“Straddling” bus–a cheaper, greener and faster alternative to commute

Not really an uncertainty as the key word indicates, but for those working on scenario planning it may provide some inspiration on uncertainty regarding forms of transportation, urbanisation, city life development, technology etc.

“Straddling” bus–a cheaper, greener and faster alternative to commute

A big concern on top of urban transportation planner’s mind is how to speed up the traffic: putting more buses on the road will jam the roads even worse and deteriorate the air; building more subway is costly and time consuming. Well, here is an cheaper, greener and fast alternative to lighten their mind up a bit: the straddling bus, first exhibited on the 13th Beijing International High-tech Expo in May this year. In the near future, the model is to be put into pilot use in Beijing’s Mentougou District (bjnews). (The official site of the high-tech expo put it as 3D fast bus, which I think is more confusing, for now I’ll just call it the straddling bus.)

Read the whole article at: http://www.chinahush.com/2010/07/31/straddling-bus-a-cheaper-greener-and-faster-alternative-to-commute/

Google enters travel market with flight data purchase

Google is diversifying while building on its core competences.

Google enters travel market with flight data purchase
By Daniel EmeryTechnology reporter, BBC News

Search engine giant Google has entered the travel market after acquiring flight information firm ITA Software.
ITA provides software that organises fares, flight and journey times that are used by airlines, travel agents and flight comparison sites such as Orbitz.
Google said it may well expand the scope, enabling users to search directly for flight destinations.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10486358.stm

Hershey And Cadbury

Hershey's offer seems to be more sympathetic by the Cadbury's boards. It seems that the different Corporate Parenting style influence this decision:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/054d6f9c-dbbd-11de-9424-00144feabdc0.html
It is interesting to note the emphasis placed on the merger of cultures:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d5c6c2a-dbbd-11de-9424-00144feabdc0.html
Also quite interesting the Kraft's approach which emphasises the feasibility and acceptability of their efforts:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0ac559f8-dd11-11de-ad60-00144feabdc0.html

The rise and fall of MySpace

A very well written 'reportage' which is a great case study for MySpace and News Corp. There are example for a great variety of strategic management topics. Interesting to note: News Corp. diversification strategy; the process for Merger (and how the target was selected); the impact of the environment; and leadership styles.

The rise and fall of MySpace
By Matthew Garrahan
Published: December 4 2009 15:26 Last updated: December 4 2009 15:26

In summer 2005, having spent the best part of four decades ­building a newspaper, film and television empire, Rupert Murdoch decided that the time had come to get serious about the internet. As founder and chairman of News Corporation, one of the world’s biggest and most powerful media conglomerates, Murdoch controls an eclectic portfolio of businesses ranging from The Sun newspaper to the movie studio 20th Century Fox. Yet with young people “watching less television and reading fewer newspapers”, as he observed that summer, News Corp desperately needed a bigger presence online.

Read the whole article at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/fd9ffd9c-dee5-11de-adff-00144feab49a.html

EU moves towards common patent system

EU moves towards common patent system
European ministers say they have agreed on a plan to introduce a common EU-wide patent system that could save companies millions of euros.
Sweden's foreign ministry says industry ministers reached a deal on the main elements of the EU patent and setting up a single European Patent Court.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8396279.stm

Google set to offer property dimension to UK mapping

This is a diversification that does not seems to be 'relevant' but it actually builds on corporate parents' core skills, it will create synergies between Google's core business and this new one.

Google set to offer property dimension to UK mapping

Google is set to launch a property dimension to its UK mapping system.
The new service will allow both estate agents and private sellers to put their property as an overlay on Google Maps.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8394252.stm

Dutch car maker plans move to UK

This is a good example of an International Strategy being developed based to ease operations and reduce costs.

Dutch car maker plans move to UK

A luxury sports car maker based in the Netherlands has announced it is moving an assembly plant to Coventry.
Spyker Cars makes up to 50 luxury cars a year, mainly for the US market, with prices starting from about £180,000.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/8372121.stm

Climate Change Study

Climate change and/or global warming are regularly considered as Macro-External Environmental (-uncertainy) factors. This is a report by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, which acknowledges the need to go beyond mitigation strategies and to take into consideration adaptation and remediation (=direct air carbon capture, geo engineering).


Read the whole article at: http://www.imeche.org/NR/rdonlyres/77CDE5E4-CE41-4F2C-A706-A630569EE486/0/IMechE_MAG_Report.PDF

BA and Iberia agree merger

Good example of an Overcapacity Merger.
Points to note:
-the friendly terms of the 'union'
-the fact that the companies will maintain their structure
-the emphasis on the Synergies to be gained,
-

BA and Iberia agree merger

By Pilita Clark in London and Mark Mulligan in Madrid
Published: November 12 2009 12:02 Last updated: November 13 2009 09:02

British Airways and Iberia on Thursday night agreed the terms of a merger to create Europe’s third-largest airline by revenue, one of the biggest deals in the global aviation industry.

But the two airlines have agreed that Iberia will be able to terminate the accord if it is unhappy with BA’s handling of its swollen pension scheme, which has been one of the sticking points in the deal, first announced in July last year.

