The elusive market share...you may think you know how big your piece of the pie is, but do you really know? And, is your market share data granular enough to allow you to make decisions? Traditionally, companies get market share estimates that are extrapolated from bigger data sets; but most do not have a good way to measure their performance on a local level. And without that knowledge, how do they…

Impending industry-rocking consolidations and their ensuing ramifications stir up a natural response for competitors to go on the defense. The knee-jerk reaction by companies that feel they are under attack is to retaliate with a drastic move of their own. When big deals are going down, reacting too quickly is usually the worst thing you can do for your business. The best way to avoid getting clobbered…

There are a hundred reasons why companies neglect to implement results after a comprehensive market research endeavor, some of the most common reasons we often see being staff turnover, competing priorities, disagreement with the results, or uncertainty about what to do next with the results. Whatever the reasons for sidelining your research, the research is worthless investment if you don’t put…

The prevalence of change in the regular pace of business means it’s always in the back of our minds. But "change" and "change management" moved from the background to center stage when news broke late last year about a Dow/DuPont merger. Managing any complex change in your business is like walking through a delicate and intricate web, and having a solid strategic plan is only one part of the battle.…

When it comes to efficiency improvement projects, there’s no better fixer-upper than the ag supply chain. While the outbound side of the chain is taking advantage of the latest technology and innovation, the input side looks much like it did in the 1980s. Sure, the ag distribution channel has seen a proliferation of ERP systems and advances in electronic information exchange, but the nuts and bolts…

The word “if,” at its core, is based on chance and probability. We use “if” a great deal in agriculture, including these two from recent memory: "If corn goes to $8…" and "If corn goes back to $4…" Both statements were made with a certain level of improbability at the time, but then they came true. Statements starting with "when" inherently have a greater level of urgency because they feel…