Initially, the Home Depot strove to turn its flagging profits and image around through product innovation, although it has never been as rigorous in its self-examination as Toyota. Still, after expanding to the point that industry analysts worried that it had overextended itself, and after the more female-friendly Lowes stores with their superior store layout threatened its dominance, the Home Depot "sanded down its rougher product edges a little to

One such exemplary resource is Epicor's recent guide, "Managing Today's Professional Services Organization: How to Improve Efficiency and Increase Profits" (2011). Although the guide contains some self-serving information concerning Epicor's own IT product line, the bulk of the guide is devoted to timely and informative insights concerning how IT can facilitate project delivery in professional services organizations. For instance, according to Epicor's guide: Ultimately, a successful operational model demands higher-order

Such a strategy would also help the firm to address its weaknesses while acting on its strengths. Some of Apple's strengths include an innovative cast of executives and a well-known brand. Its weaknesses include significantly high R&D costs in comparison to those of competitors. Competition from makers of similar products is one of the main threats the company faces. In regard to opportunities, Apple could seek to take advantage

Manage Innovation and Continuous Improvement MANAGING INNOVATION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT How does your workplace monitor and evaluate performance and sustainability of key systems and processes? My organization has a systematic way in which it monitors and evaluates performance and sustainability of key systems and processes. The organization carries out daily auditing processes and activities to determine the progress of the sustainability programs adopted in an organization. The organization has long- and short-term goals

Innovation & Creativity FedEx was founded as an innovator in a logistics field that had never seen overnight delivery before. The company has always positioned itself as a premium provider in the business, based on its sophisticated technology, superior network size and quality of service. However, as the company has matured, its ability to be an innovation leader is being threatened. There are a few different issues at play. The first

" The process feature revolves around "the general business process and practices that enable functional groups to operate effectively and collaborate toward a common goal - as well as a robust set of innovation methodologies and tools." Finally, the structure component has refers to the "organizational structures and supporting technologies that enable collaboration across functional lines" (Innovation Point, 2004). Otherwise put, the ophthalmologic clinic has to focus on implementing a