Managing Explosive Corporate Growth

As paradoxical as it sounds, one of the toughest problems facing many of today's most successful companies is success itself. Like living organisms, companies are complex networks of interdependent systems-and unless managers recognize and swiftly implement the changes to those systems required by a sudden surge in demand, a booming business can easily go bust under the strain. Recent history abounds with examples of companies whose overnight success led to morning-after failure because their managers, like most managers, lacked the training or experience needed to manage explosive growth. Yet, surprisingly, until recently there have been few expert guides devoted exclusively to this crucial change management issue.

Managing Explosive Corporate Growth is a practical guide to piloting your company through periods of explosive growth with minimum damage and maximum sustainable profits. Author Steven Bragg explores the reasons why companies succeed or fail to adapt to explosive growth. He identifies the warning signs of impending explosions or declines in sales volume and zeroes in on the key growth issues specific to each functional area of the company-including accounting, auditing, IT, customer service, distribution, engineering, finance, HR, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. He also presents clear-cut guidelines on how to balance the demands of all organizational areas while guaranteeing customer satisfaction.

In addition to proven strategies for planning, financing, and managing explosive growth, he provides you with valuable explosive growth management tools, including checklists of key explosive growth indicators; metrics and reporting systems for controlling cash flow; multioption budgeting systems that address all growth levels; and reporting systems that help you monitor and control rapid expansion.

Managing Explosive Corporate Growth is an indispensable working resource for corporate managers, internal auditors, and entrepreneurs. It will also be of considerable interest to institutional investors who would like to learn the latest techniques for tracking the performance of current or potential investments.Ihr Unternehmen platzt aus allen Nähten? Nicht wenige Firmen müssen heutzutage aus einem eher seltsamen Grund aufgeben: Sie schaffen es nicht, mit dem Erfolg ihrer Produkte Schritt zu halten. Wie Sie solche Situationen vermeiden oder notfalls beheben können, zeigt Ihnen dieses hochaktuelle Buch. Besonders nützlich sind detaillierte Angaben zu Warnzeichen, die auf plötzliche Schwankungen der Verkaufszahlen hinweisen können. (12/98) Success or Failure.

Budgeting.

Cash Management.

Control Systems.

Management Issues.

Ownership Issues.

Outsourcing.

Partnerships.

Accounting.

Auditing.

Computer Services.

Customer Service.

Distribution.

Engineering.

Finance.

Human Resources.

Manufacturing.

Materials Management.

Sales and Marketing.

Appendix.

Index. STEVEN M. BRAGG, CPA, CMA, CIA, CDP, CSP, CPM, CPIM, has been the COO of Isolation Technologies, a consulting manager at Ernst & Young LLP, and is currently the Controller of Intertech Plastics, Inc. He received an MA in finance from Bentley College and an MBA from Babson College. He is the author of Just-in-Time Accounting (Wiley), Advanced Accounting Systems, and Outsourcing the Corporation, and coauthor of Controllership and The Controller's Function, both from Wiley. Managing Explosive Corporate Growth As paradoxical as it sounds, one of the toughest problems facing many of today's most successful companies is success itself. Like living organisms, companies are complex networks of interdependent systems-and unless managers recognize and swiftly implement the changes to those systems required by a sudden surge in demand, a booming business can easily go bust under the strain. Recent history abounds with examples of companies whose overnight success led to morning-after failure because their managers, like most managers, lacked the training or experience needed to manage explosive growth. Yet, surprisingly, until recently there have been few expert guides devoted exclusively to this crucial change management issue. Managing Explosive Corporate Growth is a practical guide to piloting your company through periods of explosive growth with minimum damage and maximum sustainable profits. Author Steven Bragg explores the reasons why companies succeed or fail to adapt to explosive growth. He identifies the warning signs of impending explosions or declines in sales volume and zeroes in on the key growth issues specific to each functional area of the company-including accounting, auditing, IT, customer service, distribution, engineering, finance, HR, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. He also presents clear-cut guidelines on how to balance the demands of all organizational areas while guaranteeing customer satisfaction. In addition to proven strategies for planning, financing, and managing explosive growth, he provides you with valuable explosive growth management tools, including checklists of key explosive growth indicators; metrics and reporting systems for controlling cash flow; multioption budgeting systems that address all growth levels; and reporting systems that help you monitor and control rapid expansion. Managing Explosive Corporate Growth is an indispensable working resource for corporate managers, internal auditors, and entrepreneurs. It will also be of considerable interest to institutional investors who would like to learn the latest techniques for tracking the performance of current or potential investments. As paradoxical as it sounds, one of the toughest problems facing many of today's most successful companies is success itself. Like living organisms, companies are complex networks of interdependent systems-and unless managers recognize and swiftly implement the changes to those systems required by a sudden surge in demand, a booming business can easily go bust under the strain. Recent history abounds with examples of companies whose overnight success led to morning-after failure because their managers, like most managers, lacked the training or experience needed to manage explosive growth. Yet, surprisingly, until recently there have been few expert guides devoted exclusively to this crucial change management issue.

Managing Explosive Corporate Growth is a practical guide to piloting your company through periods of explosive growth with minimum damage and maximum sustainable profits. Author Steven Bragg explores the reasons why companies succeed or fail to adapt to explosive growth. He identifies the warning signs of impending explosions or declines in sales volume and zeroes in on the key growth issues specific to each functional area of the company-including accounting, auditing, IT, customer service, distribution, engineering, finance, HR, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. He also presents clear-cut guidelines on how to balance the demands of all organizational areas while guaranteeing customer satisfaction.

In addition to proven strategies for planning, financing, and managing explosive growth, he provides you with valuable explosive growth management tools, including checklists of key explosive growth indicators; metrics and reporting systems for controlling cash flow; multioption budgeting systems that address all growth levels; and reporting systems that help you monitor and control rapid expansion.

Managing Explosive Corporate Growth is an indispensable working resource for corporate managers, internal auditors, and entrepreneurs. It will also be of considerable interest to institutional investors who would like to learn the latest techniques for tracking the performance of current or potential investments.