An argument for simplicity from the bestselling authors of Profit from the Core
Is radical reinvention the key to winning in today’s fast-paced world? Not judging by the results of some of the world’s best-performing companies.
In Repeatability, Chris Zook and James Allen—leaders of Bain & Company’s influential Strategy practice—warn that complexity is a silent killer of profitable growth. Successful companies endure by maintaining simplicity at their core. They don’t stray from, or regularly discard, their business model in pursuit of radical renovation. Instead, they build a “repeatable business model” that produces continuous improvement and allows them to rapidly adapt to change without succumbing to complexity.
Based on a multiyear study of more than two hundred companies, the book stresses the value of repeatability in business, showing how the “big idea” today is really made up of a series of successful smaller ideas driven by a simple and repeatable business model. Zook and Allen show how some of the world’s best-known firms combine a core differentiation model with speed, adaptability, and simplicity to land them at the top for long periods of time. These firms include: Apple, Danaher, DaVita, IKEA, Nike, Olam, Tetra Pak, Vanguard, and others.
CEOs, senior executives, managers, and investors all need to read this book. It’s the new blueprint for reaching the top—and staying there.
Industry Reviews
"Zook and Allen call complexity the "silent killer" of modern business..." "The Bain duo correctly argue that successful companies can survive dramatic change by deciding which bits of their business models to preserve and which to dump." -- The Economist "This exceptional book is a 'must have' resource." -- Forbes "It has a rich repertoire of powerful examples, many clues for making our own organizations more "repeatable." "...the book is pleasantly "simple" to peruse from cover to cover, exemplifying its "repeatable" model in its own way. It has been so far a wonderful experience reading the book." -- Journal of Product Innovation Management "Repeatability is made compelling by the copious survey and case data and by the authors' engaging presentation of their work." -- Research-Technology Management "This is not a recipe for doing nothing. Far from it. Indeed concentrating "great repeatable models" that stick to consistent sets of principles is potentially as tricky and as time-consuming as engaging in all sorts of new initiatives. The difference is it is likely to be more effective." -- Future of Business (futureofbusinessblog.com) "Repeatability provides business leaders with a blueprint for bringing consistency and clarity to their organizations and for putting them on track for profitable growth. But don't just take my word for it. American Express Chairman and CEO Ken Chenault says, 'Repeatability is a terrific guide to adapting your business for success in uncertain times.'" -- American Express OPEN Forum "Repeatability once again proves what a productive pleasure it is to spend some time with Chris Zook." -- 800 CEO READ "a terrific strategy book" -- Seeking Alpha ADVANCE PRAISE for Repeatability: Ken Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express-- "Repeatability is a terrific guide to adapting your business for success in uncertain times." Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO and President, LEGO Group-- "Very few businesses move beyond surviving to actually thriving and winning in their segments. The secret is to focus on what truly makes them unique, and to frequently refine and adapt this to changing circumstances through a repeatable business model. This requires hard thinking on why your business exists, and strict discipline to stay focused. Chris Zook and James Allen show how this can be achieved through clear thinking and hard, enduring effort." Sandy Ogg, Operating Partner, Blackstone-- "Strategy is more than a plan, more than a vision. Strategy is about delivering something better to customers than your competitors every day, which means translating strategy into front line actions and behavior. It is about capabilities, it is about engagement. Repeatability is the missing link to turn strategy into action." A. M. Naik, Chairman and Managing Director, Larsen & Toubro Limited-- "Driving profitable growth year after year requires a synergy of various aspects--vision, strategy, execution, continuous learning--along with passion and commitment to organizational goals. Repeatability offers practicable ideas on how CEOs can develop and implement a business model to empower leaders across the organization to replicate a proven growth formula." Walter Kiechel III, author, The Lords of Strategy-- "For most industrial capitalists, the secret to success is being able to churn out the same product over and over, with uniform quality and at a predictable price. Zook and Allen argue that the key to strategic success is a company's ability to do approximately the same thing with its business model, replicating the essential voodoo it does so well, in new markets and with new products. It's a killer argument, one no strategist can afford to brush off." Angela Ahrendts, CEO, Burberry-- "Repeatability brilliantly encapsulates how executives today must lead change. Consistency and clarity for customers and your culture creates 'less complexity, more energy, and better connectedness.' Zook and Allen have proven this simple, adaptable model is critical for 'sustained value creation' of your company and greater community today." Sir Christopher Gent, Chairman, GlaxoSmithKline; former CEO, Vodafone-- "One of the hardest jobs of a CEO is to navigate the fine line between keeping the organization focused on day-to-day execution and making sure the company is ready to change its strategy in response to industry changes. With their idea of repeatable models that can adapt over time, Chris Zook and James Allen are offering something important to CEOs navigating a turbulent world."
