Direct From Dell: Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry (Paperback)

This book helped me to do that, not only does it give you alot of information into how Dell became what he is today, but also gives you crucial business ideas in potential ways of running your own business and essential assets within your business that you should definitely invest in if you want a chance to make it big. Perhaps even as big as Dell.

I have read every published article I can find about Dell Computer and every published speech by a Dell executive, and I learned a lot about what Dell did (and when), why, and what the results have been.

I came away with a much higher opinion of Dell Computer as a communications model for other companies. They reduce errors because they listen and act quickly. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of most organizations.

Recently, I had the chance to spend a day at Dell on a site visit and came away even more impressed with how well they communicate. Everyone I met had a thorough understanding of the company's vision, strategy, and business model. I have never experienced that before in any company of any size.

You may be tempted to ignore Dell Computer now that their growth and that of personal computers is slowing in 2000. That should affect your stock investing, not your best practices learning.

To the Dell model, you can further improve by considering best practices that Dell does not do enough of yet such as scanning the business environment to locate best practices that it does not yet use.

You can also consider the ideal best practice, which is to replace your product with a service that is better and less costly to the customer. In Dell's case, this would mean turning the network into the computer without the need for a computer in the first place. Since Dell recently announced it will be doing more with servers and services, that may well be in the company's future.

Dell Computer has also been very effective at overcoming the other sources of stalled performance at most organizations: Tradition, Misconceptions, Disbelief about new thngs and ideas, Bureaucracy, Avoiding the unattractive (such as angry customers), and Procrastination.

You can use an 8 step process involving measurements, anticipating the future best practice, exceeding that future best practice using best practices in new combinations, identifying the ideal best practice and approaching it, employing the best employees and incentives to create the results you want, and repeating this process. Then you will run rings around Dell Computer, unless Dell Computer begins to use this process before you do.

Buy, read, think about, decide how to apply the lessons of the book, and act. You will be glad you did.

Michael Dell spends 40% of his time with customers. A lot of the rest goes into designing improved ways to listen to customers. Should you be doing the same?

I have read every published article I can find about Dell Computer and every published speech by a Dell executive, and I learned a lot about what Dell did (and when), why, and what the results have been.

I came away with a much higher opinion of Dell Computer as a communications model for other companies. They reduce errors because they listen and act quickly. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of most organizations.

Recently, I had the chance to spend a day at Dell on a site visit and came away even more impressed with how well they communicate. Everyone I met had a thorough understanding of the company's vision, strategy, and business model. I have never experienced that before in any company of any size.

You may be tempted to ignore Dell Computer now that their growth and that of personal computers is slowing in 2000. That should affect your stock investing, not your best practices learning.

To the Dell model, you can further improve by considering best practices that Dell does not do enough of yet such as scanning the business environment to locate best practices that it does not yet use.

You can also consider the ideal best practice, which is to replace your product with a service that is better and less costly to the customer. In Dell's case, this would mean turning the network into the computer without the need for a computer in the first place. Since Dell recently announced it will be doing more with servers and services, that may well be in the company's future.

Dell Computer has also been very effective at overcoming the other sources of stalled performance at most organizations: Tradition, Misconceptions, Disbelief about new thngs and ideas, Bureaucracy, Avoiding the unattractive (such as angry customers), and Procrastination.

You can use an 8 step process involving measurements, anticipating the future best practice, exceeding that future best practice using best practices in new combinations, identifying the ideal best practice and approaching it, employing the best employees and incentives to create the results you want, and repeating this process. Then you will run rings around Dell Computer, unless Dell Computer begins to use this process before you do.

Buy, read, think about, decide how to apply the lessons of the book, and act. You will be glad you did.

Michael Dell spends 40% of his time with customers. A lot of the rest goes into designing improved ways to listen to customers. Should you be doing the same?