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Summary: Dell Rules!
Review: For a kid who enjoyed taking apart computers, Michael Dell has come a long way. In DIRECT FROM DELL he enthusiastically describes the development of his phenomenally successful business, Dell Computer Company. The book is a fascinating read for people who enjoy learning about "hypergrowth companies" and the personal computer industry. It's also interesting simply as an account of a businessman who possesses the exceptional ability of dealing with the rapidfire changes in technology and being able to build an organization whose employees thrive on change. Dell provides examples and advice for start-up business owners on ways to handle change and the importance of constant communication with employees, customers, and suppliers. He offers some innovative ideas for encouraging employees to think outside the box and for suppliers to work as partners with the company for everyone's benefit. Congratulations, Michael Dell, on your company's amazing success and your willingness to listen to the customer's needs over everything else.
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Summary: Provides a range of useful value drivers begining with 'P'!
Review: This book is both an autobiography and a business book. It describes first the rise of Michael Dell, and second, the Dell Corporation. Therefore, although the word 'I' is prevelent in the first part of the book, the far more interesting 'we' predominates in the latter part. From the more business part of the book, I learnt the 12 'P's of (internet) business: 1. Personalisation; of offering for customer need. 2. Performance; of offering & competitive strategy 3. Price: Disintermediation; Profit Pools & competitive strategy 4. Proximity: Direct to customer; Supplier location & selection. 5. Partnering: For R&D; Common culture 6. People: Common culture & HR; Diversity of ideas 7. Proprietors: Deep share ownership & commitment 8. Parity: No hierarchies & participation 9. Preparedness: For org. change and internal comms 10.P&L: Matrix P&L of offerings and customer segments 11.Parts: Service; Inventory in hours not weeks or days 12.Process: Service; Increasingly the only source of competitive adv. In a period in which the lack of Proximity featured large in the leadership and financial problems of a leading computer manufacturer, Dell Corps. strategy appears endorsed! Despite my listing the 12 P's, the book is nevertheless worth 'P'ersevering with. Callum Morrison
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Summary: Very inspirational
Review: As a young entrepreneur it helped me to believe that one can achieve their goals by having a plan and a burning desire to succeed.
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Summary: Direct bleprint for Success
Review: Michael Dell has penned the story of a small computer companyfrom Texas that has gone on to be one of the biggest powerhouses inthe direct consumer marketing industry. He shares his secrets of success, that sometimes appear to be almost common sense, except for the fact that none of the other companies do some of these things. While not a biography of Dell, the man nor the company, it is a good roadmap for the IT entrepreneur to succeed.
I, one day, hope to start my own company in in the computing industry, and he has given me the handbook for success. I read the book in under 36 hours, I could not put it down. I saw many applications to implement some of the ideas that he talks about at the University HelpDesk that I manage. I think that managers at all levels and in all industries can benefit from read "Direct from Dell".
How much can the CEO of a company that does $40 million dollars a day on the Internet know about business?....a whole heck of a lot!
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Summary: Great story with practical advice!
Review: The story of Dell Computers is an enjoyable story of how an entrepreneurial young Michael Dell couldn't contain his enthusiasm for his business idea and took it all the way. Without much to guide him beyond his instincts he made some mistakes, but he admits to these and describes them so readers can learn from them as he did. Of course, far more can be learned from what he did right. One of the more noteworthy approaches he mentions is that Dell rewards success by *reducing* the responsibilities of the successful manager- an act many use as a negative disciplinary measure in other companies. The reasoning is that after a division grows from a $10 million market to $200 million, by cutting it back to $25 million, it will be easier for the manager to focus on this smaller block, understand it better, and again grow it to $200 million or more.
