The relentless pursuit of industrial efficiency no longer yields the profits it once did because it requires a level of business predictability that no longer exists. Instead, the Internet and global video and telecom systems provide a massive and continuous flow of data that causes the whole world to behave like a giant stock market, with all the volatility and uncertainty that goes along with such markets. Responsiveness now trumps efficiency.

By being responsive to the evolving needs and desires of specific groups of customers, companies can wrap their products and services in a tailored blanket of value-added services to consistently earn an additional four percent or more gross margin than they would otherwise earn for the product or service alone. This customer and market specialization is the most promising and the most sustainable source of profits in our fluid, real-time economy.

Part of the Microsoft Executive Leadership Series, Business Agility discusses the three fundamental process loops that drive an agile enterprise and how they work together to deliver the responsiveness that generates profits in a high-change economy. Providing strategies for innovative and pragmatic use of people, process, and technology to drive operations in an agile enterprise, this book reveals the principles of the agile enterprise, backed by real-world case studies from the author's own experience.

Michael Hugos is a speaker, writer, and practitioner in IT and business agility, and agile system development methods. He writes a column for Computerworld and a blog titled "Doing Business in Real Time" for CIO magazine.

Praise for Business Agility: Sustainable Prosperity in a Relentlessly Competitive World

"This is the next evolution of business strategy. This book gives leaders a new model of business agility that balances the need for standardized business processes to drive efficiency with the ability to adapt to marketplace and customer expectations. Hugos makes the business case for adaptability and resiliency just at a time when it is needed most."
—John Babiarz, Group President, ARAMARK Healthcare

"We are a $2 billion commodities manufacturer of foodservice disposables and face many of the challenges described by Mr. Hugos. From our experience in the last several years, I believe business agility and responsiveness is one of the only competitive advantages we can use today to differentiate us from our competitors."
—Tom Pasqualini, EVP Global Supply Chain, Solo Cup Company

"Dynamic! Meaningful! Easy to read and understand! Mike Hugos has captured all the aspects that must be successfully integrated for today's firms (small and large) to grow their bottom line. A special area of interest is how he identifies successful military approaches that can be used by the civilian business sectors."
—William G. Pagonis, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Retired) and former president of Sears Logistics Services

"Business Agility transcends well beyond the mere 'must read' to a definitive 'must do.' Michael provides a thought-filled road map to transform any organization into an agile and responsive team capable of winning in today's complex and ever-changing marketplace."
—Steve Poplawski, SVP Logistics & Supply Chain, True Value Company

"Given the global economic crisis, now more than ever, agility is at the top of every company's most wanted list. This book carefully lays out practical approaches to finding the right balance for your organization between efficiency and responsiveness. Current business examples and historical references help describe and define approaches to leaping ahead and reaping the ultimate rewards of not just surviving, but thriving in today's very challenging global business environment."
—John C. Moon, Corporate Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Johnson Outdoors, Inc.

"The concept of agility has been around for some years, but this is where I first saw it in terms of hard and well-defined business benefits. It is a highly accessible book, taking the reader through all these concepts in a manner that puts the topic across in simple terms."
—Alagu Balaraman, Vice President & Process Architect, Britannia Industries Ltd.