[arcadata]

Profitable Road to (Business) Harmony by Jim Champy

Product Description

When processes don't mesh smoothly, companies can find themselves at odds with one another. Suppliers don't deliver the promised value, manufacturers turn out shoddy products, and customers depart. The new reengineering calls for redesigning your processes to fit with those of your partners.

Leaders often shy away from the word "harmony." It connotes a certain softness that seems at odds with the common perception that managing a business requires, above all, toughness-a greater concern for results than for feelings. But here I'm talking about the hard stuff-processes.

The dictionary in my laptop devotes most of its definition of "harmonize" to a discussion of melodies and musical terminology. But it also includes the following: "to make rules, regulations, or systems similar or in accord with each other." That accurately captures my meaning-though I would add processes to the list, of course.