This title was first published in 2000: Global competition is increasingly impacting on even the most isolated of companies; the only way for any company to sustain competitive advantage is by tapping into the single remaining area of great potential - the management of people. If we want to be an above-average company, we will need an above-average ratio of above-average people who perform at above-average levels. None of which will happen without above-average levels of management. Malcolm Birkin’s Building the Integrated Company offers a model for exploiting the human potential within organizations. This potential is one which, in previous decades, through an absence of focus on business basics and an adherence to mistaken ideas about sustainable competitive advantage, we have contrived to turn into all-too-limited performance. The first stage in any new learning process is to unlearn the misplaced concepts and bad habits we have developed. Section One of the book describes and contrasts the similarities and differences of American, European and Japanese management and then describes the characteristics of the Integrated Company, which has absorbed and perfected the best systems and philosophies from around the world. Anyone seeking to follow this lead needs to be able to distinguish the realities of these management systems from the myths. Section Two is built around a series of 13 detailed and scored questionnaires, containing over 240 individual questions, enabling the reader to assess every aspect of their business, from management focus to the behaviours of the workforce, against the Integrated Company model. Section Three, the largest and most important section, deals with integration, addressing the practical implementation of the systems and philosophies in a clear, logical and hands-on manner. As the name suggests, the Integrated Company is a holistic model, involving every aspect of the business. Nevertheless, managing people - the unlimited potential - remains the most complex

The construction industry is an information-intensive sector and low levels of productivity are often blamed on inadequate integration of information. This book shows how the different types and sources of information can be integrated to benefit individual construction projects, construction companies and in the construction industry at world-wide level.

The managed flow of goods and information from raw material to final sale also known as a "supply chain" affects everythingâ€"from the U.S. gross domestic product to where you can buy your jeans. The nature of a company's supply chain has a significant effect on its success or failureâ€"as in the success of Dell Computer's make-to-order system and the failure of General Motor's vertical integration during the 1998 United Auto Workers strike. Supply Chain Integration looks at this crucial component of business at a time when product design, manufacture, and delivery are changing radically and globally. This book explores the benefits of continuously improving the relationship between the firm, its suppliers, and its customers to ensure the highest added value. This book identifies the state-of-the-art developments that contribute to the success of vertical tiers of suppliers and relates these developments to the capabilities that small and medium-sized manufacturers must have to be viable participants in this system. Strategies for attaining these capabilities through manufacturing extension centers and other technical assistance providers at the national, state, and local level are suggested. This book identifies action steps for small and medium-sized manufacturersâ€"the "seed corn" of business start-up and developmentâ€"to improve supply chain management. The book examines supply chain models from consultant firms, universities, manufacturers, and associations. Topics include the roles of suppliers and other supply chain participants, the rise of outsourcing, the importance of information management, the natural tension between buyer and seller, sources of assistance to small and medium-sized firms, and a host of other issues. Supply Chain Integration will be of interest to industry policymakers, economists, researchers, business leaders, and forward-thinking executives.

This book looks at the success and continuing potential of photovoltaic (PV) technology in combating climate change by harnessing solar energy through building-integrated (BIPV) and building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV). With PV global capacity soaring from 940 GW in 2021 to 1100 GW in 2022 and projected to reach 1456 GW by the end of 2023, the world is witnessing an unprecedented shift towards renewable energy solutions. Today, no single country exists without some form of PV installation, driven by reduced costs and abundant free sunshine. The book’s chapters delve into the advancements in PV technology, exploring its integration as an essential building material by examining 14 countries and regions – Brazil, The Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Argentina, Iran, Germany, Malaysia, Oman, Bahrain, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Egypt – and providing a comprehensive overview of their successful adoption of PV for electricity generation. Whether you’re an architect, builder, engineer, or climate advocate, this vital resource offers insights, international case studies, and a path to a greener future.

Brands – corporate, products, service – today are collectively defined by their customers, deriving from personal experiences and word of mouth. This book acts as a forum for examining current and future trends in corporate branding, identity, image and reputation. Recognising the complexity and plurality at the heart of the corporate branding discipline, this book fills a gap in the literature by posing a number of original research questions on the intrinsic nature of corporate branding ideas from corporate (external) and organisation (internal) identity perspectives as they relate to brand management, corporate reputation, marketing communications, social media, smart technology, experiential and sensory marketing. It incorporates current thinking and developments by both multidisciplinary academics and practitioners, combining a comprehensive theoretical foundation with practical insights. The text will serve as an important resource for the marketing, identity and brand practitioners requiring more than anecdotal evidence on the structure and operation of stakeholders communication in different geographical areas. It determines current practices and researches in diverse areas, regions and commercial and non-commercial sectors across the world. The book provides scholars, researchers and postgraduate students in business and marketing with a comprehensive treatment of the nature of relationships between companies, brands and stakeholders in different areas and regions of the world.