Overview

The common thread between all of the aforementioned business models is that they have adopted best practices from their predecessors while developing new tactics that are better suited to current markets and industries. Truly innovative breakthroughs in global commerce models are rare, while the ability to apply existing methods, discard outdated activities and develop new tactics is a much more common event in business today.

There has been no shortage of operational panaceas during recent years, all of which have been promoted as saviors of industry. Predictably, some have fared better than others. Most have faded to footnote status, however, due to the fact that they were based more on consultants' hype than any quantifiable value brought to an organization. While a detailed study of these methodologies is a conversation for another day, it appears that the models most adaptable to global business are those that create measurable links between enterprise-wide execution and financial performance.

Given the above, it is no surprise to see remnants of the total quality management (TQM) movement manifest themselves in more contemporary programs. Statistical process control and the use of trend charts, for example, are still very much a part of many companies' quality and continuous improvement programs. Whereas TQM was knocked for its internal focus on production processes as opposed to client needs, it is interesting to observe that the fundamental tools of the model are still of value today. The reason why they are still in use is that, when taken in...