McKinsey Quarterly 2014
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Shaping the future of manufacturing

Examines the future of manufacturing, how senior executives should spread best practices, why leadership-development programs fail, taking data analytics to the next level, and Starbucks’ Indian expansion.
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Shaping the future of manufacturing

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Next-shoring: A CEO’s guide
– Proximity to demand and innovative supply ecosystems will trump labor costs as technology transforms operations in the years ahead.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

3-D printing takes shape
– Additive manufacturing is evolving quickly. Senior executives should begin preparing for five disruptions that will accompany it.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Remaking the industrial economy
– A regenerative economic model—the circular economy—is starting to help companies create more value while reducing their dependence on scarce resources.
Interview - McKinsey Quarterly

Toward a circular economy: Philips CEO Frans van Houten
– A new economic model is helping the Dutch manufacturer improve its resource efficiency and financial attractiveness.

Data analytics: Getting to the next level

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Views from the front lines of the data-analytics revolution
– At a unique gathering of data-analytics leaders, new solutions began emerging to vexing privacy, talent, organizational, and frontline-adoption challenges.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

What executives should know about open data
– Novel and more accessible forms of information from government and private sources represent a new and rapidly growing piece of the big-data puzzle.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The benefits—and limits—of decision models
– Big data and models help overcome biases that cloud judgment, but many executive decisions also require bold action inspired by self-confidence. Here’s how to take charge in a clear-headed way.

Other highlights

Commentary

Reimagining India: Creating partnerships for the future
– In short excerpts from Reimagining India, two CEOs from very different industries reflect on how global companies can succeed in India.
Book Excerpt - McKinsey Quarterly

Bad to great: The path to scaling up excellence
– Before senior executives try to spread best practices, they should use seven techniques to clear out the negative behavior that stands in the way.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Tapping the power of hidden influencers
– A tool social scientists use to identify sex workers and drug users can help senior executives find the people most likely to catalyze—or sabotage—organizational-change efforts.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Why leadership-development programs fail
– Sidestepping four common mistakes can help companies develop stronger and more capable leaders, save time and money, and boost morale.
Article

Unearthing the sources of value hiding in your corporate portfolio
– Executives who rely on high-level metrics to manage will miss potential sources of value creation. A finer-grained look can help.

Research, trends, and emerging thinking

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The mobile Internet’s consumer dividend
– New research suggests that user benefits have nearly doubled thanks to the growth of the wireless web.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Why the COO should lead social-media customer service
– Although social channels have become powerful and cost-effective tools for customer service, management may be in the wrong hands.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

The strength of ‘weak signals’
– Snippets of information, often hidden in social-media streams, offer companies a valuable new tool for staying ahead.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Global gas markets: The North American factor
– New exports of low-cost gas from Canada and the United States could threaten liquefied natural gas projects in other regions.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Breaking through the start-up stall zone
– An early rush of revenue growth is necessary—but not sufficient—for long-term survival.
Article

Uncovering hidden investment opportunities in Africa
– Recent research on the African private-equity market reveals a mismatch between supply and demand for financing that could point to investment opportunities.