Rating: 
Summary: Great introduction to DBD for those new to the game
Review: There are a plethora of business books that may be quickly tossed aside as current events rend their relevance asunder. This is not one of those books.Slywotzky and Morrison have admirably produced a generic template by which any business in any industry may move toward a more digital business design. Offering all the answers would be an insurmountable task. Instead Slywotzky and Morrison provide the proper questions any businessperson should ask. The book's title, in the form of a question, is an indication that readers will be required to do much thinking to provide their own answers. According to the authors, the objective of business is to know what the customer wants, rather than guessing and gambling that a set of pre-produced products will strike the customer's fancy. All in all, Slywotzky and Morrison sample companies that: 1. Develop a new DBD without the burden of legacy systems or infrastructure (Cisco, eBay) 2. Form a hybrid model of DBD from a largely virtual organization to one that encompasses virtual and physical facilities (Dell) 3. See the necessity to change from their traditional business model to DBD and have the courage to commit (Schwab, GE, IBM ) 4. May never have considered DBD in the past since their industry did not seem to fit the mold (Cemex) These four divisions seem to apply to the majority of companies in existence today. In effect, any company can benefit from DBD if their fundamental business model is already sound. Slywotzky and Morrison focus on successful companies that have adopted DBD. I would have been interested to hear more about companies that tried and failed to change their business. The authors do mention the Schlitz Beer debacle of the mid-1970's in which the company assumed (wrongly) that customers wouldn't notice an unappetizing haze at the bottom of the bottle. But this example doesn't address a failure to implement Digital Business Design. Perhaps in their next book, Slywotzky and Morrison can provide us their in-depth analysis of some specific DBD failures. There are plenty of examples to choose from this year. An important dimension not addressed in the book is DBD adjustment during bad economic times. How might DBD be beneficial in an economic downturn, such as we are experiencing now? Unfortunately, the book was published just as the crash of 2000 occurred. There weren't many companies to examine in terms of approach to the sudden change of the economy. I presume we will see many such books in the coming year, and I would suggest that the authors of "How Digital..." update their book to include shining icons (if any) of economic survival, thanks, in part, to DBD. Slywotzky and Morrison are quick to point out that the successful digital innovators did not arrive at their current state without pain. They also do not pretend that the DBD enhancements of these companies are perfect. But the companies are constantly striving to improve their business designs. Chapter 15, "The Digital Organization", offers a succinct overview of what any business manager would have to do to get to a Digital Business Design. Concepts are laid out clearly and emphatically presented, often to the point of absolutism. For its directness alone, this single chapter should be extruded from the book and re-read occasionally. The authors will have you believing you can work through a transition to DBD. This book serves as an excellent guide for the businessperson who wants to find better ways to know what the customer wants. It correctly deters thinking along the lines of upgrading current digital tools just because so many other companies are. In fact, due to the book's broad coverage of multiple industries, the authors are reticent to prescribe specific courses of action. This lack of detailed guidance, while intentional, might dismay a CEO in need of information on unique digital business designs. However, for the novice, who may not fully comprehend the vast array of options in the new digital economy, How Digital is Your Business? is an excellent general tour. One must have a starting point when attempting to change the nature of his business, and this book is a fine first step. The author credits for this book also include Karl Weber. His credentials indicate he is a business writer and editor. Perhaps his ghost-writing prowess gives the book its logical layout and smooth-flowing language. The narrative is exemplary for its concise delivery. I heartily recommend this book to both the business manager and the student of business. Whether or not the companies mentioned in the book will continue to succeed in their implementation of DBD remains to be seen; but the soundness of the principals introduced in "How Digital Is Your Business?" should be of great use for years to come. -S.R. Martin "nav66"
Rating: 
Summary: Digitize or perish.
Review: This book starts with a framework to understand the meaning of digitization of Business. The concept of Digital Business Design (DBD) lays emphasis on understanding the business processes and then use IT to digitize it. This is a definite departure from many contemporary books that ignore many business issues in the context of Technology. The comparison of performance between companies that are digitized more than their competitors is excellent. The improvement in performance is due to the speed and agility with which we can manage business processes that have more "bits" than "atoms". The case studies discussed in this book - one chapter devoted to each company in every category of business - are well researched. In the section devoted to "Incumbents on the move" GE is an outstanding example. To quote Jack Welch in his recent speech to shareowners in Atlanta -" Digitization is, in fact, a game changer for GE. And, with competition cutting back because of the economy, this is the time for GE to widen the digital gap, to further improve our competitive position. We will do that by increasing our spending on information technology by 10% to 15% this year despite the weak economy."
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book on Using Digital Technology Strategically
Review: This is not a book on the latest technology fad. Instead, it is about business strategy, and how to use technology to develop and execute the right strategy. The book has three key premises: 1) A business must be run according to its "business design" (the framework the authors use for developing and articulating the strategy a business should follow). 2) Digital technology dramatically enhances the strategic opportunities available to any business today -- even if it is not obvious at first how. 3) Business success (i.e. growth and profitability) depends crucially on figuring out what those opportunities are, determining how to exploit those opportunities, and then aligning the company around executing on those opportunities. The natural audience for this book is anyone who has P&L responsibility (or aspires to have such responsibility) in a business or a division. In my opinion, the message is dead-on. In particular, I think the "business design" construct they use is extremely powerful and actionable. My only complaint is that I wish they had spent a chapter explaining the "business design" construct in more detail for readers not already familiar with it. (The authors might respond that they have already done so in their earlier books -- "Value Migration" and "The Profit Zone" in particular -- but as they themselves say, you must repeat your message 700 times if you want it to be heard!) The book is extremely readable: * The first two chapters explain the basic concept. * Many of the subsequent chapters are devoted to an analysis of a particular business and how that business used technology to its strategic advantage. * A few chapters are devoted to particular digitally-enabled strategic options or themes that the authors believe deserve highlighting. * The last chapter exhorts the reader to champion and execute digital opportunities tirelessly, and gives some tips for how to do so. All in all, a great book for anyone interested in this topic.
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