Why Things Work – The Merlin Navigator
-The world is littered with examples where once promising opportunities became a source of ongoing disappointment and loss. Key projects, partnerships, mergers, new technology and programs – we launch these things with fanfare and an enthusiastic press release, only to suffer as a helpless spectator as conflict erupts, innovation fizzles and profits disappear. What once seemed like a bold step forward only yields pain, embarrassment, waste, lost profit, employee rebellion and investor rage.Sound Familiar?While these frustrations are avoidable, the obstacles and solutions that were obscure at inception seem all too clear during the debrief. What organizations want (and what they need)…
2009-Sep; XONITEK eNewsletter, Operational Excellence by Design
-Operational Excellence by Design – A cross-disciplinary approach in the pursuit of perfection. XONITEK eNewsletter September 2009 ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS XONITEK Sponsors Symposium Business Survival in the New Economy September 24th – Scranton, Pennsylvannia Many midsized global companies are looking to streamline operations, reduce business and IT costs and grow customer lifetime value. To achieve…
Gastronomically Around the World in 80 Days
-One of my colleagues wonders why I don’t eat – I often go until late in the afternoon until I take my first bite of the day. My simple response is that I don’t like to eat. I don’t enjoy eating for nourishment. But I do enjoy dining and the entire dining experience. I refuse to eat at any of the “chains” where they deep-fry you to death and the portions are obscenely giganormous. When a dish is served to me, I don’t like my first response to be one of intimidation as in; “Holy cow, I will NEVER finish…
Business in the Clouds
-What do you see in the clouds? The best way to explain Cloud Computing is to think of it as a cloud; a sometimes formless void – of unknown whereabouts – that contains data and applications which are accessible to a user via the internet. What we are dealing with here is what is in that cloud and just how Cloud Computing might be something to look into in order to net a greater value for your efforts. In last month’s article “Working on the Web”, I mentioned the most widely-used web apps and online services that are available to anyone with…
Renewable Energy Credit
-Optimal Transaction Structuring under ARRA: The Use of Tax-Oriented Financing Structures to Step-Up the Basis of Self-Constructed Renewable Energy Projects and the Determination of Fair Market Value Executive Summary – The tax incentives provided for qualifying renewable energy projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 include production tax credits, investment tax credits, and refundable cash grants. These incentives permit a range of transaction structuring options for qualifying projects, including the ability to step up the basis of a self-constructed project from construction cost to fair market value by entering into a sale/leaseback or partnership structure. This article addresses the mechanics of…
