Operations Forensics: Business Performance Analysis Using Operations Measures and Tools (Mit Press) - Hardcover

Lai, Richard

3.40 out of 5 stars

5 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0262018667 ISBN 13: 9780262018661

Publisher: MIT Press, 2013

View all copies of this ISBN edition

1 Used

From US$ 38.15

1 New

From US$ 61.34

Powerful tools for using operations metrics to analyze companies in ways that go beyond traditional financial models and statements.

Investors and analysts often need to look into a firm's operations more deeply than traditional financial statements and models allow. This book describes newly developed tools for using operations metrics to discern and influence the valuation of a firm. It is the first to present these techniques from a unified perspective: that of operations forensics, which looks at operations management not from the traditional point of view of a manager but from that of an investor or shareholder.

After a discussion of financial statements and the useful but incomplete insights they provide, the book covers the three components of operations forensics: operational indicators, operations details that can predict future performance; operational due diligence, methods for verifying companies' claims about operational excellence and valuing their operational assets; and operational turnaround, an innovative approach to buyout and turnaround strategies. The text also offers brief reviews of operations management concepts, real-world examples of operations forensics, and a glossary. The mathematical material gradually increases in sophistication as the book progresses (but can be skipped without loss of continuity). Each chapter concludes with a “Takeaways and Toolkit” section, a brief summary of prior research, and suggestions for further reading.

Operations forensics offers powerful tools and frameworks for financial analysts, private equity firms, managers, and consultants. This book provides a valuable resource for MBA students and practitioners. Downloadable supplementary material for instructors incudes figures form the text and 42 slides that can be used for class presentations.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Richard Lai works in a hedge fund. On the faculty of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2011, he has also worked in banking, consulting, and wealth management. At Wharton, he taught the popular “Operations Performance Analysis” MBA course.

Review

Wow! An authoritative compilation of insights on how to ensure one understands true business performance. Every page has a useful tip on looking into a business's operational guts and soul. This will become the new textbook for investors seeking truth from their operational investments. Masterful!

―Sue Siegel, CEO, healthymagination, General Electric Company

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.