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Summary: Dell Isms
Review: Between 1984-87, Michael Dell managed has taken his company from a $1,000 hobby to a $160 million business. In 1999, it was worth $18 billion and had experience a 36000 percent growth. Dell computer company is a "Good to Great" company. Michael Dell exhibits the type of leadership that a "Good to Great" company should have. Dell's Big Picture: Build a business on what people want instead of what you think they want: 1. listen to the customer 2. respond to the customer 3. deliver what they want. Success is a matter of learning and identifying core strengths. Every new growth opportunity has a level of risk Try to identify potential problems early and fix them. Pace investment to match progress. If there was a way to get something done more quickly and easily, I wanted to try it. Eliminate the middle man. Opportunity is part emmersion and part instinct. Dell's Competitive strategies: 1. faster speed to market 2. superior customer service 3. commitment to produce high quality and high performance product 4. rapid entry to the internet. The PC was going to be the business choice for the future. Surround yourself with smart advisors. If you hire good people they will bring other good people to the organization Dell's Two golden rules: Distain inventory and Always listen to the customer. Always sell direct. Build your infrastructure as you grow. Slow and steady growth with a focus on liquidity. Communication is the most important tool in recovering from mistakes. Interject functional excellence and maintain accountability. Segment by customer. Segmentation offered the solution to rapid growth. Maximize strengths to improve profit. The quality of information is proportional to the amount inventory. Focus on getting quality information and decreasing inventory. Information Technology must reduce obstacles to the origin and flow of information. Acheive velocity by selecting the minimum number of parts that will cover the largest portion of the market sector. Dell's view on company culture: moblize around a common goal, invest in long term goals, don't leave the talent search to human resources, cultivate commitment to personal growth, and get involved. Dell's list of donts: 1. Don't be satisfied 2. Don't waste precious resource 3. Don't play hard to get 4. Marry high tech and high touch 5. Don't forget the customer have different fears, questions, and sensitivities. Dell's beliefs about the customer: 1. See the big picture 2. Run with suggestions from the customer 3. Always think bottom line (find ways to help the customer cut costs) 4. Make yourself valuable to the customer. 5. Be a student. Dell's guidelines for communication: 1. Don't underestimate the value of information 2. Communicate directly with the customer 3. work toward increasing demand verses supply 4. think real time 5. R&D must deliver value-added stuff for the customer 6. Get online and learn from the customer. Focus on the customer and not competition.
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Summary: Goes on the short list of must-have business books
Review: Great book by one of the true pioneers of business in the last 15 years. It provides a fast-reading insight into the success of Dell.
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Summary: Good lunch hour reading...
Review: Keeping true to the title, Michael Dell gets straight to the point in discussing the "Direct to Customer" model upon which his company was established. As he readily admits, this book is neither an autobiography of himself, nor a detailed history of the company. Rather, the primary focus is on the virtues of the direct model, and how Dell was able to implement it so effectively implement during the past two decades. Most of the ideas and advice introduced here are not groundbreaking (e.g. "know your customer", "keep an entrepreneural spirit", "learn from your salespeople"), but to have all these concepts presented together within the context of such an extraordinarily successful company really puts them to life, and serves as a good reminder for managers to not lose touch with the realities of today's marketplace. The prose is clear and consise, and at less than 200 pages, it's a very quick read. With his effusive praise for Dell's strengths and successes, the book does at times seem more like an extended advertisement for the firm (e.g. the web address stamped across the bottom of each page, an advertising tactic he does explain). However, it's hard to argue with Mr. Dell's results, which alone makes this book worthwhile to read.
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Summary: Direct from Dell - direct from Mike Dell
Review: After reading this outstanding book by Mike Dell, you will understand why people say "whose Compaq?" and "Hewlett who?" Direct from Dell offers the strategies of the world's youngest billionaire and one of the greatest success stories in American history. Best of all, it's Mike's own words. I also recommend the tapes in Mike's own voice. Direct from Dell is about a revolution in marketing and design.
It's about innovation. It's about strategies from the world's #1 pc maker and in the years to come, the #1 technology company in the world, bar none.
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Summary: Direct from Dell
Review: Overall I found this a very easy read. This is due in large part to the level of reading which is about high school sophomore level. I feel that's okay though, because there are many times that people want to impress us with their knowledge and write right over the heads of others, the result: their point is completely missed. The most important part of the book, as it relates to the strategies, is found in Part I. The strategies are what made Dell Computer Corporation so successful and for me personally, I would have loved to work for this company. Dell Computer Corp. embodies the values that I admire such as being direct, empowering your employees, talking with your customers, your suppliers, your competition so as to bring them into the company - their strategy of the "Direct Model". The "direct model" also brought on the advent of the virtually integrated organization. This is an organization linked not by physical assets, but by information. Perfect for the technology times we live in. I feel that this is one book from which many CEO's and small businesses can learn from, as well as individuals. Mr. Dell sees no end to the growth and believes that they have the right model for the Internet age. A final quote from the book about the real key to their success I believe says it all. Their success:
It comes from knowing our strengths and being open to experimentation. It comes from the determination to learn from our mistakes and look for ways to continually improve. It comes from being willing to challenge conventional wisdom and having the courage to follow our convictions. It comes from an innate fascination with eliminating unnecessary steps.
Well worth taking the time to read.
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