2006-11-17 Why Dell works for its "Dudes"

Using material from Direct from Dell, by Dell Computer founder Michael Dell, and from computer industry Web sites and trade publications, author Steven Holzner does a solid job of describing Dell's rise over the past two decades and explaining what it is doing now to expand its market dominance. If you want all the details, though, you may feel frustrated. For example, Holzner says that Dell obsessively tracks the profit and loss of every business unit. However, he does not explain how. Which metrics does the company use, other than the often-cited ROIC, and how did it develop them? Similarly, Holzner notes that Dell analyzes markets and moves into them at just the right time. But how is it able to judge them so accurately? The book plateaus at the level of reportage, rather than rising to the level of inside analysis. However, if you are looking for a summary of Dell's very successful business strategy, we recommend this overview.