Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step: Maximizing Performance and Maintaining Results

By Paul R. Niven
Publisher: Wiley
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: 2006-09-01
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0471780499
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780471780496
Binding: Hardcover

PRAISE FOR Balanced Scorecard Step-By-Step: Maximizing Performance and Maintaining Results, Second Edition
"As a practitioner and thought leader, Paul Niven is superbly bridging the gulf between BSC theory and application through hands-on experiences and real-world case studies. The book provides a practical road map, step-by-step, to plan, execute, and sustain a winning scorecard campaign. Easy to read . . . tells a powerful story with lessons learned/best practices from global customer implementations. Must-read for anyone interested in BSC or grappling with how to create a strategically aligned organization."—Vik Torpunuri, President and CEO, e2e Analytix
"In Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step, Second Edition, Paul Niven provides an intuitive and incredibly effective blueprint for transitioning strategic ambition to execution. Paul's pragmatic approach provides leaders with a tool for managing a company's journey from strategic ideas to world-class performance. The Balanced Scorecard is a masterful tool for guiding companies through transformation, and I speak from personal experience when I say Paul's blueprint works! It is the most effective guide I have seen. Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step will serve any leader well if their ambition is to efficiently engage their teams in achieving a set of strategic goals."—Allan A. MacDonald, Vice President, Sales and Customer Solutions Bell Canada National Markets
"Paul Niven has done it again!!! With this book, he has further operationalized the enlightened Balanced Scorecard concept into a fully functional system that optimizes business execution and performance!"—Barton Johnson, President, Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corporation, The Reverse Mortgage Specialist
Summary: An excellent tool for those intangibles Rating: 4
Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step: Maximizing Performance and Maintaining Results
This book was an excellent resource on the Balanced Scorecard. Mr. Niven does an outstanding job of outlining the issues and history of the Balanced Scorecard in order to quickly get the reader up to speed before jumping into the actual implementation process. The book is written in a manner to accommodate the lowest common denominator, making it very easy for the reader to understand the points Mr. Niven makes.
As the title of the book suggests, Mr. Niven tackles the implementation process in a straight forward, step-by-step approach. He takes the reader along and builds the process like a pyramid, one layer at a time. Mr. Niven uses personal experience and examples of past failures and successes to drive his points home. At the end of each chapter he pauses to recap the major lessons that have been learned.
After guiding the reader through the implementation process, he then takes time to show how to maintain the Balanced Scorecard and to apply it to other areas, such as corporate governance and executive compensation. All in all, he makes the Balanced Scorecard a very understandable subject and provides much needed confidence in the reader that one can be implemented successfully.
This is a must read for both organizations interested in the Balanced Scorecard and students pursuing business degrees.
Summary: Janet Z's reveiwRating: 5
I read this book for a graduate accounting information systems' class and I LOVED IT!!! This book does a awesome job at presenting necessary information that all businesses should know.
Whether you are a owner of a large or small company, or a manager searching for ways to unite your department, this book will help you. It will enlighten the reader on the things every business must emphasize to maximize performance and profits.
It is written as a guide to first explain the importance of a Balanced Scorecard, explain the making of a scorecard, then gives you detailed information on how to create a scorecard using simple to follow steps. Each step is detailed just enough to give the reader a solid understanding of each step and its' role in the whole process. Behind-the-scenes details such as warning signs to look for during the creating stages are also given.
The book finishes with a lot of hands on examples and helps the reader feel confident in the undertaking of the project. After reading this book, my understanding of a balanced scorecard was greatly enriched. I started out thinking it was another useless flow chart which no one would benefit from. After reading this book, I see it as a tool that no company should be without.
I feel this book is an excellent resource for any company to use to implement a balance scorecard. Even if you do not want to implement a scorecard, a lot of tremendously, helpful ideas on uniting workers for a common goal, bringing a work staff together, maximizing profits and overall, simply building a better business are in this book. It's a MUST READ for all management and business owners.
Summary: Excellent insight into the practical aspects of BSCRating: 5
Much more than "what is the BSC!" This book gave me the practical background necessary to forge ahead in my company with the BSC. Kaplan and Norton's text did a good job explaining what it is, but Niven gave me the confidence to implement. It's really a 5-star book and I highly recommend it. I've highlighted and tabbed so much of this book it looks like one of my graduate course textbooks.
Summary: Excellent guide for todays business leaderRating: 5
This book is an excellent guide for today's business leader, in helping him or her develop a comprehensive understanding of what is important to run a business, and also, what needs to be regularly tracked, managed and metered such that you are in tune with what is going on, and can steer successfully in the turbulent business climate of today. Hats off to Mr. Niven for his insights and understanding of business today, and the needs of the business leaders of today and tomorrow.
Summary: Step-by-step to answersRating: 5
I really recommended this book to anyone who are interesting to implement BSC methodology. For those who has some BSC ground and try to put BSC in work this book will clarify each dilemmas they face by searching through BSC methodology (who, how and why?). It is the best guidelines to implement BSC because Niven drive us easily from the beginning of project to the implementation with all necessary data. Book is easily to read and completely applicable.