Machine generated contents note: 1.The challenges of strategy and implementation -- Strategy implementation: a hot topic -- Why is strategy implementation such a big challenge? -- A new model for achieving competitive advantage -- Structure of the book -- Notes -- pt. I Achieving competitive advantage through strategy, alignment and commitment -- 2.Formulating a winning strategy -- Back to the basics -- A `winning' strategy vs a `mediocre' strategy -- Whom do we serve? -- What do we provide? -- What is our value proposition? -- What is our operating model? -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 3.Implementing a winning strategy through strategic alignment -- What is strategy implementation? -- Defining strategic alignment -- None of the three, or all three? -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 4.Implementing a winning strategy through commitment -- Defining commitment -- Creating organizational commitment through management maturity --

Contents note continued: Management maturity and strategy implementation challenges -- Strategy implementation is about creating both alignment and commitment -- Key learning points -- Notes -- pt. II Strategy implementation at product leaders -- 5.What does it mean to be a product leader? -- Product leaders: who are they? -- The value proposition of product leaders: what is a `best product' anyway? -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 6.What does it take to be a product leader? How product leaders implement strategy -- The Product Leadership Pentagon: identifying the fifteen core activities that constitute product leadership -- Direction and goal setting: a clear innovation strategy and committed top management -- Operational processes: managing the fuzzy front and the speedy back ends of innovation -- Support processes: resource allocation and knowledge sharing -- Evaluation and control processes: tracking and rewarding innovation --

Contents note continued: Organizational behaviour: appropriate HR and a culture of entrepreneurship, informality, risk-taking and teamwork -- Commitment and product leadership -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 7.Strategy implementation in practice: Studio 100: a showcase in show business -- The shaping of an international entertainment company -- Studio 100's strategic choices -- Studio 100: a well-aligned product leader -- Direction and goal setting: a clear innovation strategy and committed top management -- Operational processes: managing the fuzzy front and the speedy back ends of innovation -- Support processes: resource allocation and knowledge sharing -- Evaluation and control processes: tracking and rewarding innovation -- Organizational behaviour processes: Studio 100's innovation culture and structure -- Studio 100's Product Leadership Pentagon -- Studio 100 and strategy commitment -- Key learning points -- Notes --

Contents note continued: pt. III Strategy implementation at operational excellence companies -- 8.What does it mean to be operationally excellent? -- Operational excellence: what's in a name? -- The value proposition of operationally excellent firms: what is `best price'? -- Best access: how do you turn a hassle into a positive experience? -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 9.What does it take to be operationally excellent? How operationally excellent firms implement strategy -- The Operational Excellence Pentagon: identifying the fifteen core activities that constitute true operational excellence -- Direction and goal setting: a long-term focus on process excellence supported by top management -- Operational processes: a strategic role for the operations function -- Support processes: streamlining tasks and operations and supporting quality-driven efforts throughout the supply chain -- Evaluation and control processes: measuring and tracking process excellence and quality --

Contents note continued: Organizational behaviour: creating a business process orientation throughout the entire organization -- Operational excellence and commitment -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 10.Strategy implementation in practice: ING Direct USA - a rebel in the US banking industry -- ING Direct USA: a rebel in the US banking industry -- ING Direct USA: a well-aligned, operationally excellent organization -- Direction and goal setting: a long-term focus on process excellence and efficiency supported by top management -- Operational processes: a strategic role for the operations function -- Support processes: streamlining tasks and operations and the important role of IT -- Evaluation and control processes: measuring and tracking process excellence and efficiency -- Organizational behaviour processes: creating a business process orientation throughout the entire organization -- Strategic commitment at ING Direct USA -- ING Direct Usa's sale to Capital One --

Contents note continued: Key learning points -- Notes -- pt. IV Strategy implementation at customer-intimacy firms -- 11.What does it mean to be customer intimate? -- Providing more conceptual clarity on customer intimacy -- Best service: towards providing real solutions -- Best connectivity: getting - and staying - connected -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 12.What does it take to be customer intimate? How customer-intimacy organizations implement strategy -- The Customer Intimacy Pentagon: identifying the fifteen core activities that constitute customer intimacy -- Direction and goal setting: an explicit service and relationship strategy supported by the top -- Operational processes: building credibility, trust, loyalty and commitment -- Support processes: a structured customer acquisition and relationship management -- Evaluation and control processes: measures that improve customer loyalty -- Organizational behaviour: creating a strong customer service culture --

Contents note continued: Commitment and customer intimacy -- Key learning points -- Notes -- 13.Strategy implementation in practice: Chateauform': customer intimacy and beyond -- The Chateauform' concept -- Delivering the Chateauform' experience -- Direction and goal setting: an explicit service and relationship strategy supported by the top -- Operational processes: demonstrating expertise and delivering a great experience -- Support processes: further support to deliver a great service -- Evaluation and control processes: a performance measurement system that tracks and rewards customer service and loyalty -- Organizational behaviour processes: a company with a strong service culture -- Strategic commitment at Chateauform' -- Customer intimacy and beyond -- Key learning points -- Notes.