what does a business do?

Or rather what does it deliver?

Yesterday's post was inspired by a call for help - "A Solution to My Solution Issue, Please" - prompted by a corporate discussion of whether being in the business of "products" or "solutions" was the right concept.

Once upon the time business

supplied products.

Simple, but perhaps a bit limiting.

Then the ten-rules-to-success and seven-steps-to-bliss management book crowd suggested that being in the business of solutions would be better.

And it was sticky. Now most are in the business of

supplying solutions.

I, respectfully of course, think this is still too limiting.

As argued before here, here and here - it equals to embracing the known instead of the unknown. And it is in the unknown that the future lies - thus another concept holding us back.

Why mess it up, why not stick to the core of any basic strategy? The very simple notion that a business is supposed to

deliver a value.

Current problems, future problems, new ways, joy and happiness and any jumping of the curve for your customers is covered. Limitless.

That's what business is all about. Delivering value.

Please. I want that. Value. Whatever it is.

I do value more things than just having my problems solved.

Comments

[Dennis Howlett]

Just tripped over this Sig - yes - you're right but people have a real hard time figuring out what value looks like and and even harder time measuring it so they can show as well as tell.

[sig]

You're absolutely right, and that is perhaps why most strategists try to use measurable, "objective" values.

But I doubt that "low cost" or "faster" or "more blue" ever was really decisive. Used as arguments post-fact, sure.

I think Kathy in this post http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/02/its_the_stupid.html is closer to the truth... it's stuff like "hey this is fun!" or "wow that looks cool" works :)

And that's tricky to argue before your board when you're supposedly selling to assumed logical business people!

Actually, this is very close to the issues I'm struggling with these days - sure we could deliver at a tenth (or much less) of SAP/Oracle costs, sure you could increase your resource effeiciency manyfold yada yada yada. But when I try it out I'm having fun... like a real-life simulation game... SimBusiness if only that name wasn't taken already :)

[David]

Commercial banking is a part of the financial industry that bears little resemblance to personal finance. While one relies on the capability of the business owner to pay through evaluating past credit and job, commercial banking is based on the industry and business cash flows. Some banks will not lend to a business, even if there is strong management or business cash flows.

Dan from http:/jumplanet.com the Get a Business Loan site