The Practical Real-Time Enterprise: Facts and Perspectives

Speed as a factor for success Our modern industrial society lives life in the fast lane. The catchwords “faster”, “shorter”, “more powerful” reflect what we experience in almost all aspects of our lives. Whether at home or at work, we are constantly on the move and in a rush. In our private lives we find rapid exchange of inf- mation most entertaining and we are fascinated by the wide range of inf- mation that pours in on us from all around the world, mainly via the new media. It gives us the feeling of being a part of the action everywhere and all the time. Seldom are we aware that the only reason this flood of inf- mation, often referred to as “overstimulation”, does not lead to overkill is that we manage to organize our time effectively. There are many parallels to this in the business world. Here too, a great deal of time pressure is exerted from outside; goals are set ever higher and deadlines become tighter. In other words, demands on our time demand faster reaction. Crucial information travels around the globe – across all time zones – in a matter of seconds. In fact, instead of CET or CEST, it would make sense to have a single time zone for the worldwide network called GST for Global Simultaneous Time. In business more so than in p- vate life, we are almost constantly online.

From the reviews:

"A guide and collection of ideas and time-proven concepts, the book highlight ways on how to accelerate a company, boost competitiveness, increase attractiveness for the customers and ultimately work more economically. Innovative experts, leading thinkers from science and research and respective service and technology providers impart multifaceted ideas as well as essential knowledge from diverse points of views on how to effectively meet the challenges of ‘speed’ and to fully exhaust its possibilities." (Siemens heute, March, 2004)