The World is Flat, and were awed, you might now want to consider what a professor of anthropology at San Jose State University, Roberto J. Gonzalez, thinks, “To awe his readers, Friedman relies upon anecdotes and vignettes from recent trips. He breathlessly recounts visiting booming Asian cities that he portrays as landscapes littered with American logos from IBM, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and Pizza Hut. Friedman doesn't appear to spend much time outside of golf courses, five-star restaurants, limousines and luxury hotels. His view of the world is consistent with dozens of elites he interviews on his global journey. Ultimately, Friedman's work is little more than advertising. This book's lighthearted style might be amusing were it not for the fact that his subject -- the global economy -- is a matter of life and death for millions. Friedman's words and opinions, ill informed as they are, shape the policies of leaders around the world. Many consider him to be a sophisticated thinker and analyst -- not a propagandist. It is a sobering reminder of the intellectual paralysis gripping our society today.” In The World is Flat?, Ronald Aronica and Mtetwa Ramdoo present a critical analysis of the revised edition of Friedman's best-selling book. They question many of Friedman's observations and conclusions and present information that shows that, rather than living in a “flattened” world, we are, in actuality, living in a world titled in favor of a new breed of elite capitalists who exploit poverty-stricken people willing to work in appalling factory conditions for twenty-cents an hour. In this concise monograph, Aronica and Ramdoo bring clarity to many of Friedman’s technology misconceptions (e.g. workflow systems have been around for years even though Friedman just now discovers them), and give him kudos where he got it right. They also provide ideas for action and a short list of more thoughtful readings for those who want to really understand the forces determining how we will live and compete in the twenty-first century. Refreshingly, you can gain true insights into Friedman’s subject without weeding through 608 pages of ill-informed, grandiloquent prose.

The World Is Flat?: A Critical Analysis of New York Times Bestseller by Thomas Friedman

Politics & Social Sciences

Ronald Aronica

Mtetwa Ramdoo

Sociology

This gripping, fast-paced book is changing how America does business in the twenty-first century. Not since Eliyahu Goldratt's 1984 breakaway book, The Goal (2 million in print), has such an intriguing business message been presented at the intersection of business and entertainment. This book is an engaging novelette and, at the same time, a thought-provoking business book about how to harness the power of process management to unleash new sources of competitive advantage. Kiran Garimella separates the hype from the reality of process management, arguing for the new mindset and corporate culture necessary to sustain a true process-oriented organization. Process management can enable innovation, address compliance, increase controllership, manage risk, improve customer-centricity, and ensure agility. Dr. Garimella reinforces his message through fictional situations and engaging dialog. He turns the inevitable alphabet soup of business and technology terms into a gourmet's delight with true business substance.
 Required reading for anyone wanting to succeed in the brave new world of total global competition.
 ________________________________________ In a business world so overrun with technical mumbo jumbo, this book is a welcome relief. Every business person challenged with organizational design, systems deployment, process improvement, or profit maximizations should give The Power of Process a read. --Cameron Krueger, Vice President, Capgemini US LLC 
 I got so caught up in the story that I didn't realize I was being educated at the same time! Dr. Garimella weaves a compelling tale that reinforces the principles of process management that every business leader needs to know --and he makes it fun and interesting at the same time. --Tom Murphy, SVP and CIO, Amerisourcebergen 
 The Power of Process is a highly informative book that cuts through the jargon and alphabet soup to give the readers a true perspective of what business process management truly is. --Dr. Mark Pendergast, Associate Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University 
 You'll be itching to make changes to your business by the time you finish reading this book. --Rajeev Jain, Head of Quality at a leading Financial Services company 
 This book should be required reading for IT professionals who wish to enter into meaningful business conversations with their executives. --Andrew Spanyi, Author of More for Less: The Power of Process Management 
 In simple and interesting terms, this book presents all the complex concepts in process management, including the latest buzz words. Every IT and business manager needs to read this book. --Prof. Hemant Jain, Professor, University of Wisconsin 
 Dr. Garimella's real life analogies are both familiar and amusing, thus allowing business professionals the opportunity to grasp technological solutions, while being entertained during the discovery process. --Michael Kuhbock, Founder &amp; Chairman Emeritus, Integration Consortium 
 While enjoying the trek of the main characters is definitely entertaining, you soon find yourself developing a deep understanding and appreciation for the nuances and challenges of pragmatic business modeling, and service oriented architecture. --Jason Matthews, CEO, The Voyant Group 
 This is an essential reference for directors and executives trying to navigate the alphabet soup of the BPM and SOA worlds. Kiran breaks technical topics down into plain, everyday language, which is essential to communicating effectively with a broad audience. --Scott Mark, Enterprise Architect, Fortune 250 medical technology company 
 This book uses novel approaches to clearly articulate what BPM really is and how it can increase quality while reducing costs acro

The Power of Process: Unleashing the Source of Competitive Advantage

Garimella, Kiran K.