Read the whole article at:http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ee333056-cf7f-11de-b876-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Kraft's bid for Cadbury 'derisory'

Hostile Acquisition, if it goes ahead, the integration will be challenging to manage. Interesting to note that Kraft highlights the potential synergies while Cadbury suggests that Kraft is a conglomerate with a Portfolio parenting style. Also, interesting how the strategic direction is emphasised: Cadbury claims that Kraft has a slow growth business model.

Kraft's bid for Cadbury 'derisory'

pa.press.net, Updated: 09/11/2009 15:54A £9.8 billion hostile takeover bid from US food giant Kraft has been labelled "derisory" by Dairy Milk maker Cadbury. A £9.8 billion hostile takeover bid from US food giant Kraft has been labelled "derisory" by Dairy Milk maker Cadbury.

Read the whole article at:

'Road trains' get ready to roll

Good example of how the evolution of a Technology (Macro External Environment) can influence an entire industry. It is also useful to note that this Technology was development by European Funds (Regulatory Macro External Environmental factor) due to Environmental and Socio-Cultural trends.

'Road trains' get ready to roll
Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could soon be on European roads.
An EU-financed research project is looking at inexpensive ways of getting vehicles to travel in a 'platoon' on Europe's motorways.
Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles - cars, buses and trucks will be mixed in each one.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8349923.stm

Interesting to note how one strategic option defines the long term strategic direction of Renault.

Renault's electric-car gamble

Mr Ghosn bets the company
Oct 15th 2009From The Economist print edition

The French carmaker aims to be the first big producer of zero-emission vehicles
OVER the past few weeks Renault has been giving politicians, journalists and big commercial customers across Europe the chance to drive a slightly odd-looking battery-powered vehicle based on its Kangoo, a small van. Like most of the latest electric-vehicle prototypes, the Kangoo Be Bop ZE, as it is called, drives briskly and quietly. Unlike most of them, it is a thoroughly practical proposition. It provides plenty of space for five people and their luggage, has a range of about 160 kilometres (100 miles)—and, crucially, when it goes on sale in less than two years’ time, it will not cost a fortune.

Read the whole article at:http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14662050

Henry Mintzberg on managing

Henry Mintzberg is one of the most influential researchers and authors on strategy.

Listen to his interview with the economist at: http://audiovideo.economist.com/?fr_story=86aec0aa817a9003c3484cf810141d082d76fb7a&rf=bm

How to change the system

Ackoff is one of the founders to modern strategic thought.

How to change the system
Nov 3rd 2009From Economist.com
In praise of the ideas of Russ Ackoff
IT IS hard to imagine a less enticing title for a book than “Introduction to Operations Research”. Yet Russ Ackoff, one of the authors of this tome of 1959, who died on October 29th aged 90, did not just help to define a nascent branch of industrial engineering. He wrote 30 other books, becoming one of the most influential management gurus of the 20th century in the process. His ideas about systemic thinking are vitally important today if the world is to come out of the current economic crisis in better shape than it went into it.

Read the whole article at: http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14790477

Climate rifts ahead of G20 talks

Several Macro External Environment factors are determined in these G20 meetings.

Climate rifts ahead of G20 talks

Disputes over climate change and stimulus spending have emerged ahead of a summit of G20 finance ministers.
Ministers of the 20 leading economies are meeting in St Andrews, Fife, to discuss the nascent global recovery and how to reduce carbon emissions.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8347786.stm

Rich Germans demand higher taxes

An interesting social phenomenon? Could this became a trend?

Rich Germans demand higher taxes
A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes.
The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany's economic recovery

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8321967.stm

National Express and Stagecoach

Good example to highlight the difference between Merger and Acquisition.

National Express 'did not invite' Stagecoach deal
by Robert Lindsay

National Express today disputed claims that it had invited a merger approach from its rival, Stagecoach.
Earlier today, Stagecoach said it had submitted a letter on October 16, “at the invitation of National Express”, detailing the terms of a deal.

Read the whole article at: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6880710.ece


Also interesting notes on the fund raising process for an Acquisition.

Rival renews National Express bid

Stagecoach has made a fresh offer to buy rival National Express, despite a consortium pulling out of takeover talks last week.
The group, comprising private equity firm CVC Capital and National Express's largest shareholder, the Cosmen family, withdrew its £765m offer on Friday.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8313780.stm

Ryanair closing Manchester routes

Good example on the power of the suppliers./customers. Airlines can be seen as suppliers or customers for Airports. It is interesting to note the fact that Ryannair was negotiating the airport taxes.

Ryanair closing Manchester routes

Ryanair is to switch or close nine of the 10 routes it currently operates from Manchester Airport, blaming the airport's refusal to lower its charges.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8205445.stm

BA scraps the short-haul sandwich

Cost-cutting practices in company that does not compete on price.

BA scraps the short-haul sandwich

British Airways is to scrap all meals, except breakfast, on its short-haul flights in a bid to save £22m a year.
Passengers on flights after 10am, which last less than two-and-half hours, will only be served drinks and snacks. They will not have the option to buy food.


Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8174009.stm

UK set to reform bank regulation

The UK government is set to announce its plans to reform the financial system to prevent future crises.
But the White Paper will leave many questions unanswered about the role of the key regulators. The Lib Dems say it is unlikely to go far enough.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8139752.stm