“The average billion-dollar company spends as many as 25,000 person-days per year putting together the budget. If this all paid off in shareholder return, that would be fine. But few organizations can make that claim. In fact, many firms now question the ROI of traditional budgeting altogether and are looking for alternatives that reduce time and better align spending with strategy.”

“Nearly 75 percent of shoppers in the U.S. now belong to at least one loyalty programóbut how well do they work? The short answer: not as well as they might. We look at why, and analyze how advances in customer data collection are helping three companies — Dorothy Lane Market Inc., Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. and eBay Inc. — to revise their business strategies in different ways.”

“Dizzying products line miles of shelves in legions of stores across this country. Anyone daunted by holiday shopping can attest to that. So what does it take to make a product stand out? Start-ups and established firms are finding that a strong product design is integral to success, not just something that makes them look hip.”