Customer Expectation Management (CEM) is a business approach that identifies and shapes customer expectations, and once set by the company, those expectations are met without exception.  Seemingly simple ideas are often the most powerful, and the hardest to uncover. In the 20th century, it was Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives. In the 21st century, it's Management by Expectation. Author Terry Schurter reveals the simple, yet powerful, idea of defining your business, not in terms of the goods and services you provide, but in terms of "customer expectations." Schurter explicitly links corporate strategy down into every niche and corner of the enterprise to ensure that your business sets and meets customer expectations --without exception. Providing clear and actionable guidelines, along with examples from FedEx, Virgin Mobile, Best Buy and a budget airline, he explains what companies can do to increase the customer pipeline, convert higher percentages of that pipeline to profitability, and extend the duration of the customer relationship where profitability is at its peak. ______________________________  This must-read book gives us powerful insights about the need to do no more, or less, than meet customer expectations --every time. It has great advice about how easy it can be to do that and become a hyper-competitive business. --Roger Tregear, Leonardo Consulting, Canberra, Australia Simply working harder at existing approaches - even excellent ones - may not be enough to retain demanding customers. As price differentials narrow and product features are quickly copied, business survival requires an unrelenting focus upon identifying and delivering additional and differentiating value for customers. Terry Schurter provides a manifesto for all those who are seeking to inspire a greater focus upon the experience of customers. --Colin Coulson, Thomas, Professor of Direction and Leadership, University of Lincoln. Author, Winning Companies, Winning People

Customer Expectation Management: Success Without Exception

Terry Schurter

Steve Towers

A holistic view of technology and business comments on the concepts, jargon, strategies, scalability, interoperability, adapability, and integration of applications, markets, and customer service.

Enterprise E-Commerce

Sharma, Tarun

Fingar, Peter

Kumar, Harsha

Science & Math

The facilitation of knowledge work or what is increasingly known as "Case Management" represents the next imperative in office automation. The desire to fully support knowledge workers within the workplace is not new. What's new is that recent advances in Information Technology now make the management of unpredictable circumstances a practical reality. There's now a groundswell of interest in a more flexible, dynamic approach to supporting knowledge work. Here are examples of what recognized experts have have recently written on the topic: Advancing to support more knowledge work is the goal of many organizations, thus there is a new groundswell of activity around unstructured processes. - Jim Sinur, VP of Research, Gartner I think a sea change is coming in the process world. -Connie Moore, Research Vice President, Forrester The sea of change Moore refers to is about technology that is able to support knowledge workers. The work of a knowledge worker is by its nature unpredictable and can not be handled by more formalized process definition techniques. For executives and managers of knowledge workers, "Mastering the Unpredictable" will: 
<ul>
<li> Explain the need and why previous technological approaches don't meet the need </li> <li> Explain the current technology gap, and the new technology that can close the gap </li> <li> Lay out the options that can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their organizations </li> <li> Equip them to best take advantage of this evolving trend</li>
</ul>

Mastering the Unpredictable: How Adaptive Case Management Will Revolutionize the Way That Knowledge Workers Get Things Done

Swenson, Keith D.

Computing Illustrated: A Short Course and Desk Reference for Professionals in Government and Business

Computers & Technology

In the decade after publication of the seminal book, Business Process Management: The Third Wave, much has been written about BPM concepts and vision. Yet Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us, “Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing?” Finally, now comes the first real-world story that shares the lessons learned by doing the work of strategic BPM in one of the world’s largest organizations. Don’t just read this book; apply the hard-earned lessons in your organization. ____________________________________________________________ “Jim Boots makes clear the things that people need to do differently to manage for sustainable excellence. And he does not gloss over the challenges related to behavioral change. Rather, backed up by examples and stories, he explains how to overcome resistance and engage people at all levels to make BPM ‘the way we do things here.’” --Julie M. Smith, Ph.D., Co-founder of CLG 
 “This book provides the kind of deep and broad coverage of BPM that only an experienced practitioner like Jim could provide. The result is a source of deep learning for BPM professionals and a comprehensive overview of the topic for those who want to learn more about BPM.” --Prof. Brian Donnellan, Co-Director, Innovation Value Institute 
 “They say the key to many challenges, like climbing Mount Everest or running the four-minute mile, lies in knowing for certain it can be done. Once someone has done it, then, suddenly many others are confident enough to do it too. Jim shows how an organization can wring productivity out of business operations with hard work and constant attention to detail. Reading about what Jimand his colleagues at Chevron have accomplished may very well empower you to do something similar at your organization.” --Paul Harmon, Executive Editor, BPTrends 
 “The need for business process management is one constant in an era of continuous change. Jim Boots’ book is a lighthouse to help executives find their way to success.” --Prof. Martin Curley, Vice-President and Director, Intel Labs Europe, Intel Corporation

BPM Boots on the Ground: How to Implement Strategic Business Process Management: Lessons Learned From One of the World's Largest Organizations

Boots, Jim

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